Report Details

Chilly summer day at the beach. Very busy for a Tuesday, but that's the summer for you. The majority of cars were from Oregon and British Columbia. A lot of surfers, and even one kayaker, despite the cold. Some large cracks in the soil/dunes were seen (as photographed), and erosion continues to be a problem. Again, my biggest concern is just if people are building and managing fires responsibly.

Conditions

Temperature: 65 F. Cloud Cover: Foggy. Wind Velocity: Moderate.

Human Activities

Number of people: 132. Number of dogs: 7. Walking or running: 17. Playing in surf: 9. Playing in sand: 7. Sitting: 80. Photography: 2. Surfing: 16. Kayaking: 1. Mostly, people just enjoying sitting by the beach on a chilly summer day. As always, the more people, the more litter seen. My biggest concern were 3 recent fires where they were burning large driftwood very near vegetation; the strong stench of human urine was also smelled near these fires.

Concerns

Fire, Litter

Apparent violations: 3 fires with large burnt driftwood very near vegetation line.

Disturbances: Shorebirds moving in response to humans/dogs

Vehicles

Cars/trucks parking: 90.

Driftline Content

Seaweeds and seagrass, Animal casings (e.g., crab, shrimp molt), Land-based debris (picnics, etc.), Ocean-based debris (from fishing boats, ship trash, etc.), Marine debris (plastic, styrofoam, etc. washing in from the sea), Shells, Small rocks, Styrofoam, Wood pieces.

Natural Changes

Major cracks appearing in bluffs, Newly exposed roots/trees falling, Visible retreat of solid bluff.

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All Mile 317 Reports

Showing 8 of 14 reports

Mile 317

October 30, 2023

Collected 4 Ikea bags of debris from beach just north of Indian Beach, mostly fishing gear, single use plastics, and golf balls.

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Mile 317

July 4, 2022

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Mile 317

July 3, 2022

Black Oystercatchers are currently raising three chicks on Submarine Rock and birds' behavior was noted to change due to tidepoolers.

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Mile 317

June 22, 2022

A drone hovered very close to the Black Oystercatcher nesting site on Submarine Rock for nearly 15 minutes (definitely affecting the behavior of both parents and chicks) and nearly hit a juvenile Bald Eagle;The Steller pup was in a high traffic area and even with relocation of the sign from the Seaside Aquarium, people either couldn't see him, or still wanted to get close to take photos.

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Mile 317

June 20, 2022

An endangered Stellar sea lion pup has been continually harassed by visitors and dogs for several days, and the same behavior continued today.

tabeag

Mile 317

June 19, 2022

I'm wondering if better protection can be put in place for endangered seal and sea lion pups.

SeagerG

Mile 317

June 18, 2022

The majority of the people seemed genuinely concerned with the health of the sea lion but weren't sure what to do and weren't aware pups are left on beaches by their mothers.

SeagerG

decorative elemnt for a coastwatch report.

Mile 317

May 5, 2022

Minimal activity because of the rain.

tabeag