Held at the height of the winter and spring migrations, Whale Watch Week gives landlubbers an opportunity to learn about these aquatic denizens without getting their feet wet. Trained volunteers are on hand at 30 coastal locations during the week, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., to answer questions. An average of 29 whales per hour cruise along the coast during the winter and observers can usually see columns of water spouting 15 feet high as far as five miles out.

"Closer in, you'll be able to see flukes as the whales dive, complex acrobatics with partial leaps out of the water, and spy hops when the whales peek above the water," says Mike Rivers, volunteer coordinator for the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department's Whale Watching Program. And best of all, it's free.