Lincoln City, OR. - What makes Lincoln City one of the premiere whale watching points on the Northwest Coast? Maybe it's because Lincoln City has a variety of oceanfront rooms offering visitors some of the best vantage points for the migration of the Gray Whales. Or maybe it’s because we see them here all year long.

Avid whale watchers agree there is nothing quite equal to the splendor of the annual parade of the Gray Whale. By late November each year, the Gray Whales migrate from their summer feeding grounds in the Bering and Chuckchi seas to the breeding and calving areas in the lagoons of Baja California.

Each hour, from December through early May, more than 10 to 15 Gray Whales pass within eyeshot of the Lincoln City coastline. Watchers say that in early January as many as 40 pass by each hour. And in May when the mothers swim north with their calves, whales can be seen cavorting just beyond the white water. Whale watching boat tours depart from neighboring Depoe Bay several times daily. The Lincoln City Visitor and Convention Bureau has published a free brochure offering landlubbers tips on spotting whales, which may be obtained by calling 800-452-2151 or by downloading our Whale Watching brochure.

During the winter and spring months, volunteers are posted at prime viewing points to help visitors spot the mighty mammals. The volunteers are identified by their "Whale Spoken Here" signs (www.whalespoken.org). The volunteers will point out special behaviors such as spy hopping, breaching, and spouting, as well as discuss their feeding, courtship, and migration patterns. Spring Whale Watch Week usually starts the third week in March and Winter Whale Watch Week begins the last week in December. A third whale watch week occurs in August or early September. Just a few years ago, the whale population dipped to 1,800, making them "commercially extinct." Today, under protection of the Mexican and US governments, the population has grown to more than 20,000 whales! Gray Whales may grow to 45 feet in length -- longer than a city bus -- and weigh more than 45 tons.

Whale watching is a very special way to discover that Lincoln City is a great place to try new things!

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Lincoln City, located on the central Oregon Coast, is a scenic two-hour drive from the Portland International Airport through Oregon's premium wine country. For free visitor information, contact the Lincoln City Visitor and Convention Bureau at (800) 452-2151, (541) 996-1274, FAX (541) 994-2408, visit our website at www.oregoncoast.org or email us at events@lincolncity.org. The Visitor Center, located at 801 SW Highway 101, is open 24 hours, seven days a week.

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