Mile 178 - Cape Cove, Sea Lion Point, Sea Lion Caves - March 29, 2008

Report Details

Well it was Beach Clean-up day, so my daughter and I hit the beach with four trash bags in hand. We filled them all, quickly. It was the usual stuff: plastic bottles,styrofoam,fishing float fragments,footwear, etc. The only thing I salvaged was about twenty fathoms of crabbing rope. Kudos to all you others out there who participated in this event in less-than-ideal weather. Also, a big thank you to all of the businesses and organizations that sponsored it. In my zone, I would like to thank Fred Meyer for furnishing the refreshments.The "Whale Watching Spoken Here" event was held the same day and same hours as the beach clean-up. One of the sites is on the bluff right above my beach. I asked and was told there were some sightings of whales that morning, but they were scarce. It turned out that many binoculars were focused on a couple of people (us) picking up litter on the beach a few hundred feet below. I am sorry we were probably not quite as entertaining to watch as whales are.

Conditions

Temperature: 50 F. Cloud Cover: Rain. Wind Velocity: Calm/Light. Wind Direction: S. Tide Level: 3.0 feet.

Human Activities

Number of people: 2. Other Activities: two of us engaged in litter removal.

Concerns

Litter

Notable Wildlife

The usual congregation of sea lions off-shore. The "Whale watching spoken here" event was being held from the bluff above me, and a couple sightings of grey whales in as many hours were reported far off-shore.

Beached Birds

Total dead birds: 2.

Driftline Content

Seaweeds and seagrass, Animal casings (e.g., crab, shrimp molt), Animal casings (e.g., crab, shrimp molt), Ocean-based debris (from fishing boats, ship trash, etc.), Marine debris (plastic, styrofoam, etc. washing in from the sea), Small rocks, Styrofoam, Wood pieces. The driftline contained four less trash bags of litter when I left

New Development

Drainage pipes.

Natural Changes

Erosion of vegetated foredune, Major cracks appearing in bluffs, Newly exposed roots/trees falling, Visible retreat of solid bluff, Landslides/major boulder falls.

Actions & Comments

I have been paying special attention to the storm water drain culvert installed after the major landslide of 2000. It has been gradually getting undercut by erosion over the years and is getting quite a cantilever to it. If it continues for too long, I'm concerned it might kink under all the leverage and weight. I am going to start getting some documentation and notify ODOT if I see fit.