During the busiest weeks, thousands of gray whales migrate past our windows on their way to and from the waters of Alaska and Mexico. We keep watch all year long, you never know who might swim by. Many species including humpback whales, orcas, dolphins, porpoise and even blue whales have been spotted from our windows.
In the Winter we watch nearly 20,000 gray whales from mid-December through mid-January as they travel south to the warm lagoons of Baja Mexico.
Spring watching begins in late March as the gray whales travel north on their way towards Alaska. The first surge swims by around the end of March and we watch the north-bound whales all the way until June.
Summer & Fall brings whales that feed along our coast from June to mid-November. We typically don't see hundreds of whales during this time but we consistently see between 5 and 15 whales every day!
The center is home to the Whale Watching Spoken Here volunteer program, which sponsors the winter and spring break Whale Watching Weeks.
A gray whale breaching in front of the Whale Watching Center (September 2016)
Purchased from the City of Depoe Bay March 4, 2008, for $97,522. Listed in the National Register of Historic Places March 7, 2012. The only state wayside constructed during the postwar period designed to serve the rapidly increasing ranks of the motoring public, while taking advantage of a unique scenic vista—the world’s smallest navigable harbor at Depoe Bay.
