Whale Watch Week officially kicked off on Tuesday, a chance to catch gray whales as they pass along the Oregon coast during a migration which stretches from the warm lagoons of Baja, Mexico to the icy waters of Alaska. The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department hosts the whale watching event twice a year, including most recently last December, when it took place for the first time in person since the start of the pandemic. For the spring event, 17 viewing sites have been set up from Fort Stevens near Astoria to Harris Beach near the California border. At each of the sites the public can explore interactive exhibits, grab a pair of binoculars and get help from trained volunteers to spot the marine mammals traveling about a mile off the coast, some with recently birthed calves in tow. Peter McBride is a park ranger with the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department based at Beverly Beach, near Newport. He joins us to talk about Whale Watch Week and what visitors can expect to see during the event which ends this Sunday.