A note from Elizabeth, Team 2:

We are fast approaching "whale watch" season. Those beautiful gray behemoths will be heading to within viewing distance of many habitual observers on their southern migration during December and January. There is a well trained (by Bruce Mate, et al) plethora of whale watch volunteers who station themselves along the Oregon coast twice a year. They announce their presence with "Whale Watching Spoken Here" placards and offer interested observers written information about cetaceans and pinnepeds, show small models of females and young, and run a 45' rope along the ground to illustrate the body length of gray females. They offer binoculars for observing and samples of baleen to touch. They also keep records of visitors' home states/countries. Amazing the number of people from abroad!

Historically, the gray whales are farther out to sea during winter months, not only to avoid the rough weather waves in shore but also to enable them to swim more swiftly in deeper water, so they are usually harder to spot without binoculars. Although, on one occasion, through a wall of dense fog, a whale watch volunteer and I clearly heard a series of blows! Very eerie - quite sensational!

The sun is out and it is HAILING. This coastal weather is a mystery to me! Sort of like Monterey!