When can you see orcas in Oregon?

Seeing killer whales off the Oregon coast is a rare treat, but whale watchers can usually count on a pod of orca's patrolling the coast in mid-April – just in time to intercept baby gray whales. Orcas are most often seen in the ocean off Depoe Bay and Newport, but can be spotted coastwide.



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When to Go. The Oregon Coast enchants visitors year-round, but the best time for Oregon Coast whale watching falls between June and mid-November. While whales are visible off Oregon's coast all year long, Oregon's resident grey whale population swims close to shore to feed during June and mid-November.

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Shore-based Whale Watching: Spend an afternoon at Lime Kiln Point State Park, a 36 acre day use park on the west side of San Juan Island considered one of the best places in the world to view orca whales from shore.

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But Orcas Island IS a great place to go whale watching! Orca (or killer) whales live in these waters year-round with the most sightings between May and October, when the salmon runs are strongest. This region is one of the best places in the world to see these magnificent animals in the wild.

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Norway is the only place in the world where you can safely snorkel with orcas following the herring migration. This boat-based trip is ideally suited for wildlife enthusiasts willing to put up with a bit of hardship for spectacular one-off wildlife encounters.

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This town is known as the Whale Watching Capital of the Oregon Coast thanks to a resident pod of gray whales that makes its home offshore from March through December. Catch a view of them from the Whale Watching Center, the many shore observation spots or a charter boat.

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