Memorial Day Fleet of the Flowers

One of the Oregon coast's most moving traditions, the Fleet of the Flowers in Depoe Bay honors those lost at sea and in service. Boats process out of the world's smallest navigable harbor to cast flowers upon the water in a beautiful, solemn Memorial Day ceremony.

It's a heartfelt tribute that captures the deep bond between this community and the ocean. Depoe Bay is also the whale-watching capital of the Oregon coast — after the ceremony, watch from the seawall for gray whales spouting just offshore, a fitting reminder of the sea's enduring presence.