Visiting Depoe Bay

Depoe Bay is a town and a bay twelve miles South of Lincoln City. It was named for Charley Depoe, a Siletz Indian who was granted the land in 1894 under the Dawes Act.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depoe_Bay,_Oregon

Advertising itself as the World's Smallest Harbor, the small harbor covers about six acres.

While that might be too small to support a lot of industries, it is enough to support several whale watching boats that take advantage of the resident gray whales.

https://whalestaildepoebay.com/depoe-bays-resident-gray-whales/

The relatively small area combined with the stable whale population means you can spot whales from shore. I don't doubt that you can see more on a boat, but in a very short time period I saw one tail come up and wave majestically and the side of another whale break the surface briefly. That was without the use of binoculars or any guidance.

That is not all there is to see. I also saw a cormorant gliding over the waves, then suddenly dip below. There were many birds hanging out on the wall that guides the passage out from the harbor to the open sea.

You can make them out there on the end, but that is not a close look. The area seems to be popular with bird watchers as well.

I admit that seeing the whales is a bigger thrill. I think it is because it happens so quickly. By the time you can tell someone what you see and point, the whale has already resubmerged. So when it does happen, it is that you were looking at the right spot at the right instant; it's a magical moment.

On childhood trips, I remember a wooden boardwalk where we would get ice cream and feed sea lions. Most of that is gone (probably best for the sea lions), but there are still spots like Gracie' Sea Hag, since 1963, and still places to get ice cream, salt water taffy, and T-shirts... all that one would expect from a day at the coast, but without being at the beach. (For walking on sand or dipping your toes in the ocean, you can head back to Lincoln City or continue South to Beverly Beach.)

Our recent trip included the OPRD Whale Watching Center, Whale Bites Cafe, the Whale, Sea Life, and Sharks Museum, and the nearby Depoe Baykery. It felt important to treat the area as a whole first.

One fascinating thing was how the fog kept rising and sinking. At times it seemed like we would lose all visibility and not be able to see anything, and then it quickly shifted again.

I should also mention that the street parking fills up quickly. There is a public parking lot on Collins Street, but it was full the first time we tried. Somehow we lucked out and got a space after another loop around town. Most places shut down fairly early (between 2 and 5 PM), so the parking gets better, but there is also less to do.

COVID: We saw so few masks, except for on us. Fortunately, there is a lot to do outside.

Accessibility: Sidewalks are mostly pretty good, and the total area of attractions is small. The lack of parking can be an issue, as even the handicap parking spots fill up quickly, and as you go up for other parking on the main drag there is a fairly steep incline.

It seems like a situation made for tour buses.

https://visittheoregoncoast.com/cities/depoe-bay/