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Sharks along the Oregon North Coast

20 Sunday Sep 2015

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There have been several tell tale signs of large sharks showing up off the North coast of Oregon. The local news media has covered this here and here.

It is thought these shark bites are coming from either a Great White shark or a Seven Gill shark. Certainly this is something that would be cause for alarm for anyone that is surfing off the coast. This year there has been a lot of changes in the Pacific and the sightings of more shark attacked mammals may become the new normal. While most of the reporting going on in the most recent news stories has revolved around the North coast beaches in Clatsop county, we stumbled across this fresh seal carcass on a early morning beach walk back in August, just South of Cape Meares.

Sharks Kill Seals in Oregon

oregon great white shark kills seal

seal in oregon killed by shark

As reported in the KPTV story linked above, “Seeing shark bites isn’t alarming, we see that quite often, but not this close together. What it tells me is something is hanging around pretty close,” said Keith Chandler with Marine Mammal Stranding Network.

And while there is a couple of potential killers of seals off the Oregon coast that swim in the Pacific as highlighted by OregonLive:
“There’s only one shark that would do that: a great white,” said Jim Burke, director of animal husbandry at the Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport.

While other sharks go for smaller prey, particularly young marine mammals, great whites stalk larger sea creatures. They are considered “ambush animals” because of the way they attack from beneath their prey, he said.

Burke noted sharks are seen or encountered throughout the year, especially in late summer or fall fishing season. The marine mammals follow the fish, and the sharks follow them.

“The marine mammal populations are extremely healthy right now,” he said. “The predators will follow.”

Sharks can go months without eating, Burke added, so one shark or several may be attacking these animals.

You never know what you might stumble upon on your next walk on the beaches in Oregon. While it is always a sad day for the seal, the Shark has to eat too.

Oregon Coast Tsunami Debris

20 Friday Jul 2012

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Cannon Beach on the Oregon Coast is an incredibly beautiful place. This tiny town, with less than 1,700 residents, plays host to more than 750,000 visitors each year. Cannon Beach is surrounded by beauty: the ocean, mountains, and Ecola Creek. The debris from the 2011 tsunami that hit Japan threatens Cannon Beach as well as all of the other beautiful beaches up and down the west coast.

The tsunami debris that is making its way to the coast of Oregon is a threat to all the things that are important to the people living in Cannon Beach, and the rest of the Oregon Coast. The city of Cannon Beach provides clean-up along its 4 miles of coastline twice each week. Many local residents pick up garbage as they go about their daily lives. When the tsunami debris arrives the mass of debris may be overwhelming. SOLVE (Stop Oregon Litter and Vandalism) bags are available in Cannon Beach at city hall and at the Cannon Beach Chamber of Commerce for anyone who wants to pick up debris.

Scientists believe that most of the debris from the Japanese tsunami will arrive in the fall storms. What is washing up right now is only the beginning. The State of Oregon set up a hotline began operation on June 29th. Anyone seeing debris that needs to be picked up is asked to call 211.

The tsunami debris clean-up is predicted to be very expensive. The National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration will be providing Oregon with $50,000 to help with the project. Unfortunately, the cost to dispose of the dock that has already washed on shore is estimated to cost $85,000. The cost to run the hotline for 2 years is projected to be $100,000. Debris disposal will probably be at least $100,000.

The State Parks Department has rented 32 steel waste containers as drop off containers for debris. Debris will be accepted if it is in a SOLVE bag. The Parks Department has placed containers in every county along the Oregon Coast. Beach visitors are asked to pick up any trash they find that will fit in a SOLVE bag. Anything too large to fit in a bag should be reported to the hotline. Anything that has living creatures on it should be reported immediately and if possible moved above the high tide line.

Four non-profit groups (CoastWatch, Surfrider Foundation, SOLVE and Washed Ashore) have joined to form the Oregon Marine Debris Team. They hope to organize volunteers to monitor the coast, report debris, and help with clean-up projects.

