Mile 228 Report
Rocky Creek State Wayside, Whale Cove
September 25, 2016
Whale Cove has recently acquired its Wildlife Refuge designation, so the intrusion of humans is now more difficult and development prohibited.
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
All Mile 228 Reports
Mile 228
Rocky Creek State Wayside, Whale Cove
Clear, warm, calm day with no adverse human behavior.
dwhite
Mile 228
Rocky Creek State Wayside, Whale Cove
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
All human activity was at the Rocky Creek wayside, not Whale Cove.
dwhite
Mile 228
Rocky Creek State Wayside, Whale Cove
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
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
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
Both Whale Cove and Rocky Creek were in good shape and quite free of debris.
dwhite
Mile 228
Rocky Creek State Wayside, Whale Cove
There was a notable increase in driftwood and debris that had washed up onto the Whale Cove beach.
dwhite