Here are some of the more common terms that are used when whale watching:
Spout or blow: The blow or spout shoots nearly 12 feet high and expels 400 liters of air in a single blast. Gray whales, for example, usually surface every 45 seconds as they swim, but will often stay under for three to five minutes when they are eating. If they are frightened they can stay down for 30 minutes.
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Dive: This is when you will see a tail come out of the water. It's also called a sounding or fluking and it happens when a whale lifts its tail flukes out of the water. This helps the whale propel downward at a steep angle to the bottom, where they feed on small crustaceans.
Spyhop: A spyhop is when a whale lifts its head out of the water to look around. Researchers believe they do this to get a better understanding of their surroundings. Grover said that it's their way of saying "hello."
Breach: When a whale launches its body into the air and slams the water with a thundering crash - it's called a breach. "I think they are yelling 'CANNONBALL!' when they do that," Grover said. "It's a spectacular thing to see, and we have seen many of those here."
You don't have to rent a whale watching boat or have a powerful telescope to see the whales display the listed behaviors; you just have to visit the center in Depoe Bay, or one of 28 other sites along the Oregon coast during the whale watching events.
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The center is by far the best set up for visitors who want to see whales, but don't have a good pair of binoculars. The west side of the building faces the sea and is lined with huge windows with a dozen set of binoculars. People are encouraged to look out into the ocean to look for whales and there are at least two volunteers or park rangers on staff to help you spot the huge mammals. It's a good time being out of the weather and having the helpful experts on hand to point out whales passing through.
Grover said the best time to watch whales is late December, late March and in late August.
"It just depends on when they come by," Grover said. "We have whales all year long, the numbers just increase or decrease depending on when they are migrating."
