Moolack Beach at Newport

A Steve Power's photo

Summer vacation time has arrived in Newport as seen in this picturesque  photo of Moolack Beach.

Florida Beachcomber finds 8¼ pound Agate!

Sorry I haven't had a moment to keep you updated, I have been so busy here in the showroom, lots of folks in this summer. The photo "Still Rock'n The Coast at Newport" below remained gravely until sometime the last week of September.

Beachcomber, Cliff of Florida found this large sugar agate a couple of weeks ago while vacationing here on the Oregon Coast. weighing in at a healthy 8¼ pounds and is 8½" long.
 Added: November 1, Here is the new photo showing the before it was  polished and now completed.
We are also working on two more pocket guides that I'm sure you are going to enjoy just as much. Be watching for our announcement early next year.

False Brain Coral

Thank you to beachcomber Sue of Lincoln County for submitting these nice sizable specimens for this entry. Sometimes known as False Brain Coral, this is home to a colony of worms known as Dedecaceria fewkesi, or a.k.a. Pacific Fission Worm Rock.

The close up shows the grains of sand wedged into the holes, kinda looks like tiny agates in there.

Video of Agate Hunting in Newport

Oregon Carnelian Agate at it's very Best!

Frank just found this beauty yesterday here on Oregon's Central Coast. It does not get any better than this. This beauty Pigeon blood RED agate measured 3'' long and weighed in at over 1/4 pound of the purest red you have ever seen.

He also had these other trophy pieces as well but this carnelian is beeeautiful!

I was invited out for a tour with a small group of folks yesterday morning for their TV film shoot of agate hunting at Newport. We were treated to an hour and 1/2 on the beach before the rain started. A good time was had by all finding a multitude of fossils, jasper, a piece of bloodstone, sea glass and agate. This 2 minute shot will appear the first week of February on FOX 12 Oregon Beach Vacations, February segment.

Storm Season brings with it warnings to be followed...

We are expecting not one but two storms, Thursday - Saturday in combination with extremely high tides, and a second blue moon for the month of December. What more could we have to deal with for a new year? While storm watching, or beachcombing, please take care as to not jeopardize your life or the Coast Guard rescue teams by playing on the logs or get yourself caught in the surf by the tides. Please be aware this coastline can be very dangerous under normal circumstances but will be doubly dangerous this week.

If you choose to explore, do it as a team, never by your self. Always watching for sneaker waves, they never follow a pattern and can wipe you off your feet in seconds. Yes there will be treasures from the sea to be found but consider doing this after the sea calms down Sunday or so for the sake of your own safety.

Please be very careful and enjoy a safe and happy New Year.

Storms have started!

Have you read the latest Rock & Gem (October issue) magazine yet? They have a wonderful article on the Origin of Agate, written by Steve Voynick a mineral collector and former hardrock miner. For all of you that want to know more on the formation of agate this is an article you won't want to miss.

Here on the Oregon coast the rockhounds are all anxiously awaiting the scouring of the beaches for the agates and the fossils to reappear for all of our beachcombers to experience treasure hunting during the discovery season now through May.

Oregon Coast Minus Tides Reward Agate Hunters

This multi-color agate beauty of over 1 pound was found today during the morning minus tides here in the Newport area by beachcomber and agate collector, Don of Snohomish WA. Don found others as well but this is really one to write home about. He left here waiting for the tide to go out again this after noon.

Nice find Don, keep up the good work.

With temperatures predicted to be 90+ to 100 degrees over the weekend in the I-5 corridor, we are seeing a rush of folks here to beat the heat on the coastline, where it will be measurably cooler than the inland part of the state.

Just a walk on the beach!

Last night I made a delivery of the pocket guides AGATES of the Oregon Coast about 8:00 and noticed how beautiful the weather was. I grabbed my gem scoop from the car and off we went venturing out onto the beach.

This was the first trip to the beach for our new rescued pup exploring the rocks and combing the beach. Quiet and peaceful, the tide was going out so it was safe for the pup to explore the shoreline too. The beach was mostly deserted with no other people to speak of. A guy eventually parked his rig for a run on the beach. I discovered a new gravel bed that the surf had just revealed, and proceeded to fill my pockets with beautiful colorful jaspers, small agates and a few pieces of sea glass within about 20 minutes. We found some beauties, several nice agates. We left the beach with the sun still on the horizon and were home before dusk!