The approaching tsunami debris threatens the entire Oregon Coast. The natural beauty found in Cannon Beach, and along the rest of the Oregon Coast, is at risk. The debris will not only make the beaches trashy, it may threaten the lives on the creatures that live in the ocean, along the shores, and in the streams and rivers that empty into the ocean.
Article written by Mary Boyer

To learn more about the Tsunami debris washing up on the Oregon Coast beaches check out these articles.
http://www.crbizjournal.com/new_business_features/article_38d03b60-c6ed-11e1-9366-001a4bcf887a.html
http://ci.cannon-beach.or.us/index.html
http://www.cannonbeach.org/activities/wildlife_viewing.aspx
http://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/index.ssf/2012/07/noaas_50k_for_oregon_tsunami_c.html
http://oregon.surfrider.org/files/2012/07/Marine-Debris-Team-Release.pdf

Astoria Oregon – Mouth of the Columbia River

17 Tuesday Jul 2012

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The area surrounding Astoria, Oregon, near the mouth of the Columbia River, has a long and varied history. Lewis and Clark spent the winter of 1805-1806 at Fort Clatsop, which is south and west of today’s Astoria. In 1810, the Astor Company made Fort Astor the center of its fur business. From 1813 to 1818, the area was under British control. In 1818, it became joint British/U.S. territory and remained so until 1846, when it became a permanent part of the United States. The first post office west of the Rocky Mountains was founded in Astoria in 1847. It was not until 1876, that Astoria was incorporated as a city.

Washington Irving published a romanticized novel of the fur traders entitled “Astoria” in 1836 with the encouragement of John Jacob Astor. Astor felt that the nation did not realize the importance of the fur traders and wanted them memorialized. “ Astoria” cemented the importance of the Western territories in the public psyche.

The Astoria Column was built by the Astor family in 1926, on the highest hill in Astoria to commemorate Astoria’s early history. The view of the surrounding area from the column is magnificent. You can climb the 164 steps of the column to the observation platform for and even more amazing view.

Nearby Fort Stevens guarded the entrance to the Columbia River from the time of the Civil War through World War II. Fort Stevens is one of two places in Oregon that was bombed by the Japanese. On June 21, 1942 a Japanese submarine fired 17 shells in the direction of the fort. Luckily the bombs only did damage to a baseball field and some telephone cables.

Astoria remained a major port on the west coast for well over a century. It was a thriving community until the mid-1970s when Bumble Bee Seafood closed its headquarters here. The lumber industry also began to fade and in 1989, the plywood mill that was the city’s largest employer shut down.

A partial replica of Fort Astoria is located in downtown Astoria at the site where John Jacob Astor’s fur traders originally built their fort. A replica of Fort Clatsop invites you to step back into history, where National Park Rangers dressed in buckskin explain muzzle loading and shooting, hide tanning and candle making. Fort Stevens is now a State Park. When you visit Fort Stevens you can take a self-guided tour of the fort and explore the gun batteries and visit the Military Museum.

Astoria today looks more towards tourists and artists than fishermen and lumberjacks. However, Astoria has not abandoned its marine past. Every February for the past 15 years, Astoria has hosted the Fisher Poets Gathering, an event that celebrates all things maritime in art, music, and literature.
Article written by Mary Boyer


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For more information about Astoria, Oregon check out the following resources.

http://www.beachconnection.net/news/battruss061912_510.php

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astoria,_Oregon

http://www.nps.gov/lewi/planyourvisit/index.htm

Wilson River Loop to Avoid Driving through Tillamook, Oregon

16 Friday Dec 2011

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If you are driving to the coast from Portland on HWY 6 with an eventual destination at one of the cities North of Tillamook or just venturing down to coast for a tour of the Tillamook Chees Factory then the best way to travel is to take the Wilson River Loop road and cross the Wilson River and take a Left on Latimer Road which will allow you to avoid the town of Tillamook and save a few minutes on your trip. This is also the quickest way to get to the Cheese Factory as Latimer Road connects to 101 just South of the Cheese Factory and you will see it on your right hand side as you approach 101.


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This is also the way to get to one of the busiest Wilson River boat launches right where the loop crosses the river to the right is a large parking lot and boat launch and pull out facility.