Depoe Bay Whales

Want to learn about our local resident gray whales and the history of Depoe Bay? Here you can experience transiting the world’s smallest navigable harbor and unique narrow harbor entrance. Hop aboard the Whales Tail for an exciting and thrilling ride to see gray whales and other marine life. Because we are faster than the larger boats you actually get to spend more time with the whales. Our trips are fun, informative and interactive, and our Owner/Captain Gary is dedicated to making your whale watching and wildlife trip an experience of a lifetime.

The Whales Tail was the first and original zodiac style whale watching boat on the Oregon coast. The Whales Tail is a ridged hull zodiac style boat specifically designed for marine mammal viewing, our high-speed whale watching tour is the fastest, most comfortable way to view the ocean’s most spectacular and magnificent animals. The Whales Tail offers the ultimate in comfort, safety and performance and was designed for whale watching and is equipped with the latest navigational, communication and safety equipment. The Whales Tail is the only zodiac style whale watching boat in Depoe Bay who has been inspected and approved by the state of Oregon.

The Whales Tail provides passengers with the adventure of a lifetime through excellent customer service, first class vessel, the highest possible safety standards and added value from an on-the-water education of not only whales and marine life but navigation and boat handling. We emphasize science and conservation while maintaining a fun and professional atmosphere. The Whales Tail is dedicated to ensuring that your time spent whale watching with us is the highlight of your vacation. We pride ourselves on our level of excellence in customer service and seamanship. So sit back and enjoy as we take you on the ultimate whale watching adventure!

From there we will spend the next 1 to 1 1/2 hours familiarizing and educating you on not just whales but the entire marine eco-system. We take the time to show you all of the wonders of the sea and ensure that your trip is not only exhilarating but also educational. While we journey out to find the whales, you’ll have the opportunity to see a diverse marine ecosystem, including harbor porpoises, sea lions, bald eagles, seals and sea otters. Learn about our local resident whales, such as Scarback who I first saw in 1980 off Newport, Oregon while station in the Coast Guard.

This is a great way to enjoy the natural wonders and spectacular wildlife that lives off the shores of the Oregon coast. We live in a unique part of the world where Mother Nature provides us with abundant sea life; see these incredible creatures in their natural habitat. This is all about making memories for the entire family.

Visit our website at: www.whalestaildepoebay.com

The Whales Tail, LLC
270 Coast Guard Dr.
Depoe Bay, Oregon 97341

Phone:541-765-2545
Toll Free:1-800-733-8915

Oregon Summer Whale Watching

This is a great way to enjoy the natural wonders and spectacular wildlife that lives off the shores of the Oregon coast. We live in a unique part of the world where Mother Nature provides us with abundant sea life; see these incredible creatures in their natural habitat. This is all about making memories for the entire family.

We hope you can join us whale watching zodiac style aboard the Whales Tail.

Visit our website at: www.whalestaildepoebay.com

Whales Tail @ Dockside Charters
270 Coast Guard Dr.
Depoe Bay, Oregon 97341

Phone:541-765-2545
Toll Free:1-800-733-8915

Oregon Whale Watching

The Whales Tail provides passengers with the adventure of a lifetime through excellent customer service, first class vessel, the highest possible safety standards and added value from an on-the-water education of not only whales and marine life but navigation and boat handling. We emphasize science and conservation while maintaining a fun and professional atmosphere.

The Whales Tail is dedicated to ensuring that your time spent whale watching with us is the highlight of your vacation. We pride ourselves on our level of excellence in customer service and seamanship. So sit back and enjoy as we take you on the ultimate whale watching adventure!

Check out our Whale Watching FAQ

Make your reservation's online at: Reservations

Daily Trip Times
8:00am, 10:00am, 12:00pm, 2:00pm, 4:00pm

Trip Rates
1hr. $25.00
1 1/2 hr. $35.00

For more information visit our website at: www.whalestaildepoebay.com

Whales Tail @ (Dockside Charters)
270 Coast Guard Dr.
Depoe Bay, Oregon 97341

Phone:541-765-2545
Toll Free:1-800-733-8915

Oregon Coast Scenic Tours

Depoe Bay, Whale Watching, Scenic Tours

Because of its proximity to the ocean, only minutes away, whale watchers can be from dockside to viewing whales and other marine life in a matter of minutes on one of our whale watching tours. Depoe Bay is the site of the world’s smallest navigable harbor. The beauty of Depoe Bay’s rocky coastline along with it's caves and small coves make this a popular coastal destination.

Whale Cove is a small cove, approximately one-third of a mile in diameter, located just South of Depoe Bay. Whale Cove was the location where Francis Drake spent the summer of 1579 during his circumnavigation of the globe by sea. The exact location of Drake's landing spot, at which he claimed a portion of the west coast of North America as "New Albion" has long been a mystery. One of our favorate places to show our customers is Whale Cove, here you can enjoy watching whales, bald eagles, sea lions and harbor seals.

