Oregon State Parks will host Spring Whale Watch Week along the Oregon Coast from March 23 to March 31.

Trained parks volunteers will be stationed at 15 sites from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. daily to help visitors spot whales and their calves and to answer questions.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recently announced the end of an unusual mortality event for gray whales — a significant die-off that had been affecting the species since 2019. Now, it appears populations may be rebounding.

An estimated 14,500 gray whales are expected to swim past the coast from late winter through June during their annual migration north to Alaska. The Whale Watching Center in Depoe Bay will be open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with binoculars provided and rangers available to answer questions.