Report Details

Whale Cove has recently acquired its Wildlife Refuge designation, so the intrusion of humans is now more difficult and development prohibited. The portion of state beach (not part of the Wildlife Refuge) is accessible by boat and via a ladder constructed by residents bordering Whale Cove.  The ladder was destroyed in a December, 2015 storm, but reconstructed with welded aluminum in 2016. Residents on the perimeter of Whale Cove have been granted an easement to access a dirt road leading to their homes and to the beach ladder. Thus access to the state beach is limited to small watercraft approaching from the Pacific or permission from one of the six or seven residents on the Whale Cove perimeter.There is a collection of driftwood on the west end of the state beach that has been fairly stable in size for at least the last three years (visible in photo). Otherwise the beach is free of debris.In the winter of 2016 a portion of the cliff supporting US 101 on the east side of Whale Cove collapsed. This was likely promoted by a December storm that did not involve particularly high winds, rain or tide, but which did involve the "pineapple express" causing a few extraordinarily high waves.  Traffic was restricted and repairs made to restore the support of the road.  See photo.An attached photo captures the colony of seals basking in the sun at the east end of Whale Cove.  There are over 100 in the picture, which may be close to the entire population described in the US Fish and Wildlife Service article about refuge designation: https://www.fws.gov/refuge/Oregon_Islands/wildlife_and_habitat/whale_cov...

Conditions

Temperature: 65 F. Cloud Cover: Sunny. Wind Velocity: Calm/Light. Wind Direction: N.

Human Activities

There is rarely anyone on the state park beach and the portion that is newly designated a Wildlife Refuge is now off limits. I think it is safe to say, however, that virtually no one has traversed the territory of breeding seals before or after the designation due to its natural protection of headland, water, and steep terrain to the east.

Notable Wildlife

100+ seals were observed basking in the sun in the westerly-most portion of Whale Cove. Two bald eagles were observed soaring above the cove along with numerous gulls and several crows closer to shore.

Driftline Content

Seaweeds and seagrass, Wood pieces.

New Development

Steps down bluff.

Report Images

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All Mile 228 Reports

Showing 8 of 37 reports

decorative elemnt for a coastwatch report.

Mile 228

Rocky Creek State Wayside, Whale Cove

July 18, 2023

Clear, warm, calm day with no adverse human behavior.

dwhite

Mile 228

Rocky Creek State Wayside, Whale Cove

August 8, 2020

Excluding by sea, the entry to Whale Cove beach requires passage on private property and an easement provided by USFW, so it was unusual to find such a collection of beachgoers.

dwhite

Mile 228

Rocky Creek State Wayside, Whale Cove

October 23, 2018

All human activity was at the Rocky Creek wayside, not Whale Cove.

dwhite

Mile 228

Rocky Creek State Wayside, Whale Cove

May 5, 2018

Both the Whale Cove beach and Rocky Creek wayside were in good condition as usual, however there were rubber surf boards and a downspout that were found both on the beach below the houses on the bluff and hung up among small vegetation on the cliff in between the houses and the beach.

dwhite

Mile 228

Rocky Creek State Wayside, Whale Cove

January 18, 2018

Although not king tide level, high waves at high tide on Jan 18, 2018 reached all the way into the inner reaches of Whale Cove's sandy cliffs.

dwhite

Mile 228

Rocky Creek State Wayside, Whale Cove

January 2, 2018

Coast Guard and Depoe Bay fire crews rescued a 19-year-old male hiker in the vicinity of Whale Cove, after he reportedly suffered seizures and became immobilized Tuesday evening.

dwhite

Mile 228

Rocky Creek State Wayside, Whale Cove

October 15, 2017

Both Whale Cove and Rocky Creek were in good shape and quite free of debris.

dwhite

Mile 228

Rocky Creek State Wayside, Whale Cove

March 19, 2017

There was a notable increase in driftwood and debris that had washed up onto the Whale Cove beach.

dwhite