Mile 218 Report
February 2, 2007
by Liz O.
Other Mile 218 Reports (38)
2019
June 22, 2019 - dderickson
I first attempted this survey on June 17. Although the weather app said the wind was at 21mph, I'm guessing it was closer to 30 so I gave up. Too hard to walk into wind, sand whipping my face,...
March 16, 2019 - dderickson
The beach is flat, i.e., no dunes except for small ones around the grass tussocks. The creek is spread out and shallow in most places. A man was walking along the creek with a clam gun but no clams. ...
2018
December 6, 2018 - dderickson
Very few people on the beach; most of them arrived just prior to sunset (which was beautiful). The beach was clear, clean, very little wrack, and the dunes have largely flattened out. Not a...
November 12, 2018 - Peacecoaster
Beautiful clear afternoon with no problems noticed.
September 11, 2018 - dderickson
Most of the people were at the north end of the beach. The creek sported "Brass buttons" (Cotula coronopifolia). Several turkey vultures were feasting on an unidentifiable bird carcass, and what...
June 21, 2018 - dderickson
A lot of people on the beach this evening -- hard to keep count! Along the tide line were large numbers of small dead mole crabs, and one pyrosome (that I saw), plus scattered beached/bleached...
April 29, 2018 - dderickson
Better late than never -- I missed reporting in March! Chilly, windy gray day... A lot of scotch broom in bloom on the vegetated foredune immediately east of the creek. There was a Bald eagle picking...
2017
December 5, 2017 - dderickson
What a beautiful, mild, sunny December afternoon! The dunes are flattening out, and piles of bull kelp dot the beach. I was surprised not to see any pyrosomes, which have been making the news lately...
September 28, 2017 - dderickson
Beach was really clean: I saw almost no trash or plastic. The Great blue heron, and Great egret were present along the creek. Dunes are still high; more grass tussocks in the dunes just west of the...
June 20, 2017 - dderickson
Very windy day, with some strong gusts -- I watched a crow get blown backward as it tried to take off. I got sand in my eye (in spite of sunglasses over vision glasses) so I didn't venture too much...
March 16, 2017 - dderickson
The beach is mostly flat now, except for mild dunation around the clumps of beach grass. Very little drift wood in high zone, compared to the usual; what's there is mostly on the north end. There is...
March 1, 2017 - Volunteer Trainer
These organisms have not, until now, seen this far north. Good to keep watch at the end of the month this year, 2018
2016
December 28, 2016 - dderickson
It was a very nice day, mild temperature, no apparent wind; a lot of people were enjoying the beach. The summer dunes have flattened out quite a bit, but it's still not as flat as I've seen it in the...
2015
July 20, 2015 - jeanellen65
It was a beautiful, sunny evening with some strong gusts from the north. I walked big creek north along the ocean side to where it flows in front of Yaquina head, then back along the beach. There...
March 6, 2015 - daveincamas
Dead sea lion carcass just south of Agate Beach Wayside. N 44.6540600 W 124.0609667
2012
November 3, 2012 - Beachbum
Following an abnormally busy summer on Mile 218 with hundreds of thousands of tourists flocking to see the Japanese tsunami dock, autumn finds the beach returning to normal. This season’s first large...
August 10, 2012 - Beachbum
As a follow-up to the earlier reports on the stranded Japanese tsunami dock and its subsequent demolition and removal, Mile 218's Agate Beach is now back to normal. As seen in the attached photo, the...
August 1, 2012 - Beachbum
After two months of unprecedented activity and public pressure on Mile 218, Agate Beach is expected to return to some semblance of normalcy by early next week. Ever since the arrival of the large...
June 13, 2012 - Beachbum
It’s the last thing you’d expect, having your adopted mile, in this case 218, suddenly become the main attraction on the Oregon coast. Equally shocking for someone who routinely collects fishing...
2011
October 30, 2011 - malachite
As I was leaving the beach at the Agate Beach wayside access, I saw 5-7 wood pallets stacked at the top of one of the paths down to the beach from the small/west side parking lot at Agate Beach...
September 22, 2011 - Beachbum
What a difference a day or two makes. In the past 48 hours, the season's first big surf has come rolling up into the summer dune field. The most seaward 'row' of dunes has been overtopped and...
May 19, 2011 - Beachbum
The most striking development here is at the junction of Miles 218-219 where Big Creek now runs up against Yaquina Head, especially at low tide. Oldtimers say this is unusual for the 'mouth' or '...
March 11, 2011 - malachite
There was a tsunami watch/warning earlier today. I believe the expected landfall of the first wave was some time around 7 am. I was unable to get to a location overlooking the ocean this morning,...
March 4, 2011 - Beachbum
Dead California sea lion on the sand at high tide line, about 700 metres north of Agate Beach Wayside. The animal appears to have died fairly recently; completely intact except for exposed soft...
February 22, 2011 - Beachbum
Unusual dead banded bird find this morning:Species: Adult Black-legged Kittiwake.Date of discovery:22 February 2011, 0930hrs.Condition and Location:Deceased at high tide line on beach due west of...
January 26, 2011 - Beachbum
A gorgeous morning on the beach as I walked my usual route from the Agate Beach Wayside to Yaquina Head. From near the surf, about halfway between the wayside and where Big Creek enters the sea, I...
2010
November 4, 2010 - Beachbum
It appears another California sea lion has succumbed to leptospirosis. Officials retrieved the carcass of this dead animal this morning from the high tide line directly west of Agate Beach Wayside....
October 25, 2010 - Beachbum
I found two dead ocean sunfish following this week's high surf -- one was located between Agate Beach and Yaquina Head, just north of the mouth/delta of Big Creek where it empties into the ocean. The...
June 13, 2010 - Peacecoaster
Winds past 40 mph, blowing sand on beach, so people did not tarry on the beach.
March 15, 2010 - malachite
Froth of surf colored yellowish brown by some kind of sediment (or something), also observed what looked like some kind of plant life floating in water not that far off shore. Have attached photo....
2009
June 16, 2009 - Liz O.
Paradise. One of those beautiful warm sunny no wind days.
June 6, 2009 - Liz O.
Near the path at the north section of Agate Beach there is a patch of yellow flag iris at the margin of the vegetation line and the beginning of the sand. Along side the path is evident erosion due...
June 6, 2009 - malachite
I walked north from Agate Beach Wayside (towards Lucky Gap access/Yaquina Head). When I was approximately level with (or across the width of the beach from) the Little Creek Cove condo development...
2008
August 17, 2008 - Liz O.
Quite a heavy marine layer and fog rolling in along with lightning and thunder rumblings. The air was so charged that our hair was full of static and scalp was buzzing. Probably was a sign we should...
March 2, 2008 - Liz O.
North end of Agate Beach at least 3 new homes being built. Appears that more and more lights showing up oon the bluffs at the beginning of the headland.The Visitor Center lights on the headland are...
2007
September 2, 2007 - Liz O.
Seems to be more whale activity this summer season in the Agate Beach area. Also sighting many more flocks of pelicans.
July 19, 2007 - malachite
A multitude of dead birds and 1 dead small seal. The online form does not accept the listing of more than one mile--my observations cover most of miles 217-218 and the report is probably a one time...
June 11, 2007 - Liz O.
Agate Beach dunes are in formation phase again. Perhaps a little slower this season than the prior two years. Razor clamming activity quite active the last 60 days in the early morning. Just...