>font color="#ff0000"> Whales hiding in the fog but we found them

The whales tried for the 2nd day in a row to hide in the fog on the early trips but we found them anyhow. Later in the day the fog moved back off the coastline and then it was a lot easier to search them out and they put on great shows for us. Egor (one of the named whales) was the biggest celebrity today.

Fog As She Goes

We did find whales but it was not easy today as we dealt with fog coming and going all day long. The fog was right up to the coastline all day so the whales were out there but it was there day to be able to escape us much of the time.

Great Day....Great Whale Watching

It was a beautiful day unlike what the forecast was saying and the sun soaked coast brought the whale watchers out in groves and the whales did not make anyone unhappy. Whales all over the area north and south and very easy to find. The forecast all the way through next weekend looks very nice so come on down and get out of the heat and enjoy the Oregon Coast and the whales.

As the fog curtain raised the whale watching turned on

Whale watching was very goon on Monday and was especially good in the early afternoon when the fog curtain raised. Fog has been very consistent these past 4-5 days due to the very HOT temperatures that the valley regions of Oregon are experiencing lately. When the valley heats up we get the winds and or FOG down here. We can put up with the fog as long as it does not get windy. The combination of the two is not very pleasant. Anyhow, lots of whales in the area.

Fog and the Whales

The fog provided a perfect cover for the whales to hide if they wanted to as it made finding whales on Sunday difficult at times. We did find them on every trip but keeping them in sight at least for the first couple of trips proved difficult. The final two trips of the day the fog backed offshore and made things a whole lot easier.

Fog (whale) Watching

It was really foggy out there today even in the afternoon but there are so many whales in the area they were easily found for our passengers today. Usually fog makes the whale watching a tough go but not today. Most of the good sightings were south of Depoe Bay down around Whale Cove and Rocky Creek State Park.

Whales EVERYWHERE !!!

The whales as the radios were reporting this afternoon were almost everywhere the boats wanted to go. Some were right out in front of the harbor channel and others were out by the sea buoys and both north and south of the harbor area. What a great day it was to watch them.

Same story...different day

Lots of whales as Depoe Bay as it is called really is the "whale watching capitol of the world". Every summer it is the same. As soon as the resident whales begin to show up we have a every day whale watching extravaganza. It does not get a whole lot better if you want to see Gray whales as it is in Depoe Bay right now.

Whales and more whales

Whales north and south of the harbor today on a great day especially because the persistent fog we have been having pushed back off the coast earlier in the morning. That made the day fog free for the whale watchers and there was plenty of action for the passengers on all trips.

Back on the trail again

After a day off from whale watching due to a little bit of rough seas but the major culprit being the fog we are out once again on Tuesday. The fog was still around but not nearly as thick and the ocean was very nice. We were able to find a few whales for the folks right out in front of the harbor.

No whale watching Monday

No whale watching on Monday due to foggy conditions which would have made viewing difficult even if we were able to find the "critters" in the fog.

Many whales on Sunday

Lots of whales south of the harbor on Sunday with at least four being watched from the three Tradewinds boats out together as there were plenty of folks wanting to go and view the Gray whales put on there show. Lots of tail shots were visible even with the choppy waters on Sunday.

All Day Whale Watching <

The good folks from Tradewinds had them going today from morning till the dinner hour cruise at 5:30pm watching whales all day long. The fog was out of the way for the whole day where the whales live and it was great sightings all day. It is just a great time to be here watching whales.

Ho hum...Great Whale Watching

Not to seem sarcastic but this time of year if only the salmon were as easy to find as the whales. Lets just say that the whales are everywhere. Enough said....

The fog lifted just in time......

As the sun rises and sets every day so does the luck of the Tradewinds whale watch boats on Thursday as just before the day was to begin for our whale watch boats (10am) the very thick fog that was here most of the morning raised its curtain just for us. Then just as we were finishing up the day of whale watching and coming back in on the final trip of the day the curtain fell back. The show was over and the fog came back in out of the north. It was a good show also with lots of whales to view on this sunny day at least out to about a half mile offshore where the fog was. The moral of the story is that if you want to go whale watching don't worry about the fog when you go with Tradewinds.

Viewing today was somewhat difficult

Not that the whales were missing but because of the fog just finding them proved to make viewing difficult. We were able to hunt them down sometimes during our trips today but it would be nice if the fog would go away.

Another Great Day......

Whales everywhere it seems that the last not-so-good whale watch day was so long ago I can't remember. The summer feeding for our local resident whales is in full swing and should be good all the way through October. It is such a great show they put on. Some days of course are better then others as some of the whales are just more friendly and I guess they as humans have better days. Come down and enjoy the show!!!

Whales everyday on the Tradewinds boats

The broken record continues as the whales were pretty much everywhere today both North and South of the harbor area. Very much visible from the sea walls but viewing much better up-close-and-personal from our boats. It was another great day viewing a variety of different whales.

Beautiful Ocean...A little drizzly..Lots of whales

Lots of whales Sunday on a flat calm ocean with a little drizzle to make the trip a little more like Oregon. It was a great day to view the whales and we had one very active whale giving our passengers tail shot after tail shot. Digital cameras were using up loads of their memory card capacity today.

Multiple whales putting on great shows today

I know I am sounding like a broken record but the whale watching is consistent every day with multiple whales in the area and each of them does something a little different to view. It is a great show especially on the great oceans we are having now with pretty much flat seas. Lots of bird life and marine mammals to watch as well. Every day is different.

