PORTLAND, OREGON (AP) – Whale Watch Week in Oregon returned in-person for the first time since the pandemic on Wednesday, drawing visitors hoping to catch a glimpse of the annual grey whale migration to the state’s coastline.
By early afternoon, more than 500 people had flocked to the Whale Watching Center in Depoe Bay, where a volunteer equipped with binoculars pointed out whales in the distance.
A spokesperson for Oregon State Parks, which organises the event, described scenes of excited spectators as several were spotted.
“She’s seeing the spray and calling it out,” Stefanie Knowlton told The Associated Press (AP) on the phone as she watched the centre’s volunteer, the crowd cheering in the background. “There’s just so much energy. You could just really feel that people were ready to come back and watch whales together.”
Volunteers will be at 17 state parks along the coast through Sunday to help people spot the nearly 20,000 grey whales that make the southward journey to Mexico every year.
One of the sites, Cape Meares, was closed on Wednesday after strong winds the previous day knocked over trees, Knowlton said.
