Tradewinds Charters
from $30 per adult
1 Hour Whale Watching Cruise and 1 more option
- Length
- 1 hour
- Boat
- Fleet of 6 vessels (e.g. C/V Morning Star) with heated cabins and restrooms
Cites sightings on 98% of cruises during migration season
Quick picks
- Lowest price Tradewinds Charters $30 per adult for 1 Hour Whale Watching Cruise
- Low to the water Whale Research EcoExcursions Ex-Coast Guard RHIB (zodiac-style)
The Depoe Bay and Newport whale year
Dark months are the peak for that species, light months are the rest of its season. October is marked.
| Species | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gray whale | January: peak | February: not usually seen | March: in season | April: in season | May: in season | June: in season | July: in season | August: in season | September: in season | October: in season | November: not usually seen | December: peak |
Peak In season
From stateparks.oregon.gov. Whales turn up outside these months too.
Every option side by side
| Operator | What you get | From | Length | Group | Min age | Boat | If no whales | Cancellation | Book |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 Hour Whale Watching CruiseIncludes Heated cabins, Restrooms |
$30 per adult |
1 hour |
Fleet of 6 vessels (e.g. C/V Morning Star) with heated cabins and restrooms | Not stated | 72 hours notice required for refunds | Check dates | |||
Sea Life CruiseIncludes Heated cabin with seating for all |
$50 per adult |
2 hours |
Discovery, deluxe 65 ft boat (operator calls it the largest cruiser on the coast) | Not stated | Check dates | ||||
2 Hour Whale Watching CruiseIncludes Heated cabins, Restrooms |
$55 per adult |
2 hours |
Fleet of 6 vessels (e.g. C/V Morning Star) with heated cabins and restrooms | Not stated | 72 hours notice required for refunds | Check dates | |||
1.5 Hour Whale Watch |
$60 per person |
1.5 hours |
Not stated | Check dates | |||||
1.5-Hour Whale Watch With Carrie & KodaIncludes Boat tour, Lifejackets, Blankets, Educational gray whale film, Museum admission |
$62.93 per adult |
1.5 hours |
Small groups; a 6-passenger tour is offered for guests who cannot climb stairs |
2+ | Ex-Coast Guard RHIB (zodiac-style) | None; says sightings are not guaranteed | Free changes or cancellation up to 24 hours ahead, then full charge; trips cancelled for unsafe seas are rescheduled or refunded | Check dates |
From each operator's own website, checked October 21, 2026. How we compare.
Depoe Bay Bridge and Newport's Bay Boulevard
Depoe Bay's harbor covers 6 acres, and Oregon State Parks calls it the world's smallest navigable harbor. Tradewinds Charters has its office on Highway 101 at the north end of the Depoe Bay Bridge (118 S Hwy 101), with a private dock just below and a portside pickup that avoids stairs. Whale Research EcoExcursions is at 234 SE Highway 101. Boarding its boat means climbing three flights of stairs, so guests who cannot manage them book its 6-passenger tour instead.
Newport's operators sit on SW Bay Boulevard: Marine Discovery Tours at number 345 and Newport Tradewinds at 653. Newport Tradewinds takes reservations by phone only, at (541) 265-2101, and says it is not affiliated with Tradewinds Charters in Depoe Bay. In winter, Tradewinds Charters says, its boats head into the open ocean to find the southbound whales.
Resident grays June to mid-November, migrants in winter
Gray whales pass the Oregon coast twice a year. Oregon State Parks says the southbound migration runs from mid-December to mid-January. Northbound whales, often with calves, start passing in late March, with a first surge at the end of the month and sightings continuing into June. In December 2025, Oregon State Parks cited NOAA's estimate of about 13,000 gray whales on the West Coast, the lowest since the 1970s.
Between migrations, resident gray whales feed close to shore. Oregon State Parks says Depoe Bay sees 5 to 15 a day from June to mid-November. Tradewinds Charters says the residents stay through summer and well into fall, with sightings almost year-round and local whales known by name. Humpbacks, orcas, dolphins, porpoises and blue whales also turn up. Marine Discovery Tours adds harbor porpoises, seals, sea lions, pelicans and bald eagles.
Calmer early trips and rough-water bay routes
Early morning and late afternoon bring calmer water and easier-to-see spouts, according to Discover Newport, and cloudy days cut the glare. Whale Research EcoExcursions also suggests its early trips for calmer water and goes out only when weather and ocean conditions allow. Discover Newport recommends layers and a windproof jacket, since the coastal breeze can fool you, and binoculars to pick out flukes and breaches.
Tradewinds Charters' boats have heated cabins and restrooms, and its captains narrate over the PA while guests walk the deck without life vests. Whale Research EcoExcursions' trips on a former Coast Guard RHIB include lifejackets and blankets. Marine Discovery Tours' 65 ft Discovery has a heated cabin with seats for everyone; when the ocean is rough, the cruise stays on about 6 miles of bay and river waterways instead.