Flat ocean..great whale watching

Probably a rubber stamp with the same message works for the whale watching here lately with great sightings on multiple whales in the area each and every day. Every day however is different as the whales perform differently from trip to trip and there are multiple whales in the area to see who come and go in the area from day to day. The trips even change from trip to trip. Final word is it is a great time to come to the coast and watch whales.

As good as it gets.....

Spectacular ocean and spectacular whale watching. The whales were right out in front of the harbor and a little on the North side today and were putting on great shows with many a tail shot for the Kodak buffs.

Don't forget to copy those discount coupons off the homepage for those discounts off your next whale watch trip. Whale watching with Tradewinds is as spectacular as the weather and the sightings were today.

As everyday...Good Whale Watching

Had a windy and wet ocean to deal with today but we did get out on a few trips and had good sightings on both those trips. It is a great time of the year with nice weather forecasted for this weekend so give us a call and come down and see the whales.

Good whale watching .....Again

It is getting like a recording but this is the time of year that you can be almost certain except for those rare days that you will see whales on every trip. We even had a few Humpback whales this morning spotted offshore a few miles from the harbor. Come on down and join in on the excitement.

Whales North & South of the harbor

Another good whale day on Monday with goo sightings both directions as you come out of the harbor and they were putting on a nice show as well. One of the whales actually swam into a natural bay about a mile North of Depoe Bay which got the folks out of the wind and made viewing very nice.

Whales again just about every day

The whales continue to put on great shows every day now as we are into the full swing of the summer whale watch season. You can pretty much assure yourself of good whale watching on your visit to the Oregon Coast here in Depoe Bay right on thru the fall season. It should be good every day with that very scarce rare exception.

Even the fog can't stop Tradewinds from finding the whales

Good whale watching for another day this Saturday and even in the light fog we had most of the day Tradewinds has the whale radar turned up high and we got the job done once again. Ever seen a whale radar work? It's amazing almost like magic!!

Whale watching again excellent

It sure is a good time to go whale watching as the weather is great for watching the whales with nice calm seas and there are quite a number of the resident whales in the area. Tradewinds has the best choice for your whale watching with different options available to you in length of trip and quality of the vessel. Give us a call and come and see these "critters" in their natural environment.

Lots of whales in the area

Whales everywhere today right out in front of the harbor and a few both north and south of the area as well. There were four up of off Lincoln City in the morning which actually were somewhat of a pest around the bottom fishing boats as they were fishing and feeding right along side of the bottom fishing boats. It was great viewing but you had to be careful as you moved around the area looking for fish to park on. Some of them were less then fifty feet from the boats.

We did get out today

The whales are still out there after two days off due to brisk northerly winds. The past several days a pair of them have been feeding just to the north of the seawall and were visible even with the strong winds doing a number on the ocean waters. I am sure these whales figured if they got inside the area where the wind was not as strong the diving and feeding might be a bit easier on them??

No Whaling Again Today

Just too much wind in the afternoon for decent whale watching so for the 2nd day in a row we bagged it. Hopefully tomorrow.

No whale watching Monday

The seas were to rough and windy for any attempt at whale watching on Monday afternoon. Hopefully the seas will begin to calm down soon and as soon as they do you will heart it here first. For the record, two whales were observed from the sea wall right out in front of Depoe Bay this morning only about 100 yards out in the water from the lookout. No charge for this boat ride.

Winds force whale excursions to be cancelled

No whale excursions on Sunday as the seas were increasing by late morning and the winds were in the 20-30 knot range which would have made watching whales very difficult.

Whale watching with Tradewinds on Saturday

Tradewinds on Saturday was up first on the whale watching with multiple trips with lots of excited folks on board on all the trips to watch the whales in action. It was almost a total trip of whales with multiple whales right out in front of Depoe Bay to view and we were with them almost the entire hour. For those of you who like the extended whale watch activities we are the only charter that offers the 2-hour trip. This trip gives many more options such as chasing the whales a little further away and also better time for sightseeing the beautiful Oregon Coast and natural coves near-by. Call for reservations.

Whale watching with Tradewinds on Saturday

Tradewinds on Saturday was up first on the whale watching with multiple trips with lots of excited folks on board on all the trips to watch the whales in action. It was almost a total trip of whales with multiple whales right out in front of Depoe Bay to view and we were with them almost the entire hour. For those of you who like the extended whale watch activities we are the only charter that offers the 2-hour trip. This trip gives many more options such as chasing the whales a little further away and also better time for sightseeing the beautiful Oregon Coast and natural coves near-by. Call for reservations.

Windy whale watch day

Not sure of the whale watching or what happened out there today as far as sightings go but I do know they only ran one trip with two boats going out at the same time and then they parked the boats after that trip was over. The reason was a not so bad ocean but extremely windy. Better weather is expected tomorrow.

No whale watching due to rough ocean conditions

No whale watching Thursday as we woke to an extremely large ocean out there Thursday so all whale watching activities were cancelled for the day. Hopefully things will be better tomorrow. Stay tuned!!!

Great summer whale watching (again)

We are into the summer whale watching full swing with great sightings every day now so it is a great time to get down here and take advantage especially when the weather is good. Call ahead for reservations and weather updates.