In the spring, March through June most of these gray whales make the journey from their breeding lagoons in Baja California to the Arctic feeding grounds. On this northbound migration, small numbers of gray whales fall out of the migration group and stop at various locations along the Oregon coast, one of these places is Depoe Bay; these whales are called resident whales.

For whales to be known as residents, they must stay around a certain area for at least two days, exhibit feeding behavior, and return year after year. This distinguishes them from migrating whales which stop on their migration and feed then move on their way. Along the coast of Depoe Bay, our resident gray whales begin showing up in June.

On any one day throughout the summer, numbers range from 1 to 20. Some arrive in early summer, leave, and then return in late summer or early fall. Resident gray whales remain around Depoe Bay for a period of days to months, there is one whale Scarback who has been around for at least 20 years.

One of the main attractions for people coming to the Oregon coast is whale watching.We hope you will join us to see these magnificent creatures in their natural habitat. Hop aboard the Whales Tail at Dockside Charters, we are the premier whale watching tour on the Oregon coast.

To learn more about whales and our whale watching tours visit our website at: The Whales Tail Chartered Whale Watching

Whales Tail @ (Dockside Charters)
270 Coast Guard Dr.
Depoe Bay, Oregon 97341

Phone:541-765-2545
Toll Free:1-800-733-8915

Gray Whale Migration

Each October, as the northern ice pushes southward, small groups of gray whales in the eastern Pacific start a two to three month 5,000 – 6,800 mile trip south. Beginning in the Bering and Chukchi seas and ending in the warm water lagoons of Mexico’s Baja peninsula and the southern Gulf of California, they travel along the west coast of Canada, the United States and Mexico.

Traveling night and day, the gray whale averages approximately 75 miles per day at an average speed of 5 mph. This round trip of 10,000 – 13,600 miles is believed to be the longest annual migration of any mammal. By late December to early January, they begin to arrive in the calving lagoons of Baja. The three most popular lagoons are Laguna Ojo de Liebre, San Ignacio and Magdalena.

These first whales to arrive are usually pregnant mothers that look for the protection of the lagoons to bear their calves, along with single females seeking mates. By mid February to mid March, the bulk of the population has arrived in the lagoons, filling them with nursing, calving and mating gray whales.

Throughout February and March, the first to leave the lagoons are males and females without new calves. Pregnant females and nursing mothers with their newborns are the last to depart, leaving only when their calves are ready for the journey, which is usually from late March to mid April. Often a few mothers linger with their young calves well into May.

Populations of about 200 gray whales stay along the eastern Pacific coast from Canada to California throughout the summer, not making the farther trip to Alaska waters, many of these whales stay here in Depoe Bay to feed on the abundance of mysid shrimp. During migration gray whales feed very little or not at all.There are approximately 18,000 gray whales in the winter and spring migrations and a group of 200-400 whales that feed along the Oregon and Washington coast during fall and summer.

In the spring, March through June most of these gray whales make the journey from their breeding lagoons in Baja California to the Arctic feeding grounds. On this northbound migration, small numbers of gray whales fall out of the migration group and stop at various locations along the Oregon coast, one of these places is Depoe Bay; these whales are called resident whales.

For whales to be known as residents, they must stay around a certain area for at least two days, exhibit feeding behavior, and return year after year. This distinguishes them from migrating whales which stop on their migration to feed and then move on their way. Along the coast of Depoe Bay, our resident gray whales begin showing up in June. On any one day throughout the summer, numbers range from 1 to 20. Some arrive in early summer, leave, and then return in late summer or early fall.

Resident gray whales remain around Depoe Bay for a period of days to months, there is one whale Scarback (Pictured Above) who has been around for at least 20 years. The last of the resident whales leave in October or November and return to the breeding lagoons of Baja California to rejoin the remainder of the population. Juveniles pass first followed by adults, last are the mothers and babies. Many of them come close to shore feeding on Oregon’s great food supply. In April and May you may be able to see mothers and calves resting in protected coves close to shore.

What is the best time of the year to see whales? Folks seem to think that the best time is during the annual migrations. Contrary to that popular belief, the best time to see whales here in Depoe Bay is March through October. This is when our resident whales have returned and take up residence. As summer approaches we see more of our resident whales returning for the season.

During the spring migration is when the whales move closer to shore and will stop to feed. The best time of day are mornings before the wind starts to blow, during the afternoon it can get windy, which has a tendency to blow the spouts down making it hard for people to see them. Our most popular trips are 1 ½ hours at 8:00am and 10:00am. This is when the ocean is usually calmer and a more enjoyable ride.

