Busy Season here on the Oregon Coast...

The storms have been numerous, delighting our seasoned beachcombers, tourists and novice agate hunters alike. The weather and the waves have caused a variety of changes on the beaches, as well as all sorts of stuff washing up or being exposed. This is a time of discovery with the uncovering oddities and good reports of treasures being found on the local beaches, one couple had even found an old glass fishing float with some fish net still attached. Our guest are really enjoying the hunt looking for agates and jaspers.

Sorry I haven't had a chance to keep up lately, work has been wild. This is the first photo I have been able to take in weeks. I haven't had time to take any photos of recent treasures that have been found. Plus on top of everything else, our updates are in the work for the new revised copy of the pocket guide Agates of the Oregon Coast that will be out next year. Hard to believe it is time for a reprint already. We thought the first printing would have lasted for two years or so.

The agate hunt is on!

Just in "It was FABULOUS this weekend. I made it to the beach Saturday afternoon low tide and the sand was negligible. There were actually big rocks, not just pea gravel, and it was a great day. Lots of petrified wood, bigger agates than usual, plenty of red jasper, and a fair amount of green jasper, too. Plus assorted oddball stuff." Garret - Author of Gem trails of Oregon

Attatched photo is of Jim & Kathy's beachcoming efforts from November 11. Nice sized agates with a banded one in the upper left corner, the smallest one is an agatized clam bellie.

Nice Agatized Fossil Shells Found!

Susan of Florence did it again two weeks ago beachcombing on the Oregon coast. The discovery season uncovered a very bright and colorful, patterned, sard colored agatized bivalve (clam) bellie, the size of a quarter.

Her good eyes also brought Susan another incredible find...this beautiful icy clear agatized gastropod (sea snail). To see this piece in person the close-up details on this piece are incredible. When held to a bright light, it appears to be a light lavender color, with what appears to be finely cut crystal detailing within in the agate. Usually these snails appear to be white smooth cloudy agate. 2 more great finds Susan!

Not a Turtle Fossil found on the Oregon Coast

Updated from: Lori Tobias of The Oregonian Latest info on this is that it is NOT a turtle after all as it was thought to be in the story below!

William Orr, state paleontologist; Bill Hanshumaker, marine education specialist at the Hatfield Marine Science Center; and Guy DiTorrice, an avocational paleontologist, visited the site Tuesday the 15th together at low tide. They wanted to more closely study what local beach walker Carol Ritzert reported finding about a month ago. Ritzert had watched erosion reveal the rounded formation for about one year.

Scientists think this fossilized tortoise found along the beach in Lincoln County may be 20 million years old. The domed back of the stone, which measures roughly 30 inches long by 24 inches wide, suggests it was a land turtle.

"Oregon's Fossil Guy" Guy DiTorrice says the last time a discovery of this significance was made was in the 1970s, when Guy Pierson, also an avocational paleontologist, found a seal or sea lion of similar age near Newport. Parts of that fossil are at the University of Oregon museum and the Smithsonian.

"This is big," says Bill Hanshumaker, marine education specialist at the Hatfield Marine Science Center. "I've never seen anything like it before."

Time is of the essence to preserve this fossil in order to save it before it is lost by nature and erosion or destroyed by humans, DiTorrice and Hanshumaker hope to see it displayed at the Hatfield Marine Science Center at Newport.

Editors Note: by Lori Tobias, The Oregonian Saturday September 05, 8:05 PM and Tuesday September 15, 2009, 8:35 PM.

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!

Fossil shark's tooth found at the beach in Newport, Oregon!

This fossilized shark's tooth was recently found on the beach by lucky Lincoln county guest, Sue P. in north Newport. This is the largest sharks tooth that we have personally seen from this area (large ones like this are generally found on the east coast). The tooth in it's entirity must have been at least 4" overall in total size.

An uncommon Jasp-agate found beachcombing at Newport!

Spectacular winter storms this year have been responsible for a variety of changes to the Oregon coastline. Since the storm removal of tons of sand this has uncoverd and exposed more rocks, agates, fossils, and glass fishing floats than many of our previous winters. Guest Dale M. recently found this spectacular specimen of Jasp-Agate which has the look of a breaciated jasper (considering all of the fragmented jasper pieces randomly spread throughout) on the beach just north of Newport, at the Oregon Coast. (This specimen was photographed wet).

April was a very busy month here at the beach!

This winter the storms scoured the beaches down so far that ancient forest tree trunks and shipwrecks that had been buried for 200+ years or so were exposed. This brought so many visitors to the coast, that on some days there were as many as 150 people at a time on the local beaches.

Photo above shows a small but unique 2" piece of petrified wood limb cast with small worm holes, as found in by Newport resident Larry Thompson. This was just one of the many beautiful pieces that we had seen from the many people beachcoming in April.

Moss Agate recently found!

Handsome five pound, 6 inch Jasp-Agate, with veining of green moss found, at the beach in south Lincoln Co., Oregon. Exterior of gold jasper showing veins of agate, cut open displaying moss agate interior.

Trophy Sized Petrified Wood Found!

Beachcomber Thiago G. of Lincoln City, proudly holding the large 15 pound Myrtle Wood boulder he reciently found on the beach, in Lincoln County, Oregon.

More beautiful Oregon Agate found!

Kevin's February 2008 Agate find!

Agate found by Joe Cheek, just fresh out of the tumbler. Only polished enough to retain the exhisting patterns as it was found!

It's agate season on the beaches of Newport, Oregon!

It is truly agate season here on the central coast of Oregon. The tides have yielded some of the nicest trophies of beautiful agates to be seen here in years. Here is another trophy for a proud local beachcomber Joe Cheek with his 4.35 pound agate that he found in January at South Beach, of Newport, Oregon.

Exotic Agate found by beachcomber Ray Morrow

Exciting find of a 2.2 pound agate found just north of Newport , Oregon August 2007. I identified it as an agate but thought it would be a carnelian agate, due to the exterior color.

Ray took it home and it was the first rock that he ever sliced, just removing the heal he exposed the most unsual agate found in the area. It was not carnelian (red-orange) but BLUE as like blue lace agate but with spectacular ribbons of pyrite dendrites running through it!

He brought it in to the showroom and we polished the exposed face of it to bring out it's true beauty.

Agates of the Oregon Coast

Useful information on Agates of the Oregon Coast...

Today's hot news about Oregon Agates...Since earlier this month after many numerous storms have scoured the sand off the central Oregon coastline just in time for the beachcombers and rock hounds to find some really GORGEOUS agates. Just today agates of every color: white ones, yellow ones and ones that are black with colorful designs. You too can find patterned agates and jaspers as you go beach combing today just "look around" for the exposed gravel beds!

You might want to obtain a copy of the beachcombers bible "Agates of the Oregon Coast" available at the local rock shops or book stores. Do remember to get a copy of the local tide book for where you will be hunting, never turning your back on the ocean.