Whales-Whales-Whales

Another great day on the ocean chasing whales as there were up to four different whales in our vicinity and they provided great viewing for our passengers on this once again beautiful Tuesday morning and afternoon. Five trips out today seeing the whales as the nice weather brought the crowds to Tradewinds ticket window to go out and see the whales.

Three whales to watch today

Great whale watching Monday with three of the Gray whales gracing our area today feeding in the nearshore reefs north and south of the Depoe Bay harbor. Tradewinds ran three trips out to see the whales on a very nice sun filled ocean and a great show it was for all.

Summer time whale watching

Though the seas were a little on the choppy side Sunday we got out with the customers on several nice whale watching tours to view the summer time whales which grace our area every year. The biologists tell us that these whales eat tiny creatures about the size of your smallest fingernail and take in hundreds of pounds of it each day. As it closes its mouth, water and sediments are expelled through the baleen plates, which trap the food on the inside near the tongue to be swallowed. They stay in our area until the end of October and are feeding every day. Come visit the area and take in one of Tradewinds one or two hour adventures.

Humpbacks & Gray Whales

Great whale watching on Saturday on a very nice ocean with the Gray whales putting on a great show just on the north side of Depoe Bay and the Humpbacks putting on another spectacular show in the morning hours out in front of the harbor and further north in the afternoon. Now is the time for some of the best whale watching on the West Coast right here in Depoe Bay.

Not Today !!

Not a nice day Friday. Rather cold, stormy, windy, rather rough ocean and a few other adjectives. All is forecasted to be better (we hope) tomorrow.

Good Whale Watching Thursday

Thursday proved to be another great ocean day with flat calm seas, warm temperatures and "Yes", the whales were here and putting on good shows for the customers today. There seems to be lots of food in the area for them because they all appear to be feeding and enjoying the area here around Depoe Bay.

No whale information today but it had to be good

Sorry, I was not privy to any whale information today but I would be shocked if the whale watching was not just as good as it has been the past several weeks. It was a beautiful sun drenched day on a flat ocean, which make for perfect conditions to find whales wherever they might be. The weather right on thru the weekend sounds just great so give us a call for reservations.

Whales North & South

It sure looks like summer whale watching is here and that the residents have arrived because the whales the past few days are being found North and South of the harbor and there seems to be at least a half dozen of them in the general area. That makes for the time of year where the whale watching is the best it can be anytime during the year as they are also very close to the shoreline feeding. It is a good time to come and see them probably now on most days right up to the end of October.

Tradewinds Link to Coupons

Coming soon is a new link on the Tradewinds website where you can print out valuable coupons for discounts off of fishing and whale watch trips. Coming soon in just a few days.

Gray whales still here & Orca's earlier in the morning

Earlier in the morning the fishing boats observed a large pod of Orca whales traveling south from the Lincoln City area but there was no word if the whale watch boats were able to find them later in the morning when the whale trips began. There were however several Gray whales right out in front of Depoe Bay most of the morning into the afternoon for the passenger viewing pleasure.

Tradewinds Discount Coupons

Coming soon

Keep your eye on the Tradewinds homepage where a new link will appear where you can find and print out coupons for discounts off your favorite whale watching and fishing activities. The coupons will change periodically with different coupons and values for different Tradewinds activities.

Gray whales here again

It's been about two weeks now that we have seen the Gray whales every day so hopefully we can safely say that "YES", the whale summer season has begun. There not here in the numbers yet that we normally see by July but there are enough of them around where they are in our range every day. Have not seen any of he Humpbacks or the Orca's in the past few days but every day is a new adventure and they will have there day again many times before the summer season is over.

Whale watching good again

Three or four days ago we had Orca's, Humpback whales and the usual Gray whales around at the same time. The past few days it has just been back to where it usually is the Gray whales. That may sound a bit depressing but Orca's & Humpbacks are just added excitement when and if they are around on a specific day. The Gray's we can pretty much count on each and every day and they put on a great show.

A little slow down in the whale watching

A couple of trips out to see the whales today and the first trip was a great one with two very playful whales putting on a nice show for the folks but the 2nd trip turned around a bit with the whales finally being spotted late in the trip. As big as they are and one would think easy to find but sometimes they are just sneaky about it and go places where they are hard to find.

Another outstanding whale day

Things are really heating up on the whale watch front and we heard today that several of the whales in the vicinity are in fact local or resident whales. Good News!!! The two in our area today put on a fabulous show and on the third trip of the day they were breaching one after the other just a little on the north side of Depoe Bay. Come on down as the show should be on for the summer.

Another good day with the whales

Every day especially with this nice weather a flat oceans we are seeing more signs that the residents are beginning to show up as we are finding them more easily and there seems to be multiple whales in the vicinity. Sometimes they are a few miles up or down stream but they are here feeding along the coastline and that is a good sign.

Beautiful day for whale watching

It was another in a long series of beautiful days on the Central Oregon Coast and the ocean was flat as the floor and the whales put on a nice show for the whale watchers on Monday afternoon. With great ocean conditions finding the whales is made that much easier and the weather looks great right into this next weekend. Come on down and enjoy the weekday not as crowded conditions and the great weather on the coast.

