Depoe Bay Whale Watching
Whale Watching Report:
03/17/2020
We had good sightings of whales yesterday on our whale watching excursions. We have no reason to think that whale watching will not be good today, the marine forecast is calling for favorable conditions. To make a reservation call 541-765-2545 or book online at www.docksidedepoebay.com. We at Dockside Charters are very concerned with the Coronavirus. We are not only concerned for the wellbeing of our clients but also our Captains, crews and shoreside personnel. We have always cleaned our boats on a daily basis, scrubbed thoroughly, always maintaining a high standard that we will certainly continue and in fact increase our efforts. All of our boats have facilities on board for hand washing and cleaning the vessels during the course of the trip is always ongoing. We have instituted additional sanitizing measures in our office as well. We want you be secure knowing that we are making every effort to protect you.
03/14/2020
Conditions Saturday were too rough to get out whale watching. Sunday the conditions are forecast to be significantly improved and getting even better through the week. Our whale watching excursions are a great opportunity to get out, see the incredible Oregon Coast for a perspective and then observe the whales in their natural environment. We have excursions daily, marine conditions permitting. Call us at 541-765-2545 or make a reservation on line at www.docksidedepoebay.com We at Dockside Charters are very concerned with the Coronavirus. We are not only concerned for the wellbeing of our clients but also our Captains, crews and shoreside personnel. We have always cleaned our boats on a daily basis scrubbing with soap, bleach and fresh water, always maintaining a high standard that we will certainly continue and in fact increase our efforts. All of our boats have facilities on board for hand washing and cleaning the vessels during the course of the trip is always ongoing. We have instituted additional sanitizing measures in our office as well. We want you be secure knowing that we are making every effort to protect you.
03/13/2020
We had sightings of whales migrating north today very near Depoe Bay. Our whale watching excursions are a great opportunity to get out, see the incredible Oregon Coast for a perspective and then observe the whales in their natural environment. We have excursions daily, marine conditions permitting. Call us at 541-765-2545 or make a reservation on line at www.docksidedepoebay.com \r\n\r\nWe at Dockside Charters are very concerned with the Coronavirus. We are not only concerned for the wellbeing of our clients but also our Captains, crews and shoreside personnel. We have always cleaned our boats on a daily basis scrubbing with soap, bleach and fresh water, always maintaining a high standard that we will certainly continue and in fact increase our efforts. All of our boats have facilities on board for hand washing and cleaning the vessels during the course of the trip is always ongoing. We have instituted additional sanitizing measures in our office as well. We want you be secure knowing that we are making every effort to protect you.
03/10/2020
Our whale watchers were treated to good sightings of whales just a half mile of port. The conditions were great, making for excellent whale watching opportunities. We are offering whale watching excursions every day, weather permitting. Give us a call at 541-765-2545 or make a reservation on line at www.docksidedepoebay.com
03/09/2020
We have some good weather windows this week for whale watching excursions. The whales are still in their northern migration and will continue migrating through May. In May we should start seeing the arrival of our resident whales which will make for even better whale watching. Call us at 541-765-2545 for reservations or make them online at www.docksidedepoebay.com
Depoe Bay Whale Watching Report Archive...
Depoe Bay is the Whale Watching Capital and Dockside Charters offers Premier Whale Watching Excursions.
Dockside Charters runs whale watching excursions on a daily basis during our whale watching season. The season typically goes from mid-December through October. Our whale watching season actually is two part: migration and residential. The migratory season begins in December and usually extends until mid May. Mid to late May is when our “resident” whales begin to arrive. Our resident whales are a group of roughly 20 whales that, though they do migrate don’t go all the way to the Bering Sea but rather feed during the summer season within just a few miles of Depoe Bay and stay in the area until late October. The same whales return year after year and we are able to identify returning whales by their individual markings and the skippers even have them named.
Pacific Gray Whales have the longest migration of any animal on earth going from the Bering Sea to the Baja Peninsula and even into the Sea of Cortez. Their migration allows calves to be born in the warm waters of the Baja lagoons, that is vital to the survival of the newborns because they have no insulating blubber layer at birth. As the new calves and their mothers slowly migrate North the calves gain about nine to ten pounds per day. What makes that even more remarkable is the fact that the cows (mother gray whales) feed very little if at all during the migration. This is often quite evident by the physical appearance of the cows when they reach Depoe Bay, they are literally racks of skin and bones, having used their fat reserves to support the calves during migration.
After they arrive here feeding is the priority. Pacific Gray Whales are baleen feeders, they filter food they need from the water by straining it through their baleen plates. Organisms they feed on are quite small, one of the whales most important food sources are Mysid Shrimp. Mysid Shrimp live in and around kelp forests and never get more than about a half inch in length. They resemble mosquito larva more than shrimp and the whales will consume up to 2000 pounds of them a day. At other times they will feed on copepods they filter by taking mouthfuls of muck from the bottom or even skim feed on schools of very small fish.
Humpback and Blues whales are also seen occasionally though not as frequently as Gray Whales. We are fortunate here in Depoe Bay to have whales nearby for us to see for most of the year.
At Dockside Charters we run our Whale Watching excursions from safe comfortable 50 foot Delta Charter boats. They are Coast Guard Certified and have everything required for your safety and piece of mind. They have all the amenities: comfortable heated cabins, rest rooms, indoor seating, seating out on deck. You are able to walk all the way around the boats and are elevated above the water for excellent whale sightings. Our captains have decades of experience and a wealth of knowledge they share during the excursions making them interpretive tours. Our boats have access doors to walk on and off with ease or provide wheel chair access. We can accommodate large groups.
Reservations are recommended for our whale watching tours, to make yours call 541-765-2545
Whale watching excursions seven days a week, subject to marine conditions.
Whale watching report archive...
(541) 765-2545
