A minus tide last month had us back at the Oregon Coast. The weather again was just about perfect and the low water levels left much of the usually submerged rocks and sand accessible. We left Portland by 8 a.m. to arrive in Cannon Beach before the minus tide was at its lowest. Walking towards Haystack Rock revealed an intricate labyrinth of countless lakelets in the sand.
“Which way should I leap to keep dry feet?”
A gull savoring a shrimp.
There were numerous reminders that you’re visiting someone else’s home!
Normally most of this area is under water!
I hadn’t seen this many people in one place since the stores ran out of toilet paper! 😉
The top part of Haystack Rock is home to the largest breeding colony of Tufted Puffins in Oregon. I did see quite a number of them zipping by, but a presentable photograph eluded me that day. Hopefully next time!
About half way up Haystack Rock I spotted a small colony of nesting Brandt’s cormorants. Check out their beautiful blue throat pouches!
Most people stayed on the sand, but of course there were a few rule breakers.
Sea stars, anemones and mussels clinging to the rocks.
Aren’t these green anemones beautiful?
Looks like this sea star is going for a swim.
Just amazing to see the water this low!
“Can you see me now?”
Everyone seemed to be having a great day!
Including these canine friends!
🙂
in cahoots with muddy boots 
The tides this year have been amazing.
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Yes, the tides have been amazing and more minus tides are coming up this month. Hopefully I can get back out to the coast then.
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Sounds like a wonderful trip. Thanks for sharing with us. Glad the weather out there is cooling off.
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We will have to repeat this trip soon! It feels so good to be able to move about the world a bit more freely, especially on the coast where it’s rarely hot!
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Amazing, Sabine! I think I need a trip to the beach soon. There’s so much to see and discover in Oregon! I hope you had a good Fourth of July.
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The beach is always a lot of fun as you know, Missy! Somehow the pandemic and being “stuck at home” for so long has made it even more special for me. I hope you can make out to the coast soon. We had a very peaceful 4th without a whole lot of fireworks going off in the neighborhood. That made me very happy! I hope you got to enjoy a nice day with your family as well! 🙂
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These are amazing pictures Sabine. The way the sand has moved and shifted especially, plus all the sea creatures. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a live starfish or anemone before. The sign about staying on the sand and not collecting is unique isn’t it? Here in Michigan, if you go to the Upper Peninsula, there are rocks all over Lake Michigan called Petoskey stones. They are fossilized coral from many many years ago. They look like smooth fossils and are quite unremarkable looking until you polish them with leather or a buffing machine, then they look so different, not like the same rock, but there is a limit on how many you can remove per year from the beach.
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Thanks Linda! It was such a nice outing and the weather was perfect. There will be more minus tides this summer and I’ll have to check what other beaches have tide pools. Many are just sandy and forceful waves. Your fossilized rocks sound interesting. The limit for what one can take home from such outings is probably a good thing. I only collect empty shells where it is allowed. Perhaps you will get to travel to the ocean one day and go tidepooling! You’d love it! 🙋♀️
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They call the Petoskey stone Michigan’s state rock. I didn’t know there was a limit on taking stones or shells. When I was up in Northern Michigan I didn’t find any of those stones. It’s been many years since I’ve been to an ocean – Pacific when visiting California and Atlantic when visiting Florida, both a while ago.
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I will google the stones! I love the ocean and since living in the US I’ve never been farther than about two hours from the coast. Most of the years it was just about twenty to thirty minutes and once two very short small town blocks. That was the best!
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Lucky you Sabine! I had Googled the weatherman when I wrote back to you as he’s written articles on the stones, but I only found a video of him giving a demonstration on polishing by hand after sanding them to get the rough edges off. I was in the U.S. 55 years yesterday, July 8, 1966.
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That’s a very long time, Linda! Congratulations!
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Don’t be that guy is some pretty good psychology! Hopefully it works
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There we a few of “those guys” but most people were really good about it.
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If it’s anything like Germany, I hope the got a few people staring them down
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I’m pretty good at staring! Must be my German heritage! 😉
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💪
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Ja genau! 😉
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