Whales Literally Everywhere

The best whale day of the year without a doubt with over 20 Humpback whales spotted during the day moving south and they did put on a great show!! Some of this was for the fishing boats in mid-morning with breaching whales and some Gray whales moving inside of the Humpbacks at the same time. Just a great day and what turned out to be a great weekend of whale watching with hopefully our summer flock of whales beginning to show up and hopefully around through the fall season.

SALMON FISHING DISCOUNTS NOW AVAILABLE

Salmon season opens June 20th and mention this INTERNET SALMON DISCOUNT MESSAGE and you will receive one for all passengers automatically with your reservation off the website reservation system. If you phone in your reservation to our office mention this add and receive it that way as well. The better way to go fishing with Tradewinds.

The signs show promise

The last few days with the Orca's being spotted about every other day, the Humpbacks running by already offshore a few miles and the increasing sighting of the Gray whales inshore are good signs. Hopefully this means that the summer season is opening up and we will have good sightings all the way into the fall season like we historically do. Make your plans to come down for some great ocean cruises and whale watching.

Whales Everywhere Today

It was another beautiful ocean and another good day for whale watching out of Tradewinds Charters with Gray whales north and south of the harbor and some very friendly ones. There was also again which has become common the past week or two are pods of Orca whales swimming by even though today they were a few miles offshore that some of the fishing boats observed. Yesterday there were several sightings of Humpback whales in the vicinity so maybe the summer whale season has begun? Hope!!

The truth and the rumors

The truth of this Thursday was the whale watching close to shore was very good with a few whales right out in front of the harbor area and great weather to view them. It is great when we find whales close to home as it gives the folks more time to see them. Another truth was that we also had Humpback whales at 30 and 50 fathoms right out in front of Depoe Bay that the fishing boats saw this morning. The not-so-truth was the rumor that a Blue whale was also spotted at 100 fathoms this morning. That was a rumor but it was exciting when we first heard it.

Foggy Wednesday

The fog was with us most of the day Wednesday as it was pretty well socked in to the beaches most of the day with only some periodic clearing periods.

Killer Whales in the Area

For the past 3-4 days we have had pods of Killer (Orca) whales in the Depoe Bay area cruising by. This is the time of the year and if you get lucky when they are cruising by it is quite a show. Today the fishing boats were blessed to a great show of 7-8 of them in one pod. Spectacular!!

Whales Moving South - better then moving North

The reports earlier today was that whales were spotted moving south as they were going by Depoe Bay which is good because if they were still migrating they would be headed north. That might mean to this reporter that they might be considering sticking around the area. I was nor privy to any report on the sightings on the whale trips this afternoon.

Now It's Gray Whale & Killer Whale Cruises

Out front of Depoe Bay Sunday morning/afternoon on a beautiful ocean were Gray whales and there were also three Killer (Orca's) Whales proceeding south at a leisurely rate. What a great day it was. Warm and sunny skes and a flat ocean made it just an incredible day for watching whales, sea lions, harbor seals, and an abundance of bird life. If you weren't here, you missed it!!

!! Whales !!

The report just came to our attention that there were whales out there Saturday afternoon and they were able to find them despite the foggy areas that persisted around Depoe Bay today. Good show!!

Nice Afternoon Ocean but Foggy

The ocean which was really cranky in the early morning hours turned around and got much better by noon but a persistent fog which came in overnight was still present which made whale watching difficult Saturday afternoon. The heat in the valley usually makes for foggy conditions or brings the winds up. This time overnight it did both. Sunday is suppose to be a much-much nicer day.

No Reports on Whale Watch Activity Today

Sorry !! Just did not get any reports today. Get you back in the swing of things tomorrow.

Whales in the Area Thursday

There were a few whales in the area Thursday about two miles North of the Depoe Bay harbor. They appeared to not be feeding and heading further North which lends to the feeling that they were not resident whales bound to stay in our area. We are awaiting the arrival of our year-to-year resident whales to begin showing up here for the summer.

Beautiful Weather To Cruise

The ocean is flat and this is a great time to come to the coast and enjoy the ocean and all of the ocean life that you will see. We are expecting the resident whales in greater numbers to be showing up just anytime now as summer gets nearer.

Beautiful Cruise Day

It was another beautiful Oregon Coast cruise day with several trips going out today but not a whole lot of luck spotting the whales. The whales are around the area but seem to be moving from place to place finding the best feeding grounds. There is a whole lot of ocean to cover out there in finding them. As we get into the middle of June and more and more of the resident whales start to gather in the area then there are more of them to be be looking for and easier to find. The cruise however is a great time with loads of marine mammals to see, bird life and the simply beautiful coastline of Oregon.

The Whales Are Back !!

Monday afternoon the whales were back and what made it easier to find the whales that are around the area are the great ocean conditions. When the ocean is nice like it was yesterday and forecasted to be for the rest of this week finding them is a much easier task. Come on down and take in the cruise to see the whales and all of the other ocean life.

Nice Ocean Weather in the Forecast

If the whales are around we will find them this week with very nice ocean conditions in the forecast all week long according to the weather guys. Our ocean cruises are the best on the coast even without the whales with beautiful scenery, marine mammals, the many different types of marine bird life and just the unexpected things that you will get to see. Call the Tradewinds office today.

Scenic Tours (renamed for a while)

Tons of folks on the two Tradewinds vessels whale watching (scenic tours) Sunday on a very nice afternoon. After five days of Northwest winds we finally had a nice day on this holiday weekend but we need to re-name the trips scenic tours at least for a while until the whales show up again. We are anxiously awaiting the arrival of any of the resident whales. With the trips into Whale Cove to see the harbor seals, sea lions on the buoys, the abundance of bird life and the beautiful Oregon coast line we still showed good times for the folks.

