Volunteers man whale-watching viewpoint Saturday

Now is the time to see gray whales on their annual migration from the cold seas of Alaska to give birth in the warm waters off the coast of Mexico.

Whales’ spouts, backs and tails can occasionally be spotted along Crescent City’s coast.

Whale Watching Spoken Here volunteers will be at the Brother Jonathan Vista Point at the top of 9th Street today through Jan. 1 from 10 a.m.-1 p.m.

“We will have literature and information about whales and will be teaching people how to spot them,” said Alan Justice, the site coordinator for Crescent City.

Volunteers also record whale sightings, number of visitors and any unusual behavior like spyhopping, breaching and mating, he said.

The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department program has set up 26 whale watching stations from the southern tip of Washington down the Oregon Coast and in Crescent City.

Whale Watching Spoken Here volunteers are on duty twice a year: now and in March when gray whales are heading back north.

“Right now is the peak of the southern migration,” Justice said.

During this leg of the trip from December to February, the whales tend to travel in groups, Justice said, which means multiple sightings are more likely.

From March to May, spottings are more sparse as whales make their way to Alaska a few at a time.

“Some stay to feed during the summer and some don’t make it all the way down or all the way to Alaska,” Justice said about how whales sometimes stop to hang out in one area for a while.

That would explain why whale sightings off Crescent City were prevalent during a spell of nice weather in November, he said.

To get an up-close glimpse of a gray whale, Justice said to look out at the ocean with just your eyes and when a spout is spotted, look through binoculars and wait for it come up again.

Whales surface about every 45 seconds for air or stay down for longer to feed.

Gray whales are generally solitary creatures, Justice said, but also travel in groups. It can be difficult to decipher how many whales are actually being spotted, he said.

“We have to make our best guess sometimes,” he said. “If you see half a dozen spouts in a minute, there are probably half a dozen whales.”

Bad weather can make it harder to spot whales, Justice said, adding that a storm will drive them farther out to sea.

“Even if you don’t see whales, Brother Jonathan Vista Point is a gorgeous place to spend some time watching the ocean,” Justice said. “You can’t do much better than that.”

There is also plenty of other wildlife to watch, he added, such as seals, sea lions, ospreys and oyster catchers.

“There’s a lot more to see than just whales,” Justice said.