Cape Perpetua Visitor Center to host Winter Whale Watch Week programs; hours adjusted
Release Date: Dec 17, 2014
Contact(s): Brian Hoeh 541.547.3289, Lisa Romano 541.750.7075
The Cape Perpetua Visitor Center will host programs and activities for Winter Whale Watch Week from Saturday, Dec. 27, to Wednesday, Dec. 31. Festivities will include themed films, whale exhibits, children’s activities, and Winter Series presentations. Whale Watch volunteers will be on hand throughout the week to share their knowledge of whale biology, migration patterns, and sighting techniques. Naturalist Michael Noack will offer his presentation, “Experiencing Gray Whales”, at 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 27, and Monday, Dec. 29.
Noack has been educating the public about the natural world, especially gray whales, for many years. He has trained Whale Watch volunteers and has been directly involved with whale research. “I believe that knowledge leads to appreciation and that appreciation leads to protection of these marine giants,” says Noack. This presentation is part of Cape Perpetua’s Winter Series of speakers, guided hikes, and fun activities scheduled for many Saturdays through the end of March.
Situated 100 feet above sea level with an expansive ocean view, the Cape Perpetua Visitor Center is an ideal place to scan the horizon while waves crash against the rocky basalt shores below. Grey whales have already been seen passing the Oregon coast on their southward migration. Their journey will span the Pacific Coast, from feeding areas in the Bering Sea to their breeding and calving grounds in the warm lagoons of Baja California—the longest migration of any animal on earth.
In winter, regular Visitor Center hours are Friday through Tuesday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., closed Wednesdays and Thursdays. For Whale Watch Week, the Visitor Center will be closed on Friday, Dec. 26, and remain open on Wednesday, Dec. 31. Cape Perpetua is a partner of Whale Watch Spoken Here, a program of Oregon State Parks that promotes whale watching at 24 designated locations along the Oregon coast.
The Cape Perpetua Visitor Center is located three miles south of Yachats on Highway 101. For more information, please call the Visitor Center at 541-547-3289 or visit us on the web at www.fs.usda.gov/siuslaw. You can also follow us at twitter.com/SiuslawNF and www.facebook.com/DiscoverCapePerpetua.