Tough Finding 'em in the Wind

Once again we did run some whale watch trips Saturday afternoon but it was another tough go with moderate winds the whole day long. Not many whales around right now to begin with and the few that we do have in the area before the resident whales begin to show up are tough to find especially in the choppy waters produced by the winds.

No Whales Spotted Today

Windy and choppy seas dominated the one whale watch trip we had on Friday. Not a whole lot of whales around the area right now as it is and with the wind and ocean chop that makes finding the ones that are in the area difficult at best. Some let up in the wind is forecasted later in the holiday weekend.

White Caps & Finally a Whale

The ocean displayed just a five foot swell Thursday afternoon but probably another five feet of wind chop made whale viewing a little difficult as the usual 8-foot whale spout would be most certainly reduced to about a foot and a half because of the wind. We had a nice cruise down South of the Depoe Bay area on a beautiful sunny but windy afternoon and was able to pop into Whale Cove for some neat kodak moments and a look at well over a hundred harbor seals basking on the rocks. Then suddenly on the way back to the harbor we were able to spot one of those foot and a half spouts and got about a half dozen nice looks at a single whale moving North up the line. It topped the trip off quite well.

Springtime Whale Watching It was windy and the whales have disappeared once again. The whale center reported a cow and a calve going by this morning and a few feeders in close to shore on the South side of Depoe Bay. They may have been out there very close but the wind was blowing at a pretty good clip and even with a small swell on the ocean it was extremely difficult to spot any spouts. So, the skipper took the folks into Whale Cove where the wind does not blow nearly as hard and they had a good time watching the harbor seals. It's Springtime !! Here one day and gone the next.

Yes, There Were Whales

Three whales in the area Tuesday afternoon on one very nice cruise with almost a full load on board. Thee was a cow and a calve right next to the shoreline a stones throw off the rocks but very, very elusive. Then we were very fortunate to find a single whale outside about 3/4 of a mile offshore that put on a pretty nice show as he was feeding off the rocky reefs about a mile North of Depoe Bay.

Gone Again !

The report that I heard is that the whales again were out of the area for the 2nd day in a row. It will get better as we get closer to summer and then they will be here in bunches.

??Where Have They Gone??

Had a very nice ocean again Sunday afternoon even though it was a might bit foggy out there but the visibility was good enough to allow us to spot the whales. The problem was there was nothing to spot! They are just out of our area now as we await the resident whales we can recognize who will be spending the summer with us. The cruises were still fun as we had many marine mammals out there today double-decked on the sea buoys sunning themselves. This time of year it could and can be off and on as far as sightings go. We will keep you informed as it will pick up here soon for the rest of the summer into fall.

!!! Sorry !!!

I do know that we had one of the most beautiful afternoon spring oceans I can ever remember but what I don't know and apologize for is if the whale watching was good or not? It was a busy day with tons of fishing trips and halibut boats coming and going and just flat failed to ask the question about the whale watching or listen to the radio on how they were doing. Tomorrow I will do better.

Hard to find bashful whales

There were whales out there on a beautiful day for whale watching and we did see them off and on but they were very bashful and quite elusive. Quite a few cows and calves going by and mama just does not want the boats getting to close to her prized youngster right yet.

Back After the Whales

After a few days off from the whale watching we did have one boat out there in the afternoon and the word was there were sightings but as distracted as I was doing other things I did not get all the details. The next three days look like great days on the ocean water with nice weather predicted through the weekend

Rain & Wind Put a Damper on Ocean Activities Wednesday

As the early morning nice weather turned increasingly not-so-nice by mid-morning any hope of sending out a whale watch boat turned sour. Hopefully tomorrow will bring us better weather.

Too Rough for Whale Watching Tuesday

The ocean waters were quite "wiggly" on Tuesday so we all stayed ashore and took the day off. Wednesday looks much better.

Lazy Day in Depoe Bay

No whale trips today as it was just the first day after the weekend where the coast was very quiet especially after the overnight and morning rains. I did observe a whale blowing right out in front of the harbor early this afternoon. Come down and see us on your next opportunity.

Mom & Offspring

Two cruises out of Tradewinds dock today one a two hour adventure and the other a one hour adventure. As sometimes happens this time of year they were hard to find but towards then end of the first trip we were able to find a cow and a calve in close to the shoreline heading up the line. The 2nd trip was able to catch up and follow it up the line. These are the stragglers which is the very end of the northerly migration and we anxiously await the arrival of our resident whales. We have already had some that appear to be in that category but they seem to disappear and then reappear from day to day. It is still a decent time to get out and see the whales but better times are coming soon.

Saturday Whale Watching

It was windy for all of our trips Saturday and the whale watching proved to be somewhat difficult because of the wind but we did have decent sightings with whales showing up South of the Depoe Bay harbor. The scenery was beautiful with the usual marine life being observed but the wind limited good sightings as the spouts were being blown down and that made it difficult to get real good views today.

Hard To See Whales

We did get out on two whale watch trips Friday but by the time we started running the trips there was a 20 knot wind on the ocean waters which made a rather nice ocean choppy and very difficult to spot whales. There were a few spotted South of the harbor by fishing boats in the morning but with the afternoon heavy wind blowing the spouts down it was not a good day to find the whales on Friday.

