Mile 232 Report

May 31, 2014
by ORState_TCS

Location:
Lincoln
Boiler Bay Wayside, Picnic Area, Government Point
Conditions:
Saturday 9:00 AM
Sunny
54° F
Wind:
Calm/Light from the SW
Tide Level:
1.8 ft
Humans / Pets:
People:
6
Activities:
Tidepooling:
8
Concerns:
Disturbances:
Vehicles:
Cars/Trucks parking:
3
Activity Comments:
Fawn Custer spoke with many avid tidepoolers about their findings. Some also engaged in spotting sea star wasting syndrome.
Notable Wildlife:
Dead Birds:
Stranded:
Fish & Invertebrates:
One dead lingcod. 13 sea stars exhibiting what appear to be symptoms of wasting.
Driftline:
Wood pieces
New Development:
Modifications:
Natural Changes:
Comments:
Summary:
We were six students from Oregon State University who volunteered as part of the newly founded chapter of The Coastal Society to monitor miles 232 and 233. We spent the better part of two hours following Fawn Custer's lead around Boiler Bay. We saw several interesting wildlife specimens including large gumboot chitons. We saw no major debris at Mile 233 except for some large wooden posts that were of Japanese design. There were however several (up to 13) purple sea stars that were exhibiting symptoms of sea star wasting syndrome; an unfortunate find considering it hadn't been quite as prolific on the Oregon coast until recently. We monitored Mile 232 briefly from the parking lot overlooking Boiler Bay. There were several sea lions swimming in the water and little else to report. It was a wonderful experience for everyone, and an eye-opening one for a few. We will certainly be back this summer to see how things progress.
  • Some of the Oregon State University Coastal Society
    Some of the Oregon State University Coastal Society
    Boiler Bay Mile 232
    May 31, 2014
Other Mile 232 Reports (10)

2021

April 1, 2021 - kbayans
Windy and sunny day. 2-3 boats (fishing and whale watching?). People milling about -- walking and watching the waves. I assume those that had cameras and binoculars were there, like me, looking for...
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  • Brown-green grassy knoll in fore and middle ground, dotted with mole-type hills of dirt with the ocean in the background.
  • Brown rocks in foreground, with rocky and dirt embankment in the middle ground, topped with a tree whose roots are exposed. A fence separates the tree and a road. A white sedan-type car is parked on the road.
  • Paper wrapper and paper mask discarded on the ground and underneath a wooden and metal fence.
  • Human-made erosion path worn into dirt and grass. The path moves from foreground to background and follows a fence line.
February 3, 2021 - kbayans
2 people fishing beyond the barrier and 1 person feeding the seagulls bread. The grassy area in front of the barrier (full length) showing severe signs of erosion from natural causes and from people...
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2016

April 16, 2016 - GWshark
Nothing significant on this stretch. Most people were sitting in their vehicles. About 10 fishing vessels just off shore here.
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  • Group of Fishing Boats off the point.
January 9, 2016 - GWshark
Fairly nice day with rain showers. Nice to see waterfalls again.
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2015

October 27, 2015 - GWshark
Appeared to be normal human activity for this mile. The King Tide did not appear to have much impact. I was there the day before and with the storm push at high tide there were more crashing waves...
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July 15, 2015 - GWshark
Went out and picked up a full bag of trash off bluffs. Originally thought it to be from fishermen, but now believe it comes from people using picnic tables.
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  • A full bag of trash collected off the bluffs.
July 11, 2015 - GWshark
Other than some fisherman debris and evidence of some fireworks the Boiler Bay bluffs are in good shape. Looks like good feeding area for whales. Bald eagle pair have a nest in trees across highway...
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  • Looks like someone was using fireworks at some time.
  • While standing at the firework debris looking toward the point.
  • Whales feeding actively.

2014

July 26, 2014 - ORState_TCS
Our group of 11 volunteers with the Oregon State chapter of The Coastal Society arrived at Boiler Bay at 6:00pm to catch the outgoing tide. The water was high but we were still able to traverse the...
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  • Not certain if this is a definite sign of wasting, but those white, soft, and possibly weepy spots appeared to be lesions. Moreover these stars (at least 3 of the 6) were easily removed from rock.
  • This one was clearly wasting, and one of its limbs was in the process of disconnecting itself. This is the dead sea star I mentioned earlier.

2009

May 16, 2009 - Diane H
A very calm sea, which was surprising for the moderate wind. The snorkeling would have been great. Great wildlife in the refuge area in the southern part.
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2008

December 30, 2008 - Diane H
This was a first report on observation of this mile. Noting wildlife in seaweed and sea lions; noting for this first report the extent of hotels along the shoreline and the general rocky character...
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