Winter is the time of year when whales migrate south to warmer waters (for birthing and mating) and the Oregon coast is a great place to spot them in their travels. Several years ago Tim and I were hiking on the coast and Tim spotted a whale off in the (far) distance. At the time, we didn’t know it was whale migrating season. It was awesome because we had complete solitude while we ate our lunch and watched whales!
We decided over the weekend that another whale watching experience was necessary. So, on Monday we drove to the Oregon coast with fingers crossed. Unfortunately, we didn’t spot a single whale (it requires keen eyes and patience). The weather was beautiful though, sunny and relatively warm. We made good use of our time by hiking on near-empty beaches, exploring tide pools, taking lots of pictures, and snacking on homemade bagels with savory spread. We even found a tiny natural foods store in one coastal town that was stocked with vegan treasures!! They even had Newman O’s but I restrained myself!! Overall it was a relaxing, peaceful, fulfilling day.
I am determined to spot some whales when they migrate back to Alaskan waters in March.
I’ve always wanted to go whale-spotting, and hope to take my daughter when she’s a bit older. It looks like you still had a lovely day, though – such beautiful pictures! And I feel your pain regarding O’s . . . except for me, it’s Trader Joe Joe’s!
What a beautiful coastline! Seeing the whales while hiking must have been wonderful last time; hope you catch them again soon!
So beautiful! I love those photos – especially the one of that wild animal wearing a cute pink hat and eating a sandwich…
I hope you can see those whales!
That wild animal was bad news. She didn’t want to share her peanut butter cups.
I only wish we could have deserted beaches in my area. That beach you were on looks beautiful! And the solitude must be very nice. There’s just something so awesome about spending some time away on a beach, with the crashing waves and clear air. Hopefully next time you’ll see whales :)
Funny coincidence…..I was out taking photos last night on a rocky beach in my area, pretty far out on a small rock peninsula, past where the waves were breaking.
I was looking for a shot and spotted some dolphins not 10 fee from where I was standing. They may not be whales, but the next best thing :)
That’s wonderful! I’ve never seen dolphins in their natural habitat. Were you able to capture some photos?
Unfortunately I didn’t have the chance. I saw them only for a split second when they came to the surface, and it was very dark and my camera was set up for long exposures. Maybe next time!
What beautiful photo’s!
Really beautiful pictures, Amy!