Oregon Coast

Cannon Beach, Oregon

I spent most of last week at The Stephanie Inn in Cannon Beach, Oregon. From Seattle, it's about a 4 hour drive south. Reservations must be made well in advance, so we didn't know what kind of weather we would encounter. As it turned out, an "atmospheric river" blessed us with more rain and wind than we expected. Although walks on the beach were limited, it was still a fascinating time to be on the ocean's edge.

The Stephanie Inn is located very close to Haystack Rock.  Haystack is a 235 ft-tall (72 m) sea stack. It is the third-tallest such intertidal structure in the world. A popular tourist destination on the Oregon Coast, the monolithic rock is adjacent to the beach and accessible by foot at low tide. The Haystack Rock tide pools are home to many intertidal animals, including starfish, sea anemone, crabs, chitons, limpets, and sea slugs. The rock is also a nesting site for many sea birds, including terns and puffins.

My walks on the beach leave me with so many questions and concerns about how our human activities are affecting our environment. The image below illustrates my concerns. Every wave brings a new deposit of flotsam and jetsam to the beach. 

Flotsam and jetsam are terms that describe two types of marine debris associated with vessels. Flotsam is defined as debris in the water that was not deliberately thrown overboard, often as a result from a shipwreck or accident. Jetsam describes debris that was deliberately thrown overboard by a crew of a ship in distress, most often to lighten the ship's load. The word flotsam derives from the French word flotter, to float. Jetsam is a shortened word for jettison.

In the image above, notice all the little bits of plastic. On one walk, I collected a handful of these bits of debris, brought them inside, cleaned them up, and staged them for the picture below. I've often heard that beach walkers like to keep an eye out for a bottle with a message in it. At first, I was amused to find the mini liquor bottle, even though, no message was inside. In truth, it's a sad comment on human behavior. Amongst all the bits on the sand there are also some from nature like the tiny plant parts and driftwood.

My favorite visitor was the gull below. Is it a HE or a SHE? 😊 When you try to look it up, you'll find this:  It can be difficult to tell the difference between male and female seagulls. In most species, they have similar physical characteristics and plumage. Keep reading and you'll find details that lead me to believe it is a SHE. If you think otherwise, please let me know why you think so!

See more critters at Saturday's Critters.

How about some roasted marshmallows while watching the waves roll in? Yes, the Inn provides a couple of sticks and marshmallows.

Closing thought ...