Whale Watching Back in the Swing

The ocean is back to nicer conditions after 4-5 days of a large storm which finally has moved out of the area. Nice weather is in the forecast through the weekend into the first part of next week. We have had some feeding whales in the area these past few weeks which is a hopeful sigh that some of the migratory whales are beginning to drop off from the pack and finding their summer home in our area. These whales are called our resident whales and it is the best whale watching we have all year long.

Another No-Go Day Wednesday

We are in hopefully the final day of this latest storm system passing through the area with heavy winds and rain along with very rough ocean conditions. This is all suppose to be better tomorrow (Thursday) as the ocean and sky conditions should be greatly improved by then. Whale watch activities hopefully will be back on schedule tomorrow.

Too Rough Today

No whale watching today (Tuesday) as the ocean is far to rough for any and all ocean activities. We are hopeful if the weather folks are correct that possibly Thursday looks like the next good day and the weekend looks just fine.

There Were Whales But No Trips Today

The weather around the noon hour when we usually send boats out looking for whales was deteriorating quickly so we sent no boats out Monday. During the morning fishing trip there were two whales spotted abut a mile North of Depoe Bay feeding close to shore. When the weather clears up in a few days we will be back out there again.

No Trips Out Today

There was one whale out in front of Depoe Bay this Sunday but not one charter boat out of the harbor to view them on this day. I guess everyone read the weather report and stayed away and as it did Saturday in the morning the weather was nowhere to be found. After viewing Saturday afternoons white cap filled ocean scene the word was that Sunday would not be a good day. It turned out to be a sun drenched balmy nice ocean. Anyhow, there will be lots of days as summer gets closer where the whale watching will be great and the weather will be more predictable.

Whale Watching Done In A Hurry

With threatening weather we were able to squeeze in one full boat whale watch trip before the predicted weather suppose to be here early this morning finally arrived just as we were ending the whale watch excursion. How was the whale watching? I don’t know, as I was so into weather talk today that I forgot to ask. Sounds like some heavy seas in the forecast the next couple of days so we will let you know as soon as things clear up a might.

Tradewinds Charters School In Session

Had a great group of seventy-five middle school guys and gals out with us this morning and it was Tradewinds 101. The kids had a great time watching whales, sea lions, and schools of fish under the boats in Whale Cove along with the usual harbor seals and the abundance of bird life almost everywhere. Three full vessels had a great time as Oregon youngsters from the valley enjoyed this part of their day, which accumulated afterwards with a trip to the tide pools in Newport.

Later in the day whale trips for the regular daily crews found a cow and a calve North of Depoe Bay in the shallow waters up off Lincoln Beach. Bring your own school group down as the tuition is worth the knowledge that the kids get for both older and young.

There Were Gone and Now There Back

Summertime type whale watching Thursday afternoon on our trips as the folks on the shoreline were lining the seawall and watching them from there. Those on the boats with the best and more spectacular views were watching them about a half-mile offshore right out in front of the harbor. Three whales were in our presence today and one appeared to be a calf, which was swimming around away from his/her mother at times. Sure made for great sightings on a beautiful day on the ocean waters with Tradewinds Charters giving the folks a great whale show today.

In-Between Migration & Residency

One whale found today on the whale watch trips that being a feeding whale a mile or so North of Depoe Bay about a mile offshore. The migration is over except for the cows and calves which will be swimming by slowly from time to time and we are hopeful for a early arrival from the resident whales. Once they show up and stick around the area we will be into the best whale watching we have to offer the folks until late into October.

Coastal Ghost Town

Only one whale watch adventure today out of Depoe Bay as there just was not very many folks in the area on this Tuesday. The ocean got better and better as the day went on and was almost flat out there and no one to take advantage of good weather, great ocean conditions, and a few cows and calves going through the area. We are in that time between spring breaks and summer where occasionally we can be a ghost town around here. Today was one of those days.

Springtime Whale Watching

No report on the whale watching on Monday. Seeing some of the cows and calves go by only tells us that we are right at the very end of the northerly migration. Now we just need to find some of these feeding whales we have been seeing sticking around for the whole summer. When we see the same ones day after day then we can use the term "resident whales".

Here One Trip, Gone The Next….

Whale watching was great on our first trip out Sunday late morning with three whales that thrilled the crew out with us today and two of those whales appeared to be resident types as they were in the process of feeding on the inner reefs. We also had a cow and a calf (mom and offspring) go by today as well but they seemed to be in a big hurry heading north. That does tell us that the stragglers are going by now and usually means that we should be seeing cows and calves quite often now for the near future. On our 2nd trip of the day the three whales had disappeared and late into that trip they still had not caught up with them. It is a good time for whale watching so give us a call and come down and enjoy the show this next week with good ocean weather in the picture.

There Back For Today Anyhow!!

This is a first of the cruising day report but with the choppy waters and cold air conditions it might be a shorter day then might be normal for a Saturday but lets hope that the ocean conditions improve as the afternoon goes along. The first trip cruisers this morning were greeted with some great whale watching as even as I write we have a trio of whales just a "wee bit North" of the harbor area feeding on the inner reefs. It would be great if these guys or gals (??) stick around every day as close as they were this morning. Makes for great sightings and the folks get the whole hour or two to watch whales instead of the sometimes usual time to get out and find them first. Tail shots and lots of activity this morning.

