Mile 242 Report
Lincoln City, D River SW, Devils Lake SP, Oceanlake
September 24, 2025
At low tide, breakfast at the coast offered a view of the natural world awakening.
Report Details
At low tide, breakfast at the coast offered a view of the natural world awakening. Smacks of moon jellies lay scattered along the wrackline on a perfect fall day that began with a gentle breeze and ended with stiff winds. Wearing CoastWatch vests, volunteers welcomed public engagement during the survey of Mile 242, answering questions ranging from bird sightings to tidepool species identification while sharing details about the duties of the CoastWatch program. Despite the beauty of the day, litter was still evident; the team collected three pounds of debris and delivered it to new partners at Explore Lincoln City.
Conditions
Temperature: 60 F. Cloud Cover: Sunny. Wind Velocity: Strong. Tide Level: 2.0 feet.
Activities
Number of people: 75. Number of dogs: 27. Walking or running: 60. Sitting: 75. Tidepooling: 30.
Other Activities: The team noted activities on our mile. These were running, walking, sitting, throwing balls to dogs, and looking at sea jellies..
Notable Wildlife
Birds noted along the shoreline included a Wandering Tattler, Oyster Catcher, and seagulls. Photos of species found in the tidepools are attached.
Beached Birds
Total dead birds: 6. No leg bands were found. The deceased bird species were a Turkey Vulture, a Common Murre, a Cormorant, and seagulls.
Stranded Marine Mammals
N/A
Dead Fish or Invertebrates
Unusual concentration. Many sea jellies lined the wrackline. A photo is attached of a Moon Jelly. One dead seastar found.
Wrackline Content
Many pieces of sea jellies.
New Development
N/A
Man-made Modifications
N/A
Natural Changes
At D River, a shift in water flow direction toward the north was observed, creating a strong outward surge. The creek at the end of Mile 242 has also shifted northward. South of the D River, the team noted a change in sand composition, with coarser grains and small shell fragments mixed throughout.
New visibility with Oregon Shore volunteer vests.
Large Moon Sea Jelly
Counting species in our selected tidepool.
Breakfast in the tidepool
Oyster Catcher searching for breakfast
Species inventory in our tidepool
Dead sea star found on the wrack line
Educating visitors on Mile 242
Additonal eroision and carving on cliffs at the end of mile 242
New graffiti at the end of Mile 242
Sandstone cliff observation point
Report Images
Teachers Sally, Bobbie, Annette, Kaily, and Maureen
CoastWatcher
All Mile 242 Reports
Mile 242
Lincoln City, D River SW, Devils Lake SP, Oceanlake
What began as a foggy morning along the coast soon became much clearer when we spotted a familiar face educating the public at the tide pools near Mile 242. Annette, a member of our group, took the opportunity to educate families about the Lincoln City Glass Floats program, encouraging participants to explore areas outside of protected habitats to increase their chances of discovering one of the treasured glass floats while minimizing impacts to sensitive coastal resources. The high volume of visitors also resulted in a significant amount of litter. As the fog lifted, the coastline came alive with activity.
Teachers Bobbie, Annette, Bill, Sally, and Maureen
Mile 242
Lincoln City, D River SW, Devils Lake SP, Oceanlake
CoastWatch volunteers develop highly trained observational skills. Our monitored mile has changed dramatically as shifting sands have buried portions of the tidepool habitat. Construction of the new visitor center is also underway near our monitoring area.
Teachers Annette, Bobbie, Sally, Bill, and Maureen
Mile 242
Lincoln City, D River SW, Devils Lake SP, Oceanlake
Anyone missing a sock?
Bobbie, Annette, Sally, Bill, and Maureen
Mile 242
Lincoln City, D River SW, Devils Lake SP, Oceanlake
During our field observation at the Oregon shore, unseasonably warm weather conditions coincided with increased recreational activity.
Teachers Bobbie, Annette, Sally, Bill, and Maureen
Mile 242
Lincoln City, D River SW, Devils Lake SP, Oceanlake
During the observation period, favorable coastal weather conditions attracted numerous visitors seeking relief from colder valley temperatures.
Teachers Bill, Sally, Bobbie, Annette, and Maureen
Mile 242
Lincoln City, D River SW, Devils Lake SP, Oceanlake
At low tide, breakfast at the coast offered a view of the natural world awakening.
Teachers Sally, Bobbie, Annette, Kaily, and Maureen
Mile 242
Lincoln City, D River SW, Devils Lake SP, Oceanlake
Over the weekend, a large number of visitors escaped the 100-degree valley heat and headed to the cool Oregon coast, where tidepooling proved especially popular.
Teachers Sally, Laurie, Bobby, Annette, and Maueen
Mile 242
Lincoln City, D River SW, Devils Lake SP, Oceanlake
Despite the foggy, cold, and windy conditions, a zero tide offered a unique opportunity to observe the dynamic changes along the shoreline.
Teachers Bobbie, Sally, Annette, and Maureen