NEWPORT, Ore. (AP) — A pod of killer whales provided a rare sight for sightseers along Yaquina Bay in Oregon when they swam past the docks and up the Yaquina River.
Staff members from the Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport gathered on the dock by the research vessel Wecoma to watch and take photos of at least six orcas on Thursday.
Others followed them up Bay Road, tracking them about two to three miles upriver. When the tide began to come in, the pod turned and headed back toward the ocean after about three hours.
Jim Rice, the coordinator of the Oregon Marine Mammal Stranding Network, said orcas typically make an appearance during spring but it was unusual for them to stick around so long.