Life on the Oregon coast is spectacular at all times of the year for the beachcomber. May not all ways find a trophy agate but they are there just not always in volumes.

I will get a photo of my finds up as time permits. Enjoy your summer!!

Minus tides beckon tidepoolers again this week...

Sorry we haven't had a chance to get back to the blog, pretty busy these days. Wish we could be out there on the beach with you to enjoy the great tide pooling during these minus tides and beachcombing that so many of our guest are experiencing here on Oregon's central coast!

I come across this site earlier and wanted to share these excelent photos of tide pools to get a close up and personal look of what you may experience here during these minus tides. Yes folks are finding a few small agates too but keep in mind this is NOT agate hunting season.

The Oregon Coast Exposed

As reported by Joe Rojas Burke in today's Oregonian: "Super-low tides at the Oregon coast will again provide ideal conditions to view a range of sea life not usually exposed to human visitors to the tidal zone. On Tuesday and Wednesday mornings, the tides will drop as low as minus 3 feet, which is about as low as the tide will get on the oregon coast. Extream minus tides reveal sea scapes and marine life that's hidden under pounding surf most of the year."

Editors Note: This photo originally appeared in the Wednesday May 27, 2009 issue of The Oregonian.

Wow what a week on Oregon's Central Coast!

Summer is definitely on it's way the weather has been beautiful. Sunny with a cool breeze for flying kites, great minus tides for the beachcombing of coastal treasures and tide pooling, what more could we ask for? In twenty plus years we have never seen this kind of a response for a Memorial Day Weekend. It is really impressive, looks more like the beaches of southern California with people frolicking on the coastline of Oregon. Some people were surfing while others were wading along the surf line some even swimming, seems a little cool for a dip in the ocean to us.

Be careful on those roads out there and we hope you ALL have a safe Memorial Day!

Beautiful Green Agate Found!

Congratulations to Donni M. of St. Marie's, Idaho who found this large cobble south of Newport a while back. Green agate is rarely ever found on the coast. This beauty weighed in at just under one pound!

Agatized Fossil Snail Shell with Water bubble!

Sue B. of Newport found this 2" wonderful agatized enhydro sea snail fossil specimen earlier this summer while beachcombing on the Oregon coast. This fossil would be about 15-20 million years old.

Photo has been enlarged to show the bubble encased within the agate.

Agate Hunting at Roads End in Lincoln City, Oregon

Enjoy 4 minutes of beachcombing at the surf line and around the cove during the low tide for agates on the beach at roads end with Jafravh. Her bonus footage will also include close up views of the tide pools, home to a variety of colorful sea stars and sea anemones which are groups of water dwelling, animals of the intertidal area plus a spectacular close-up of our national symbol the Bald Eagle perched on a rock out crop at the Oregon Coast!

FOSSILIZED CRAB FOUND LOCALLY

Lucky beachcomber Frank of Toledo just picked up what appeared to be just another piece of jasper and found this complete fossilized crab on the backside of the cobble while kicking around at the beach. Nice find Frank!

Nice Pyritized Fossil Sea Shells Found at Newport!

These fossil shells with secondary pyrite crystals were two specimens that lucky resident Lisa found just north of Newport. The marine fossil mollusks of this area are generally about 15-20 million years old.

Editors note: Photo is about double the size of the actual specimen.

BEAUTIFUL CARNELIAN AGATE!

This beauty was found by lucky beachcomber Barbara G. in April. It weighs ½ pound and is shown here in it's polished splendor illuminated by a light from below to highlight it's beauty from within.

Jasp-Agate found at Newport

This large cobble of Jasp-Agate was found June 17th, weighing in at 4.65 pounds and measured 5" x 7" was found by Judy K of Victoria B.C. Nice find Judy!

Carnelian Fortification Agate

It is late in the season, but yes treasure is still being found daily such as this beautiful large cobble of carnelian fortification agate which was found earlier this month in the Newport, Oregon area by lucky beachcomber Amie B. NOTE: Photo was taken while the specimen was still wet to better show the details.