A Whale Of A Time In Oregon Migration Of Behemoths Draws Host Of Volunteers

The annual migration of gray whales is about to begin, and it’s time to organize another small army of volunteers who will help explain the seagoing show.

Oregon has the location and geography that bring the peak of the southbound gray whale migration - up to 29 an hour - during the Christmas holiday, and the peak of the northbound migration - 12 to 15 an hour - during spring break.

The two migrations mean lots of volunteers who are teachers and students and a heavy load of tourists visiting the Oregon coast, said Mike Rivers of the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, coordinator for the program.

But his corps of about 500 volunteers is a wide mix of people, including a large group of foreigners. Last spring, there were 39 volunteers from England, 13 each who were Swiss and French, 10 Swedes and one Turk, one Pole and even one Croatian, Rivers said.

“More than half are retired,” he said. “Then there’s students getting some school credit for doing this. There’s lots of families too.”

Among the volunteers is Irene Valentine, a regular who makes an annual pilgrimage from her home in Aurora, Ill. A couple from Leadville, Colo., also are regulars, Rivers said.

Saturday and Sunday in Newport, training will be given for volunteers to take part in Whale Watch Week activities Dec. 26 through Jan. 2 and March 21 through 28.

Volunteers are posted at 29 sites along the Oregon Coast from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in rotating shifts. Their job is to hand out literature and describe the migrations of gray whales to tourists and seaside visitors.

It’s hard to tell who gets more out of the program, past volunteers say.

“The kids really get excited when they see whales. That’s what I like about it,” said Mariana Bornholdt of Salem, a two-year volunteer.

“I went to Depoe Bay before the whale watch program began, and we saw a mother whale and her baby right in along the shoreline. We spent almost an hour watching them; it was just fascinating. That really got me fired up. It’s really fun to share the experience.”

The twice-a-year event is sponsored by the Parks and Recreation Department, Oregon State University’s Hatfield Marine Science Center, the Oregon Coast Aquarium and Shoreline Education for Awareness.

Last year’s visitor count set a record with more than 19,000 people during the spring Whale Watch Week. But it followed a low turnout of both volunteers and visitors - 6,400 - caused by bad weather during the winter Whale Watch Week.

But the veteran volunteers, such as Ben and Ina Sims of Salem, say the effort is worth it.

“It’s pretty exciting when you stand there and see an animal going by as big as a bus,” Ina Sims said.