Mile 336 - Columbia Beach, Peter Iredale wreck, Fort Stevens SP - January 19, 2023

Report Details

This beach has not been surveyed since 2019 for Oregon Shores, since 2020 for COASST. I thought I would do a survey for both organizations since the news of 2 whales washing up, located by the wreckof the Peter Iredale: a juvenile sperm whale and a baby gray whale.Nice day, 47 degrees, no or very little breeze. 68 people counted walking the beach and viewing whales. Six cars driving on the beach (in unarthorized areas). One person flying a drone over the sperm whale, one person getting out of his pickup and started controlling a remote controlled toy pickup.7 beached birds found: 1 Common Murre & 6 Cassin's Auklets The whales were found and reported, before my survey.The plastic litter was a terrible mess up and down the mile...located in the wrack, bare and wood zones....I've never seen anything like it.

Conditions

Temperature: 47 F. Cloud Cover: Cloudy. Wind Velocity: Calm/Light. Wind Direction: SW. Tide Level: 8.0 feet.

Human Activities

Number of people: 68. Number of dogs: 6. Walking or running: 68. Other Activities: Walking up and down the mile...lots observing the two beached whales.. 6 cars on the beach (not authorized) one guy flying a drone of the Sperm whale and one other guy getting a remote control toy pickup out of his truck ( on the beach) and playing with it.

Vehicles

Cars/trucks parking: 46. Cars/trucks on beach, prohibited: 6.

Notable Wildlife

40 sanderlings in surf zone 1 crow flying

Beached Birds

Total dead birds: 7.

Stranded Marine Mammals

Total stranded mammals: 2. 1 Juvenile sperm whale 1 baby gray whale. Both located close to the Peter Iredale wreckage in the High Zone. Officials are aware and have placed signs around the baby whale to stay away, but people are disregarding the sign.

Driftline Content

Small rocks, Shells, Wood pieces, Land-based debris (picnics, etc.), Marine debris (plastic, styrofoam, etc. washing in from the sea), Styrofoam. All up and down the mile. Heavy plastic pollution in the wrack and bare and wood zones.

Report Images

plastic pieces in the wrack, bare and wood zones all along the mile

wood zone

surf zone

north end of mile

logs imbeded in bank

Sperm whale

Sperm Whale

baby gray whale

1 of 5 Cassin's Auklet that were found on the mile

no parking sign does this mean in the parking lot or the ramp to the beach...I couldn't tell. there were 6 cars going up and down the beach during the walk.

Report Images

MatthewsE

CoastWatcher

All Mile 336 Reports

Date

Showing 8 of 24 reports

Mile 336

Columbia Beach, Peter Iredale wreck, Fort Stevens SP

May 10, 2024

Nearly one hundred vehicles and hundreds of people clamming and enjoying the beach, including 120 Astoria Middle School students on a field trip learning about marine debris monitoring and hybrid beach grass.

Astoria Middle School