The minus tides have been quite helpful...

The minus tides have been quite helpful to our guest and Michael of Portland just found this fossilized Radius/Ulna in a tide pool of a large creature possibly an extinct large mammal the Desmostlus something like a marine hippopotamus or sea cow.

Here is a size able fancy agate another one of our guest found this week.   Two really nice finds for our guest beachcombing on the Central Oregon Coast.

Beautiful fortification agate found at Newport

Roger and his wife were the lucky beachcombers from Dallas, OR that found this beeeauty Thursday while beachcombing on the Oregon coast just south of Newport. This is a very nice fancy agate: the top view shows the side cavity of fortification pattern (continuous locked banding like in a fort).

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.

Prospecting & Tidepool Discovery...

Thank you Larry for sharing your copy and making us aware that there is a new issue of Gold Prospectors The Magazine for Gold, Gem & Treasure Hunters, featuring a good article Newport's local Moolack Beach fossils by Garth Rimble. Another feature article is on the the Oregon State Gemstone Oregon Sunstone by Carrie Milanoski. Great reading for our rock hound friends and beachcombers alike!

Now regarding local info: last week we had folks coming in with agates that they had found. A couple of ladies had found some black agates (first one over a quarter of a pound and her second one was over one pound). Another gentleman also reported having had good luck that day also. More often than not the norm has been sparse collecting for very very small pea sized agate and some small jaspers!

Cape Perpetua Scenic Area ~ Events: We are having some very early minus tides so Tidepool Discovery Day - will be Saturday, August 22 from 7 a.m. until 9 a.m. Naturalists will be stationed at the tide pools from 7 to 9 a.m. to share the wonders of the tidepools and the life forms that inhabit them.

Films and hikes highlighting the entire Scenic Area will also be available at the Visitor Center Theater from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m.