Lucky Beachcomber finds Enhydro agatized Snail...

Cheri a lucky local resident found this 1+" agatized snail with a water bubble a.k.a. as an enhydro agate along with her other treasures that you see her while beach combing here on the Central Oregon Coast.

February Beachcombing at Newport

Another day of trophies found by the father and son team Frank and Jeremiah sharing quality time on the beach together at Newport. The first two specimens to the left are agates, the pink/orange one is very unusual with a pattern we haven't seen before. The one next to it appears to be a blue-black fortification (band can be seen within in the sky-blue sunk in area) agate.

The two Sagenite agates are just beautiful specimens, the yellow sard is very compact and will make a beautiful piece of jewelry. The black one is rather coarse with the needles of sagenite right up at the surface (kinda looks like a face with the hair going straight up). It definitely has personality.

The enhydro agate is actually a cloud agate that also happens to have a water bubble trapped in it. The black cloud is a dark cloud like inclusion that just happens to look like a claw (no it is NOT a CLAW) just happens to be shaped like one.

2" Agate Geode Found on the Beach.

2 weeks ago, agate collectors Wes and Shanna of Seal Rock found this spectacular agate geode while beach combing on the Oregon coast. It appears that it might have been an enhydro agate with a thin shell of agate that broke against the extreme force of the Pacific Ocean and our extremely rough and rocky coastline. The crystalline structure is very unusual as the white crystals (possibly calcite or zeolites) are flat and round much like the flat fungus or mushrooms that grow on trees in the forest. As you see by the illuminated shot the quartz crystals are very clear.

Today a hazardous weather advisory has been issued: Expect high winds and periods of heavy rain over the next week as a series of storms will rotate into the central Oregon coast. Please be very careful out there on the beach, it would be advisable to watch the storm from a high vantage point, a look out or from the safety and warmth of your hotel room over looking the coast line!

Things are NOT always what they appear to be...

Our extreamly unseasonable warm January weather here on the Oregon coast has brought out the beachcombers from every where to go hunting for agates. Local resident Frank was out collecting last Friday and found this black beauty! Just looking at it in normal light you can't see the water bubble within the agate until you back light it with a strong beam of light and the black disappears to expose the trophy of the day.

Beachcombers' Alert on the Oregon Coast...

Well the beaches have finally been scrubbed clean of tons of sand to expose the gravel bars. This is what the beaches looked like Sunday (both north & south of Newport). Temperatures were amazing in the 50's and not a breeze! Don't bother to call and ask someone if the agates are showing as this condition may only last 6 hours or 6 days at a time. This is Mother Nature's way of providing for the future beach combers.

Yesterday folks came in with lots of nice agates to get their tumblers started! Congratulations to the gentleman that found a nice sized partial agatized "enhydo" (water bubble within it) clam belly. In the near future I have some interesting photos to get up from our agate collecting guest.

Later: In the Newport area I just returned from a 10 minute break from my deliveries wearing a T shirt (no need for a coat) in JANUARY and that was too warm. Temperature was 65 degrees, sunny without a breeze (better than summer at the coast) and I found a sandwich bag full of lovely agates and jaspers for our little friends. They were every where! Folks collecting there were visiting from Nevada, Washington and California as well as Oregonians. The weather is suppose to be nice throughout the holiday weekend!

Below is a great story to check out!

Central Oregon Coast Beaches Rich with Agates, Oddities:

"Keep looking down while at the beach. There's lots to see this year.

Agates abound on the central Oregon coast right now, and some of the ghost forests are starting to peek out of the sand, along with some extremely ancient bedrock." By Andre' Hagestedt, Oregon Coast Beach Connection and photo.

Congratulations to Jeff Smith of Ashland!

Congratulations to Jeff Smith and his friend on their exceptional find of the largest complete agate enhydro Clam Bellie, we have ever seen! They were in at closing September 13th and we had the camera put away, hope they will stop in again and let us take a photo to show everyone this exceptional find.

Sorry we have been so busy this summer that we haven't had a chance to get the photos up that we have taken of other treasures. Hope to find some moments to get back to the photos. Happy hunting everyone.

Enhydro agate limb cast found at Newport

Congratulations to lucky Amy P. of Newport who just recently found these nice limb casts of agate, the clear one actually aprox. 2 inches long is an enhydro agate (water of 15 - 20 million years old within) with a large air bubble moving freely as in a carpenter's level.