Mile 179 - Heceta Head Lighthouse, Devils Elbow SP, Cape Creek - August 3, 2008

Report Details

It was a beautiful calm morning with only one car from Montana with a couple photographing tide pools which they had never seen before. Most of the rocky beach found in spring was now covered with sand as was much of the seaweed, algae, and many of anemones. The beach was almost totally free of man made debris. Kelp flies were slightly bothersome. There was one unidentified dead bird in the drift line.The usual mob of western gulls were bathing in the mouth of Cape Creek. A few escaped crab pots were off Parrot and Pirate Rock. Surf scoters were in the surf and beyond. From up at the light house you could see pelicans skimming the waves, Brandt's cormorants with fully grown young, and common murres which had just about finished nesting and raising their chicks. Also there were a few tufted puffins observed flying in and out from the back side of Conical Rock. They must have a nest or two on the backside. I hope they are successful at raising young this year.

Conditions

Temperature: 63 F. Cloud Cover: Sunny. Wind Velocity: Calm/Light. Wind Direction: N. Tide Level: -1.0 feet.

Activities

Number of people: 2. Photography: 1. Tidepooling: 2.

Other Activities: By the time I left at noon the parking lot was full with 50 cars and trucks, 2 RVs and there was one surfer in the waves..

Vehicles

Cars/trucks parking: 1.

Notable Wildlife

Surf scoters, seagulls, pelicans, cormorants, common murres, tufted puffins. Healthy looking mussels, barnacles and seaweed.

Beached Birds

Total dead birds: 1. I have included a photo. I do not know what species. Perhaps someone can Identify it for me.

Wrackline Content

Seaweeds and seagrass, Animal casings or molts, Animal casings or molts, Marine debris, Shells, Wood pieces. The drift line had very little in it. A very small amount of the above. It was the cleanest I have ever seen it.

Actions & Comments

The beach was extremely clean.

Report Images

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Mile 179

Heceta Head Lighthouse, Devils Elbow SP, Cape Creek

May 21, 2025

We conducted a MDMAP with 10 people and four transects. Exploring the beach we discovered several caves, one of which was quite deep. It was low tide, and we were able to make observations at several tide pools. On the beach we found a skate case, velella velella, and a large dead bird, possibly a cormorant. On the north side of the beach, we discovered an area between the rocks where the waves created a latte of sea foam and occasionally splashed high above as the water churned in the channel. Numerous people and dogs were present during our four-hour visit, and someone observed that most of the license plates in the parking lot were from out of state. Over four hours we counted four dogs and 39 people.

Jess Lambright