Mile 188 - Neptune SP, Strawberry Hill Picnic Area - 05/19/2026

Report Details

It was a beautiful day at Strawberry Hill, with an extremely low tide that exposed areas I had never seen before. There were huge numbers of sea stars, anemones, barnacles, mussels, and other intertidal creatures visible at the north and south beaches. There was a small group of what seemed to be yellow anemones, which I have never seen here before. There was also lots of kelp and other types of seaweed, visible here only because of the very low tide. All appeared healthy. And there were several flocks of birds migrating north, lots of gulls, and at least one cormorant. The beaches were very clean, as always.

Conditions

Temperature: 51 F. Cloud Cover: Cloudy. Wind Velocity: Moderate. Tide Level: -0.4 feet.

Activities

Types of Activities: Walking/Running, Tidepooling, Other - see below.

Number of people: 25. Number of dogs: 1.

Other Activities: There seemed to be two groups of researchers doing some kind of work at the far edge of the rocks off the south beach exposed by the very low tide.. Recently some grafitti has been carved into the sandstone just below the lower path from the parking area to the south beach..

Concerns

Climbing bluffs/seastacks

Notable Wildlife

There were 10-15 harbor seals lounging on the rocks west of the parking area. I saw two small flocks of brown pelicans and a line of 15-20 geese all flying northward, apparently migrating to their summer homes.

Dead Fish or Invertebrates

Unusual concentration.

Wrackline Content

Animal casings or molts. There were many casings from small marine creatures washed up on both the north and the south beach, each about the size of a human thumb. These may have been the remnants of the velella velella activity that has been reported recently up and down the Oregon coast.

Natural Changes

Major cracks appearing in bluffs, Newly exposed roots/trees falling, Visible retreat of solid bluff. The bluffs overlooking the north and south beach continue to erode, due both to natural conditions and to people climbing on the paths leading from the parking area to the beaches. These paths have become quite treacherous.

Report Images

south beach

north beach

possible velella velella casings

various barnacles, mussels, and other shellfish

trees falling from bluffs over north beach.

yellow anemonies, sea stars, and mussels

kelp and other seaweed on north beach.

graffiti below path to south beach.

kelp on south beach.

geese migrating northward.

Report Images

Mark Gasiorowski

CoastWatcher

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