One of the first things I remember about arriving in Depoe Bay for the 2019 summer was eating at a harbor side restaurant and seeing the harbor seals. I still maintain they might be the cutest residents of Depoe Bay, and they and the other wildlife were a joy to share with visitors on our tours. Like a lot of our adventures, in ways it seems the five months we spent working in Depoe Bay is over in a flash- though the days we ran 5 tours felt a lot longer!
Having the opportunity to work on the water most of the summer was spectacular. Being able to grow familiar with recognizing whales and their behaviors was amazing, and in turn I think some of them recognized us. Some whales like Two Dot and Creamsicle seemed to enjoy popping up near the boats for close encounters. Meanwhile Morisa, Rambolina and Cue Ball were solid ladies to relax with and be able to point out unique feeding behaviors and other traits.
Part of the fun of running the small zodiacs was the size comparison of the whales and waves to our vessels. Plus being able to occasionally get shots of Colby or other captains getting close encounters.
While work kept us busy a lot of the time, we were able to sneak away for a few side excursions. One of which was a biplane ride over Depoe Bay and Newport. The 1929 restored Travel Air BiPlane was beautiful and fun- we enjoyed a scenic ride getting to see our summer stomping grounds from the air.
Another trip we were able to take was a bit further South in Oregon, to see more of the Rogue River. We did Jerry’s Jetboat tour and were able to travel 52 miles up river and back. The jetboats speed and maneuverability was amazing! Capable of traveling fast over less than a foot of water it could handle small rapids as well as shallow bends in the river. Our captain Darin had a hysterical dry sense of humor, and could spin the boat and splash people with an alarming amount of accuracy.
Before leaving the coast we took advantage of the proximity to hang out in Astoria for a few days. I think we managed to visit every museum in town, as well as see the charming and picturesque streets and homes.
Colby and I were pleased to make a quick trip up to Hoodsport, WA- where the Hood sound provides beautiful albeit cold diving opportunities. Sadly conditions and work never allowed us to blow bubbles in Oregon, but this year we successfully saw wolf eels in the wild! Neither wolf-like nor eel, they are not exactly renowned for their beauty but were on the scuba bucket list. Plus some Giant Pacific Octopuses and other critters made the dives fun and well worthwhile.
Now it is time we start bringing the land yacht back across the country, fingers crossed that nothing else decides to act up! (Leaving Depoe Bay the slide out decided to be fussy- as well we the rear camera and radio. Like boats- there is always something wrong with the RV.)
All in all it was an amazing summer with tons of photos and memories.
herbivorous adventures 