Whale Sign Dedication

Don Davis Park.\Photo by Gregory Henton.

The Oregon Chapter of the American Cetacean Society invites the public to a community event dedicating a Whale Trail interpretative sign to be placed in Newport’s Don Davis Park (840 W. Olive St.), a good place for whale-watching.  The event is free; refreshments will be served.

This will be a standing event outdoors—dress accordingly.  Wheelchairs can be accommodated on the sidewalk. 

The American Cetacean Society’s Oregon chapter joined forces with the Oregon Marine Reserves Partnership (of which Oregon Shores is a member) to create the Whale Trail to Oregon.  The Whale Trail has over 90 sites along the west coast where people can observe whales and other marine mammals from shore. Five sites in Oregon were added to existing sites in British Columbia, Washington and California. In addition to Don Davis Park in Newport, the other sites are Cape Falcon Marine Reserve and Protected Area, Cape Perpetua, Sea Lion Caves and Battle Rock Wayside in Port Orford.

The sign being dedicated is the first to be installed in Oregon. Sponsors of the Don Davis Park Whale Trail interpretive sign are the City of Newport, American Cetacean Society-Oregon Chapter, Hallmark Resort Newport, Point Blue Conservation Science, and The Whale Trail.

Speakers at the celebration include Dr. Bruce Mate, Director of the Marine Mammal Institute at Oregon State University’s Hatfield Marine Science Center; Dr. James Sumich and Dr. Leigh Torres, also of the Marine Mammal Institute; Charlie Plybon of Surfrider Foundation and the Oregon Marine Reserves Partnership; Donna Sandstrom, Executive Director of the Whale Trail; Colleen Weiler of Whale and Dolphin Conservation; Kaety Jacobson, incoming Lincoln County Commissioner; and Joy Primrose, American Cetacean Society-Oregon Chapter President.

For more information, contact Joy Primrose, (541) 517-8754, marine_lover4ever@yahoo.com.