When I asked Marty Johnson why she had traveled from Michigan’s Upper Peninsula to the Oregon coast just to watch whales—in the cold, blustery rain—she replied, “Because, the gray whale is the Mount Everest of the animal kingdom.” Johnson pointed at the deep blue sea, beaming, “Because it’s here!” And then she squinted, facing the salty wind, and raised the binoculars to her teary eyes. Within seconds, she cried, “There she blows!”
Sir Edmond Hillary famously said that he scaled the world’s highest mountain just because it was there. Gray whales, Earth’s largest inhabitant, like the planet’s highest mountain, attract visitors from around the globe. Each year, thousands of people, like Marty Johnson, travel to the Oregon coast just to see the migrating gray whales, rain or shine. But unlike a Mount Everest ascent, whale watching doesn’t require a Tibetan Sherpa, just a good pair of binoculars.
On the Oregon coast, the northbound migration of gray whales peaks in late March; southbound migration lasts from December through January. The 10,000-mile migration occurs each year between the cold Arctic seas and Mexico's warm Baja lagoons, where whales breed and give birth. Marine mammal experts estimate that 18,000 gray whales swim past Oregon’s coast during migrations.
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The best way to learn about whale migration is through Whale Watching Spoken Here, sponsored by the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. Each year, trained volunteers serve as the Tenzing Norgays of whale watching, eager to engage unsuspecting motorists who stop to investigate the roadside commotion. During peak whale watching weeks, Whale Watching Spoken Here volunteers are present between 10 am and 1 pm at the 26 observation points along U.S. Highway 101, to answer questions about coastal flora and fauna, and provide tips on how to spot whales and interpret their behaviors.
Spring is the best time of year to watch whales along the Oregon coast, when whales are swimming north with their young. Mothers with calves, and courting and mating adults, are less inhibited and easier to sight. Though the numbers passing by per hour are higher in winter than in spring, the whales are farther offshore and more difficult to spot. “In spring, gray whales spread out, swim slower, and may be observed closer to the shore,” explains Linda Taylor, interpreter at the Whale Watching Center in Depoe Bay, and a whale watching volunteer since 1994. “The two best places to view whales closest to Eugene are Yaquina Head Lighthouse near Newport and the Sea Lion Caves turnout near Florence.” Those areas jut out from the cliff and provide a good angle and height for viewing.
Calmer days are better for whale watching, but you should still dress for Oregon weather with windproof and waterproof layers. The best time to watch for blows is in the morning light with your back to the sun. Binoculars are not necessary, but they’re very helpful.
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Knowing whale swimming and breathing patterns is the key to successfully spotting them. When a gray whale breathes, warm, moist air is forced through the spout, displacing water and creating a large spray that can be seen with the naked eye. Grays will typically dive for three to five minutes, then rise to the surface and blow before diving again. When conditions are ideal, several blows per hour can be seen during peak migration.
Before diving, the whale may lift its tail out of the water, which is known as a fluke. A breach occurs when a whale leaps halfway out of the water and makes a spectacular splash on the surface. “You are really lucky to see one breach,” enthuses Taylor. Gray whales are curious and often spyhop, or poke their head straight up out of the water to look around. A spyhop is more likely observed from a boat close to the whale.
While a whale watching boat trip offers the chance to meet one of these giants face-to-face, just seeing the spray of a blow from the shore is a spellbinding experience, no matter how fleeting the moment. It’s worth the effort, to have the assurance of one thing: just like the Hillary’s mountains, they’re there.
WHALES AHOY
Whale Watching Spoken Here
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Two excellent field guides printed on waterproof paper are The Field Guide to Marine Mammals of the Eastern North Pacific and Marine Mammals on the Beach, available through the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, 541/563-2002.
Several companies offer whale-watching itineraries by land, sea, and air. Check whalespoken.org for charter boat and aircraft information.
Gray whale facts
From whalespoken.org
An adult gray whale may live to be 40 years old and 45 feet long and weigh 70,000 pounds.
Females give birth every two to three years. Babies are born 15 feet long, weighing one ton.
Grays have baleen plates instead of teeth, with 130 to 180 plates, or pieces, along each side of the upper jaw.
Gray whales were removed from the endangered species list in 1994, but are still threatened.
Johnson pointed at the deep blue sea, beaming, “Because it’s here!” And then she squinted, facing the salty wind, and raised the binoculars to her teary eyes. Within seconds, she cried, “There she blows!” 
