Whales

Gray Whales are making their annual southward migration this winter. And Oregon State Parks hosts Whale Watch Week from Friday through New Year’s Eve along the coast.

New research from OSU shows that gray whales in the Pacific Coast Feeding Group today are more than 13% shorter than whales born before 2000.

Scientists at the University of British Columbia may have identified a new population of orcas that feed in the deep oceanic waters off the coasts of Oregon and California.

Spring Whale Watch Week kicks off Saturday along the Oregon Coast. While the weather won’t be ideal, there may be more gray whales migrating north to Alaska.

Oregon Parks and Recreation hosts Winter Whale Watch week Dec. 27 to 31 at 15 sites along the coast.

Scientists estimate that several million tons of plastic enter the Pacific Ocean each year through rivers, and a new study shows Oregon Coast gray whales may be consuming large amounts of it.

On both the East and West coasts, whales are at risk of being entangled and injured by ropes used by fishermen. Fishing grounds are being closed, but new technology could help avoid that.

For the fourth time in less than two weeks, a dead whale washed ashore along the Oregon Coast.

Scientists aboard the Bell M. Shimada keep an eye out for whales. One scientist hopes to help predict where whales will show up by studying the food they eat.

Whale watchers have spotted a record number of humpback calves in inland Pacific Northwest waters this season. There was also a record streak of Bigg's killer whale sightings that just ended, according to a local whale research nonprofit. Those observations offer some good news to offset the ongoing concern about the survival of the Northwest's iconic, but critically endangered resident orcas.