Third Times The Charm

The whales were hard to find again today on a windy afternoon even though the ocean was in pretty good shape throughout the day. We had good sightings in the earlier morning hours from the shoreline but by the time we got out there in the late morning they were gone. Some were sighted as being in a big hurry heading North. By the third trip we were watching whales once again about a mile North of Depoe Bay and a mile and a half offshore.

Weather Better & So Is Whale Watching

The weather dramatically improved by Thursday around the noon hour and so did the whale watching. With a few days of choppy seas and not finding many whales was replaced today with calmer seas, less wind and whales easier to find. They are still in on the inner reefs feeding and that is a good sign as many of these guys usually are here for a good long stay.

No Whale Watch Activity Wednesday

A heavy wind chop on the whale watch waters out in front of Depoe Bay forced the cancellation of todays whale watching activity. Hopefully things will be better tomorrow.

As it is from time to time "They Were All No Shows"

The whales were all "No Shows" today but the semi-foggy conditions and the little bit of wind chop out there did not help the boat skipper to find them. Someone said that they smelled one and "you can actually smell them" from their spouts but they were not able to locate them. As these feeding whales work there way up and down the coastline looking for the best feeding grounds there may be a few days like this. It will only get better as we get further into Spring.

Hard to Find Gray Whales?

Maybe it was the foggy background we were trying to find the whales in Monday afternoon or maybe the whales were just taking a day off? Either way they were hard to find Monday though on the 2nd trip we did find one smaller whale feeding on the inshore reefs about a mile north of Depoe Bay. He actually did put on a decent show with some nice tail shots towards the end of the trip. It was almost like he was telling us to go home so we did!

It appears right now that some of the resident whales as they are called around here have begun to arrive a month or so early then what might be normal. We already have many sightings today and over this past week on our whale watch trips of whales being in the shallow waters where they historically use for their summer feeding grounds in our area. We had good sightings today on all of our trips until the winds came up in the early afternoon. These whales are much more social and put on better shows then the migratory whales seem to. Well, all we can do is hope this is the case that the summer whale watching is already here and will last well into the fall. Come on down and take in the fun and excitement of watching whales out of Tradewinds Charters Depoe Bay. Trips depart daily beginning mid-morning.

We had a bunch of whale watch trips the past few days and like we have reported in the past few additions to the whale watch report they are beginning to get much closer to shore. This should be a pretty good indication that the migration north might be starting to wind down a bit but also a sign that some of the whales which will be known as our resident whales this summer are beginning to show up. That is great news because they are closer to the shoreline, easier to find and most importantly are a bit more on the social side. They get used to the boats from a distance and as the spring /summer goes on will often stroll right up next to the boats. This is the best time to view whales now and into the fall as these whales are not in any hurry like the migratory whales are as there only desire is to feed. Come on down to Tradewinds in Depoe Bay where our boats are scheduled for daily trips out to see the whales from mid-morning throughout the afternoon.

Just like the fishing the weather has gotten in the way of the whale watching the past few days. When we do get back out there in a few days the whales will still be there. More and more of them have started to appear in the shallow waters around Depoe Bay which is more of an indication that they are feeding and possibly will stick around the local area. Some of you folks are unaware that our best whale watching is in the summer and fall. The migration is over but the summertime brings out our resident whales which are more sociable and easier to find and watch. Just because the migration is coming to an end in a few weeks only brings the resident whales into our area and will be here long into the fall. It is the best whale watching we have.

Whales ! Whales ! Whales! Tradewinds boats had them Friday morning/ afternoon with whales in the shallows feeding and then more migratory whales a few miles offshore as well. The migration is still going strong and as reported before we are beginning to see some of the whales dropping off and coming into shallow water that appear to be feeding. Tradewinds Charters has boats ready to roll when the ocean permits beginning mid-morning daily.

Monday was a great day for whale watching out of the world’s smallest navigable harbor. Tradewinds boats ventured out beginning in late morning and continued trips into the middle of the afternoon with outstanding sightings all day long. There were plenty of whales out in front of Depoe Bay Monday and most were in pods of 2-4 whales. The northerly migration is still going strong and should continue well into the month of May. We are hopeful between now and then that our local (resident) whales will begin to show up. It was a fun ride on Monday with some speed bumps on the water until the first buoy was reached and then smooth sailing out to the whales on a beautiful rolling ocean. The sea lions were in full display sun bathing on the outer buoys and wait till you see the unlimited bird life on the waters. Today the adventures continue….

We are heading into a great sounding weekend for cruising and the whales are out there and still moving north on their annual migration. It should be a great weekend for whale viewing with a much-improved ocean with no winds to speak of in the weekend forecast. We are already starting to see a few whales in closer to shore and obviously doing a little feeding as they move north or possibly looking for a summertime home in our area so early in this spring. One of our fishing boats a few miles offshore last week also saw three Orca whales (killer whales) and one really was a large one. Springtime is normally the time that the Orca’s begin to move by our shores moving normally in a southerly direction. We have our more then abundant population of sea lions sleeping on the buoys, which our boats normally stop by on the way out to see the whales. You also get to view the countless species of bird life that live on our ocean waters. Did you hear about that saltwater sea otter spotted in Depoe Bay a week or so back? They have been rare along the Oregon Coast in recent years but when he has been seen it has been right under the bridge next to the Tradewinds docks. The otter seemed to like Depoe Bay so maybe he will be back?

