NEWPORT, Oregon -- The coastline of Central Oregon is a multiple blessing for the tourists who are lucky enough to cruise alongside it on U. S. Highway 101: Not only do they get to see the magnificent beauty of the towering craggy cliffs, thunderous waves crashing like frothy ice cream topping over offshore rock formations and sandy coves suitable for the most romantic of couples they also get another bonus -- some of the best whale-watching in the world.

Lincoln County and its assorted seafront communities add a degree of New England-like charm to the mix, creating one of America's best tourist values: The views and the mystique are free and you can find tons of relatively inexpensive hotels, bed and breakfast units, championship golf courses and fine and fast food.

Blessed with a mild climate year around, the Lincoln County seafront region has been deemed "the whale-watching capital of America" by local officials and there's not a lot of folks willing to dispute the claim.

Tourists can travel from Portland in the northern part of Oregon to Highway 101 only about 40 minutes away and then proceed south at Tillamook-Garibaldi, passing through Cape Kiwanda, Pacific City, Lincoln City, Depoe Bay, Beverly Beach State Park, Newport and Waldport before arriving at Yachats. This approximate 150-mile stretch offers tourists dozens of opportunities for lots of whale-watching and many other activities along the way.

There are several whale-watching stations set up by the state park service and volunteer agencies along this stretch, some offering high vantage points and free binoculars for the public. Several areas also offer boat tours, enabling visitors to get within a few feet of whales.

The majority of the whales off the coast of Oregon are gray whales (totaling about 18,000 on the west coast), there are also about 1,100 humpback whales and a sprinkling of sperm, blue, orca (killer whales), and minke whales. And lots of seals and porpoises, too.

While there are some whales available for viewing year-around along the Oregon coast there is a definite "high season" when these huge watery beasts can be more easily seen offshore. Most of the migrating whales pass southward along the Oregon coast during the four weeks from mid-December to mid-January (averaging anywhere from six to about 178 per day for viewing).

The main body (or pods, as the groups are called) stay about five miles offshore but some venture to less than a mile from shore.

The whales travel some 5,000 miles to the warm Mexico ocean waters for giving birth to calves from about mid-March to mid-June, many venturing to only a few hundred yards offshore as they feed on kelp beds, mysid shrimp and crab larvae. About 200 spend the period of June through mid-November along the Oregon coast.

The gray whales average about 45 feet in length and weigh about 70,000 pounds.

"The gray whales were once called 'devil fish' because they attacked the whaling ships trying to kill them. But now they are considered friendly, playful animals. They can be very curious about humans. I have actually seen them pop their heads up near shore and observe people activity along the beach. They eat about 2,000 pounds a day . . . that's the equivalent of about 8,000 Big Mac burgers," said Morris Groover, who works at the Oregon State Parks Whale Watch Center in Depoe Bay.

Gray whales also once existed on America's east coast but were wiped out by excessive commercial whaling.

Here's a thumbnail highlights sketch of several of the Oregon U. S. 101 communities beginning near Portland and heading south:

TILLAMOOK-GARIBALDI: You can be among the approximate one million people who take a self-guided tour of the Tillamook Cheese Factory (800-542-7290, www.tillamookcheese.com, tasting samples of several varieties of cheeses and ice cream produced by this famous firm. Whale-watching boats also serve visitors from the Port of Garibaldi here .

PACIFIC CITY: Cape Kiwanda offers visitors some great ocean views, including a fantastic look at the giant haystack rock about one mile offshore from the Inn at Cape Kiwanda (www.InnAtCapeKiwanda.com). The rock is about 500 feet high, 800 feet around and stands like a giant stone sentinel, adding another dimension to the dramatic sunsets.