If you would like to book a trip March through October be sure and request us by name “Whales Tail” or you can make online Reservations. I will get back with you as soon as possible. Keep in mind that I am usually running tours during the day so I may not be able to respond until that evening or the next business day.

Check out these links to learn more about Comfort and Safety and Tips and Ideas for you Cruise.

Visit our website at: www.whalestaildepoebay.com

Whales Tail @ (Dockside Charters)
270 Coast Guard Dr.
Depoe Bay, Oregon 97341

Phone:541-765-2545
Toll Free:1-800-733-8915

Gray Whales Breaching Behavior

One of the most awesome sights for whale watchers is that of a whale soaring up out of the water where 1/2 to 3/4 of the body length comes up out of the water and falls on its side or back causing a huge splash as it comes back down and hits the water, this is known as breaching. Humpback whales seem to breach more often than gray whales but gray whale calves seem to breach more often which might suggest that these calves are playing. When a whale is going to breach they will swim very rapidly under water and then suddenly raise its head and body up and out of the water. It will usually land on its side or back with a tremendous splash, often a gray whale will breach several times in a row.

There have been some studies that suggest that calves breach more often than adults which suggest that it may be more for play than anything. Some other theories range from a way to knock off external parasites, such as barnacles, to a form of communication or just for the fun of it. Some other reason for whales breaching could be a form of courtship or a way to emphasize a visual or auditory signal among whales, but the truth is no one knows why they do this. In the photo above is “Scarback”, Depoe Bay’s most famous resident gray whale, she has been coming back to Depoe Bay for the last 20 years.

Spy-Hopping
Another whale behavior that gets people excited is spy-hopping, where the whales head sticks straight up out of the water. One theory on spy-hopping goes against the conventional wisdom that it’s to see what is happening, some suggests that it’s to help the whales hear better; it has been observed that during spy hop behavior the eyes do not always come above the surface of the water. During migration, it may be to hear the surf since their route usually follows the coastline.

When spy-hopping, the whale rises and holds position partially out of the water, often exposing its entire rostrum and head. Spy-hopping is controlled and slow, and can last for minutes at a time if the whale is sufficiently inquisitive about whatever (or whomever) it is viewing. Generally, the whale does not appear to swim to maintain its elevated position while spy-hopping, instead relying on buoyancy control and positioning with pectoral fins. Typically the whale’s eyes will be slightly above or below the surface of the water, enabling it to see whatever is nearby on the surface.

Lob-tailing
Lob-tailing is the act of a whale lifting its flukes out of the water and then bringing them down onto the surface of the water hard and fast in order to make a loud slap. Like breaching, lob-tailing is common among active cetacean species such as humpback, and gray whales. It is less common, but still occasionally occurs, among other large whales. Lob-tailing is more common within species that have a complex social order than those where animals are more likely to be solitary such as gray whales

Visit our website at: www.whalestaildepoebay.com

Whales Tail @ (Dockside Charters)
270 Coast Guard Dr.
Depoe Bay, Oregon 97341

Phone:541-765-2545
Toll Free:1-800-733-8915

Whales Spouting and Diving

Gray whales swim by moving their large powerful tail flukes in an up and down motion and may span up to10 feet across, the tail flukes often have scars, scratches or bite marks from orca whale attacks. The normal cruising speed for a gray whale is between 2 to 6 mph but they can show burst of speed up to 10 to 12 mph if threatened by predators. Gray whales will surface and breathe two or three times at 10-20 second intervals before submerging for three to five minutes. When a gray whale goes on a deep dive the whale will usually show its tail flukes or arch its back where you would see its knuckles. Gray whales have no dorsal (back) fins. Instead, they have a low hump and a series of six to twelve knuckles or bumps. The gray whale can stay under water for at about 30 minutes and reappear 1/2 mile or more away unless they are feeding in the area. When whales go below the surface of the water it will leave an oval patch of calm water called a fluke print, this is caused from upwelling from the whale’s tail fluke.

When a gray whale goes on a dive it is usually less than 100 feet mainly because the food that the whale eats is in shallower waters. The gray whale has two blowholes that are oval shaped and during a dive, the valves around the whale’s blowhole close to keep water out. Upon surfacing the gray whales spout is about 10 feet high and, if there is no wind can be seen as a heart shape when observed directly in front or from behind. In a single blow about 100 gallons of air can be expelled, if they exhale slowly the blow is hardly visible.

Visit our website at: www.whalestaildepoebay.com

Whales Tail @ (Dockside Charters)
270 Coast Guard Dr.
Depoe Bay, Oregon 97341

Phone:541-765-2545
Toll Free:1-800-733-8915