The whale action was very good on Tuesday with a rather “cranky ocean” to deal with but the Tradewinds passengers got what they came for which was some great sightings of the migrating whales. The whale sightings were actually a little better then the day before when the ocean was nicer. We ran a couple of trips out to the whale grounds and then called it a day. Give us a call daily at our Highway 101 office right next to the Depoe Bay Bridge for an ocean report and when the trips will be leaving on that day.

Whale watching will continue Monday morning as the ocean will settle down after a rough ocean weekend and once again the whale watching fleet to go with will be on the Pacific pond finding those migratory whales for our customers. There are lots of whales out there as the migratory northerly run of the Pacific Gray whale is still on its peak side so come down and join the fun. Sail on clean comfortable heated cabin boats with knowledgeable skippers that not only find you the whales but also give you some great historical information on their migration and history. It will be a trip you will remember. Seeing these “critters” in their natural environment is something that you will not soon forget. May I also suggest the two-hour trips? Yes, they cost a few more of your hard earned dollars but spending time with these whales and seeing multiple pods going by out in front of Depoe Bay is the real ticket with the migratory whales.

The whale watching the past few days saw hundreds of folks at the coast taking advantage of the great ocean conditions and the abundance of whales offshore as Tradewinds had three boats pretty much going full force from mid-morning to the middle of the afternoon. The whale watching was a little slower on Friday after a spectacular day on Thursday with whales just about everywhere out in front of Depoe Bay. Though Friday was somewhat slower as far as finding the migrating critters in the numbers we saw Thursday that is normal as sometimes there is a lull between pods of whales and other times they move further offshore. Whale watching on the migration should be great for sightings through the end of April and then we should start to see the arrival of our resident whales, which will be with us through late, fall. Call Tradewinds for either a one or two-hour adventure-watching the Gray whales on the Pacific.

Whale watching sure has been great this past week on the days we have been able to get out to them depending on the ocean weather but when we have it sure has been spectacular. The whales have been around 3-5 miles offshore which is common this time of year during the northerly migration of the Pacific Gray whale. It should be a great time for sightings of the migration for the next month and a half or so and towards the end of that time the cows and calves will be coming through. To make the sightings even better we have been watching multiple pods of whales, as the main part of the migration moves by the Depoe Bay area. The Tradewinds boats are very well equipped for taking you out to see the whales with comfortable well maintained boats, handicapped accessible vessels and heated cabins for your comfort just in case it gets a little chilly out there. Trips start every day weather permitting around mid-morning and run through the afternoon. Call Tradewinds for reservations.

WE TRIED!! We tried to get a few boats full of anxious whale watch customers out to see the whales Monday but those forecasted winds beat us to where the whales were and we were forced to turn around and bring the folks back to port. By the time we got out close to where the whales were a few miles offshore the winds had increased almost instantly up over 30 knots. That would be for you folks reading this “not so much fun”!! Some of the folks were having a great time in the wind and rain but whales is what we were after so refunds were the name of the game. We will try again when the ocean conditions get better. This weather is so typical for this time of year but also what happens is when the weather breaks and it gets nice we will be in for a good long stretch of great conditions.

Talk about a great day on Saturday. We ran multiple whale watch trips out to the migratory whales and it was spectacular. Multiple pods of whales were seen on all trips on a great ocean. The inclement weather that was forecasted never materialized and we had boats watching the whales from mid-morning to late in the afternoon. Lots of folks in the Depoe Bay area for the start of Spring Break and lots were taking advantage of the nice day and the good ocean conditions to venture out and see the migratory Gray whales. If you have never seen the whales in their natural habitat making their yearly northerly trip up to the Alaskan waters it is well worth the price of admission. Several of our boats are handicap accessible and all have heated cabins for your comfort. Come on down and join us.

Disappointment was supreme on the Tradewinds dock on this Friday afternoon, as we had to turn away many folks as the ocean got very windy and choppy in the afternoon hours. After running a “trial run” so to speak the skippers decided that it was just to rough for folks to go out and view the whales. Though we don’t like to disappoint our passengers having fun on these trips and safety is always of first concern. There will be better days and hopefully tomorrow (Saturday) will be that day.

Tradewinds had one boat out today for whale watch trips and they were indeed successful with whales just offshore from Depoe Bay and those who were part of today’s crew had great sightings. The migration should be strong for the next month or two with cows and calves being the last to go by in May. We then should be seeing our resident whales start to show up which will be here for the remainder of the summer into fall. Good whale sightings should be with us now through the month of October. Summer resident whale watching is the best that we have, as these “critters” are far less shy then the migratory whales and are feeding on the inshore reefs much closer to shore.

The Northerly migration is underway and we have had great sightings when we have been able to get out into the ocean. The ocean weather has been “a little cranky” for almost a week now but we do expect the next two days (Thursday & Friday) to be do-able for whale watching starting around the noon hour. The last day we did get to go was last Friday and was it ever spectacular as sightings were spotted about three miles offshore. Not only did the folks get to see a pod of whales but also they saw multiple pods and at one time had whales blowing and one breaching around the boat. Come down and help us celebrate springtime and enjoy the show. Call Tradewinds for daily sailing times.

2010 reports (current)