Depoe Bay: Whales, Sea Life, and Sharks Museum

As you walk to the entrance of the Whales, Sea Life, and Sharks Museum in Depoe Bay, your path is marked by whale cut outs. Their markings represent actual whales that return to the area annually.

On the museum's page you learn that the cutouts were drawn by owner Carrie Newell, cut out by her father, and painted by her daughter. This may give a good sense of how local and personal the museum is.

The museum holds the results of decades of collecting specimens.

Through a combination of specimens, taxidermy, art, models, and occasional plush, an idea is given of the profusion of local sea life, how this life fits in to the larger ocean, and even relative sizes.

It celebrates the richness of sea life in a cozy, approachable way, and with a fair amount of humor.

There were a lot of sharks.

Note how some photos are framed like portholes, and then porthole windows below may have something more than a picture behind.

The building is not large, especially in relation to the size of the collection, but you can see interesting uses made of the space, like this example of the relative size of whale tails.

There is a lot to see, making the $5 admission ($3 for children 3 - 12) a bargain.

The museum is also the starting point for the whale watching tours led by Newell. A group was watching a video in preparation for their departure, and as museum visitors we were welcome to watch as well.

As appreciators of Oregon, and of life, we enjoyed the displays at the museum.

Admittedly, some had more of a cute factor.

Accessibility: There was a ramp where needed, and the surfaces were flat. Some of the passages may have been a bit narrow, but it seemed navigable.

I also appreciated this stool for young visitors. There are all kinds of needs.

COVID: This was literally the only place we went that day where the staff was wearing masks. We were grateful for that.

https://www.oregonwhales.com/museum/

Depoe Baykery

Depoe Baykery is actually outside of Depoe Bay, at Salishan Coastal Lodge in Gleneden Beach.

They have received some great reviews and honors, including "Best Bakery in Oregon" from Taste of Home Magazine.

They sell bread, cookies, and items like chocolate mousse, and seem most known for their eclairs. We ended up mainly getting doughnuts.

That decision was based on concern that some items would not travel well, and having had some very rich cookies at our previous stop. Sadly, we arrived late in the day, and they were out of eclairs.

We could not resist trying a Depoe Dong out of the cold case. Oddly, it feels much more immature to refer to a Depoe Dong than a Ding Dong, even though the connection is clear. This may be why Mod Pizza just calls their version a No Name Cake.

There was still a wide selection of doughnuts left, and the prices were quite reasonable. We were expecting that to be worse, as Salishan in general seems kind of spendy.

And... everything was fine. That is faint praise, but it is still praise. It's not that anything was bad, but at the same time "best in the state" seemed like it might be an overstatement.

Is the deciding factor the eclairs? Or maybe the mousse? I am not hurrying back to find out, but I am also completely willing to stop by if we end up in the area again.

Accessibility: The aisles seem pretty navigable, even with cozy corners set up for lounging. The doors would probably require assistance.

COVID: But of course, these are not great times for lounging, and no, no one was wearing a mask (except us).

https://depoebaykery.com/

Depoe Bay: OPRD Whale Watching Center

Although you can see whales from pretty much anywhere facing the ocean in Depoe Bay, Oregon State Parks has a nice location on the sea wall with good view and educational materials.

It makes a point of remembering that whales are not the only wildlife around, with educational material and a board listing the sightings of different species for the day.

Still, most of the artifacts are fairly whale-centric.

This includes getting to examine and touch baleen.

There is a fair amount to see, beyond simply looking out to sea, though the center is well-designed for that.

COVID: As much as my expectations have been lowered, I really thought at least park rangers might still be wearing masks. That was disappointing.

Accessibility: The web site lists everything as being accessible except for the flush toilets. (I did not see the vault toilets, but apparently they are there.)

I saw no other way to the top level or the bottom floor than the stairs. I looked for signs of an elevator and found none.

There was a ramp from the street to the main level, where all of the exhibits are, and also a ramp to the lower level outdoor viewing platform, so there is a lot accessible, but I thought it could use improvement.

https://stateparks.oregon.gov/index.cfm?do=park.profile&parkId=183

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/