LINCOLN CITY: This town runs about eight miles along the ocean front and is the consolidation of several towns (who chose to group together to form one city to help them obtain federal funds for a regional sewage project). Here, you can take a tour of the haunted Oregon coast, stay in one of the many beautiful bed and breakfast homes (or one of the many hotel/motels), see free glassblowing demonstrations at the Jennifer Sears Glass Art Studio (http://www.oregoncoast.org/foundry) search for a Japanese fishing fleet glass float along the eight-mile beachfront, or visit the colorful Chinook Winds Resort for gambling or golf (www.chinookwindscasino.com or 1-888-chinook). Just south of Lincoln City and just north of Depoe Bay is the fabulously luxurious Salishan Golf and Spa Resort (877-284-2837 or www.salishan.com) -- located on about 750 acres at Gleneden Beach and offering a fantastic new spa center, redesigned championship golf course, huge convention center facilities, 5-star restaurants and rooms, covered walkways to all areas and lots of great views.

DEPOE BAY: This locale was where Sir Francis Drake paused for a summer while exploring the northwest waters. Many feel Depoe Bay is the center of whale activity along the Oregon coast. Several boat charter services are available here. The Bay has plenty of lodging available and lots of restaurants, including the famous Spouting Horn Restaurant, now in its 72nd year (the restaurant was named for the numerous water spouts, some reaching 100 feet, shooting up from the rocks as waves roar in). An interesting Highway 101 bridge spans the bay and marks the location of one of several U. S. Coast Guard stations along the Oregon coast (you can take a tour if you like and see how the rescue boats have to negotiate a narrow curved inlet passageway to reach the ocean). For Depoe Bay info: 541-765-2889 or www.depoebaychamber.org.

NEWPORT-SOUTHBEACH: A favorite surfing area, named one of America's top 10 best small towns in 2002, visit the world-class Oregon Coast Aquarium (where you can even get a friendly kiss from a seal), tour the Hatfield Marine Science Visitor Center, dine at one of more than 80 restaurants (including several along the Nye Beach ocean front bayfront), see the huge number of commercial fishing boats at the large dock area (where you can even buy fresh fish right off the boats each day), visit a lighthouse (two are here), take a sea adventure on the Marine Discovery Tours (or rent one of the colorfully designed rooms over the gift shop at Anchor Pier Lodging (800-903-BOAT or www.marinediscovery.com). You can also do some beachcombing and collect fossil shells millions of years old with the Fossil Guy (http://www.oregonfossilguy.com/).

WALDPORT: Kayak or catch dungeness crab along the Alsea Bay, view another spectacular Highway 101 bridge over the Alsea River, play golf at a nine-hole course overlooking the town, stroll miles of beach and collect shells and starfish, or fish for salmon and trout. For Waldport information: 541-563-2133 or www.waldport-chamber.com/

YACHATS: Visit the Cape Perpetua Scenic Area (providing unparalled panoramic scenice views of the ocean), stroll the uncrowded beaches, check out the Adobe Resort (www.adoberesort.com) (which has 110 rooms with spectacular ocean views, fitness center, indoor pool and massage therapist) only a few hundred feet from the ocean. Also near the oceanfront is the Overleaf Lodge www.overleaflodge.com (with massage-exercise room, fireplaces and easy access to strolls along the craggy coast) and the Fireside Resort Motel.



For information about visiting any of these locations or anywhere along the Oregon coast contact the Central Oregon Coast Association at 800-767-2064 or check them out on the web at www.CoastVisitor.com.





Whales, Porpoises Commonly Seen off the Coast of Oregon

KEY: x = some probability, X = higher probability, R = possible chance to view the resident population, low probability

Name:
Scientific name:
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Gray whale
Eschrichtius robustus
x
x
X
X
x
R
R
R
R
x
X
X

Humpback whale
Megaptera novaeangliae



x
x
x
X
X
X
X
x
x

Killer whale/Orca
Orcinus orca



x
x
x
x
x





Harbor porpoise
Phocoena phocoena
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x


KEY: x = some probability, X = higher probability, R = possible chance to view the resident population, low probability


Some other Internet sites of possible interest:

· Oregon Parks and Recreation: Whale Watching Spoken Here. http://www.whalespoken.org/

· Wild Bird Shop: Pacific Gray Whale. http://www.wildbirdshop.com/Nature/graywhales.html

· Whale Watching on Highway 101. http://www.presys.com/dt/activities/whale.html

· Marine Discovery Tours. http://www.marinediscovery.com/

This story was published on 01 Jun 2006.