Carrie Newell's RHIB, Tradewinds' fleet and the Discovery
Tradewinds Charters has the lowest fares: $30 per adult for 1 hour and $55 for 2 hours, with children 12 and under at $20 and $40. A fuel surcharge may apply. It runs a fleet of 6 boats, cites a 98% sighting success rate and requires 72 hours' notice for refunds. A 3-hour crabbing and scenic whale watching trip costs $95, and veterans, military and frontline workers get discounts.
Whale Research EcoExcursions is led by marine biologist Carrie Newell, who has more than 30 years of whale research, and her dog Koda. Its 1.5-hour trip costs $62.93 for adults and $52.08 for children 2 to 12 on its booking page, and includes a gray whale film and museum entry. Changes and cancellations are free up to 24 hours ahead, trips cancelled for unsafe seas are rescheduled or refunded, and sightings are not guaranteed.
In Newport, Marine Discovery Tours charges $50 for adults and $35 for youth 3 to 12, with infants free, for a 2-hour sea life cruise with naturalist guides that runs daily from March to October. The family-owned company's route also takes in Newport's fishing fleet, which it calls the largest on the Oregon Coast, a historic bridge and two lighthouses. Newport Tradewinds runs a 1.5-hour whale watch for $60. None of the four operators states a sighting guarantee.
Watching from shore
- Whale Watching Center, Depoe Bay. This Oregon State Parks center is perched on a seawall in Depoe Bay, with a large viewing deck, binoculars and volunteers who help spot whales. It opens March through December, noon to 4 pm Wednesday to Sunday, but is closed for repairs through October 31, 2026, so call 541-765-3304 before visiting.
- Boiler Bay, Rocky Creek and Cape Foulweather. Oregon State Parks names these three viewpoints near Depoe Bay as other good places to watch for whales, useful while the Whale Watching Center is closed.
- Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area. Discover Newport calls the headland a high vantage point with wide ocean views and an interpretive center. Volunteers from Oregon State Parks' Whale Watching Spoken Here program are often there at peak times.
Before you book
- Call the Whale Watching Center at 541-765-3304 before going; its hours can change with volunteer availability and weather.
- From shore, watch for a misty spout or seabirds circling over one spot, which can mean a whale is feeding, Discover Newport says.
- Tradewinds Charters takes $2 off the 1-hour cruise when you book online.
- Getting there. Newport is about a 3-hour drive from Portland International Airport and about 2 hours from Eugene Airport, according to Oregon State University's Hatfield Marine Science Center. From Interstate 5 at Corvallis, U.S. 20 runs 55 miles west to Newport.
The operators
Marine Discovery Tours
from $50 per adult
Sea Life Cruise
- Length
- 2 hours
- Boat
- Discovery, deluxe 65 ft boat (operator calls it the largest cruiser on the coast)
Naturalist guides and captains on every cruise
Newport Tradewinds
from $60 per person
1.5 Hour Whale Watch
- Length
- 1.5 hours
Reservations by phone only, (541) 265-2101
Whale Research EcoExcursions
from $62.93 per adult
1.5-Hour Whale Watch With Carrie & Koda
- Length
- 1.5 hours
- Group
- Small groups; a 6-passenger tour is offered for guests who cannot climb stairs
- Age
- 2+
- Boat
- Ex-Coast Guard RHIB (zodiac-style)
- If no whales
- None; says sightings are not guaranteed
Led by marine biologist Carrie Newell (over 30 years of research) and her dog Koda
Depoe Bay and Newport questions
When is whale season in Depoe Bay?
Oregon State Parks, citing NOAA's estimate of about 13,000, says gray whales pass southbound from mid-December to mid-January, the peak of the migration, and head north from late March to June. Resident gray whales then feed close to shore from June to mid-November (Tradewinds says late June through October), and Depoe Bay typically sees 5 to 15 a day.
How much does whale watching in Depoe Bay cost?
Tradewinds Charters charges $30 per adult for 1 hour and $55 for 2 hours ($20 and $40 for children 12 and under). Whale Research EcoExcursions' 1.5-hour RHIB trip is $62.93 for adults and $52.08 for children 2 to 12; in Newport, Marine Discovery Tours charges $50 and Newport Tradewinds $60.
Head to head
More whale watching tours in Pacific Northwest and Alaska
- Juneau, Alaska from $154
- Seward, Alaska (Kenai Fjords) from $109
- Victoria, British Columbia from C$159
- Tofino, British Columbia from C$169
- San Juan Islands (Friday Harbor and Anacortes), Washington from $99
Sources
Prices and policies come from each operator's own pages, read on October 21, 2026. Seasons, rules and local details come from the pages below.
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depoe_Bay,_Oregon
- stateparks.oregon.gov/index.cfm
- tradewindscharters.com
- greetwell.com/us/direct/...
- marinediscoverytours.com/sea-life-cruise
- newporttradewinds.com/whale-watching-trips
- apps.oregon.gov/oregon-newsroom/OR/OPRD/Posts/...
- discovernewport.com/post/whale-watching-in-newport
- tradewindscharters.com/rates.php
- fisheries.noaa.gov/west-coast/...
- pmel.noaa.gov/node/218