Heceta Lighthouse
Winter whale watching along the Oregon coast can be exciting, but it’s never a sure thing. Between potential bad weather, high surf, and whales migrating far from shore, one might not see a whale. But every year–much like the whales–locals, visitors, and volunteers return. Roughly fourteen to fifteen thousand gray whales who were feeding in the arctic are now heading south. Most are heading to the warm Baja lagoons to breed and (some) to give birth. They leave the Bering and Chukchi Seas in late fall, passing by the Oregon coast mid December to mid January. The peak migration coincides with the holiday week of travelers motoring along Highway 101, hoping to see whales, lighthouses, sunsets, or perhaps just to spend time with family or friends.
I spent two days volunteering at the Heceta Head Lighthouse. On December 28th, we had nearly two-hundred fifty people, but no whale sightings. On the second day, December 30th, there were considerably fewer visitors but a total of four whale sightings (albeit far distant blows). The high surf brought lots of ‘decor’ to the parking lot below:
Hatfield Marine Science Visitor Center Talk
Between the two days of whale watching, I had the opportunity to give two brief presentations at Hatfield about gray whales and their long migration. Despite major nerves, I ended up really enjoying the experience. I think, or at least hope, that many of the attendees were engaged, and I loved the children’s questions … such as “How long is a whale tongue?” (about 5-ft.) And, “How big is their head?” (1/5 of their body length.) That’s a big head if you consider an adult gray can reach 40 to 50-ft long. Upon feeling more confident the second time around, I shared a few videos of close whale encounters taken during my visit to San Ignacio Lagoon, Baja. I’m not sure who was more excited to see these clips on the big screen, but I’m pretty certain it was moi!
Wonderful photos!
Love your photos, especially of you “performing”, wide stride, arm up, animated!