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Gray whales return to the Oregon Coast for Winter Whale Watch Week 2025
One of the largest gray whale migrations in the world is currently passing by the Oregon Coast.
One of the largest gray whale migrations in the world is currently passing by the Oregon Coast.
The great gray whale migration is underway once again during Winter Whale Watch Week, sending thousands of massive, ancient travelers past Oregon’s shores.
From cliffside viewpoints and windswept beaches, you can watch spouts rise from the horizon and feel briefly connected to these gentle giants.
This season’s migration is expected to peak in late December, turning an ordinary coastal walk into a front-row seat for one of nature’s most remarkable journeys.
When is Oregon’s 2025 Winter Whale Watch Week?
Oregon’s Winter Whale Watch Week is an annual celebration of the gray whale migration, hosted by the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department.
From Dec. 27 to 31, trained volunteers and park rangers set up spotting scopes at 14 state park sites along the coast, helping visitors learn how to spot whales safely from shore.
It’s free, family-friendly, and designed to make whale watching accessible to both first-time watchers and seasoned locals.
Where are the gray whales migrating to and from?
Eastern North Pacific gray whales undertake the longest known migration of any mammal, traveling roughly 12,000 miles round-trip each year.
They move south from Arctic feeding grounds to warm-water breeding lagoons in Baja California, Mexico, passing Oregon during the winter months.
State officials estimate about 13,000 whales will swim past the Oregon coast on their southbound journey this season, with another migration north celebrated during Spring Whale Watch Week in March.
Where are the best spots for whale watching on the Oregon Coast?
While whale sightings are possible all along the coast, Depoe Bay stands out as a favorite.
Known as the Whale Watching Capital of Oregon, the town is home to the Whale Watching Center, open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. during Winter Whale Watch Week. Some gray whales even linger here, feeding in nearby kelp beds instead of continuing south.
If you’re watching from shore, bring binoculars and scan the water slowly for a tall, misty spout. You might also catch a glimpse of a fluke as a whale dives, and if luck is on your side, an occasional breach.
It’s a simple moment, but one that tends to stay with you long after the waves fade from view.
