DEPOE BAY — One of the Oregon coast’s best whale watching spots will be closed for three months beginning in August.
The whale watching center in Depoe Bay will close Aug. 1 to Oct. 31 as crews replace the roof of the building, which sits against the ocean on the rocky shorelines, the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department has announced.
People who want to watch for gray whales off the coast of Depoe Bay can still look out from the public walkway that runs through town, or from nearby parks like Boiler Bay and Rocky Creek.
The Whale Watching Center is usually at its busiest during spring and winter migrations when the state parks department staffs coastal parks with volunteers who help visitors spot migrating gray whales. But visitors to Depoe Bay can also usually see whales at the end of summer, as a pod of “summer residents” tends to hang around the central coast town feeding on tiny mysid shrimp in the kelp beds just offshore.
Once the state park site reopens in November, whale watchers will be aided by the center’s binoculars, live video feed and trained park rangers.
— The Oregonian/OregonLive
