July 16…. A whale of a tale

We booked a whale watching tour for this morning out of Depoe Bay OR.

When we arrived, we found crowds of people standing and waiting for word whether the tours were even happening today or not. Apparently the sea conditions were not so great, and getting out of the harbor across the bar was kinda rough.

Eventually, the Coast Guard gave the tour companies the green light, and we all boarded our boats.

Susy and I were on the Sportfisher, a 50’ fishing vessel with about 20 others.

It was only a short ride out of the mouth of the harbor, across the rough water over the bar, and out into the Pacific. Where the water was just as rough.

We were only about a mile offshore, cruising up and down the coast searching for whales. A half dozen boats, all looking for the elusive California Grey Whale.

Supposedly, a pod of about 20 or 30 whales lives in the Depoe Bay area all summer, feeding on krill and getting fat before the fall migration down to warmer southern waters.

That’s not a small boat, but there were times I was standing at the rail looking UP at the wave tops beside the boat. A half dozen of the passengers were giving up their breakfast, hanging over the railing and feeding the fish, and a small girl just lay in her mom’s lap retching. Boats and waves don’t bother me, but Susy was a little greenish, though she never had to feed the fish.

Cruising back and forth, up and down the coast, a couple hours. The captain said several times that he saw a spout, but I never did. I don’t think anyone on the boat did either.

We were looking for whales inshore from where we cruised, so the chances of spotting a spout mixed in with the waves crashing on the rocks was pretty slim. Oh well, no whales but it was an enjoyable boat ride, for me at least.

After we got back to land, we rode up the coast to a point, a cliff overlooking the water, kinda in the area where the Sportfisher had taken us. And there they were!

We hung out there for a good while, watching whales in the surf, spouting and coming up and diving over and over.

Can’t really get good pictures, the spouts and appearances of the whales is just so quick, you have to be constantly scanning the waves just to catch a glimpse.

Susy got a few frames though, pulled from some videos.

I think being in the boat, down so low to the water and amongst the big waves, it was just too hard to see these guys. Standing up on the cliff with a birds eye view made it much easier.

I would say I’d do it again, but only if it was mostly flat calm out. Otherwise, just go stand on the cliff and save the $50 bucks.