Whales to pass through last week of December

DEPOE BAY, Ore. – Oregon Parks and Recreation officials say the week of Dec. 26-30 is expected to provide the best winter whale watching on the Oregon coast.

Interpretive Ranger Ian Fawley said about 18,000 gray whales cruise past Oregon on their annual southbound migration.

Oregon Parks’ Whale Watching Center in Depoe Bay will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily during the whale watch week. It has exhibits and staff to answer questions.

The parks department has also designated 24 “Whale Watching Spoken Here” sites on the coast that offer the best whale-watching viewpoints.

More information and a viewpoint map are available online at http://www.whalespoken.org.