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There are few sights on the Oregon Coast as moving as a gray whale breaking the surface of the Pacific.
For many of us, they are part of the rhythm of this place. They pass by our headlands in winter and spring, draw people to overlooks at Depoe Bay and Cape Perpetua, and remind us that the Oregon Coast is not just a scenic backdrop. It is part of one of the longest mammal migrations on Earth.
But in 2026, the story of the gray whale has taken a darker turn.
A gray whale in Depoe Bay. Image by Craig Hayslip / OSU Marine Mammal Institute /
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