Scratcher of heads, rubber of bellies
Pity the starfish that does not take advantage of the cover of high tide to go to the bathroom when no one is watching. This poor fellow clinging to a large boulder was left high-and-dry by the receding tide and could do naught but cross its legs and hold it in. Waiting for the inevitable return of the sea but tortured always by the sound of splashing water.
The play of these two harbor seals may look aggressive, but much like seeing puppies play, looks can be deceiving. These two played in the surf for quite some time as the tide came in.
I timed this short visit to the Oregon coast to coincide with low tides around both sunrise and sunset, planning to spend some time photographing tide pools, but my plans changed when I arrived at Yaquina Head. I had trouble finding subjects in the tide pools I wanted to photograph but the harbor seals were out in abundance, and then I saw a bird species I had never seen before, the harlequin duck. I spent the last morning photographing from a tide pool at least, as I had great views of both seals that had hauled out to sleep on the rocky shore and a nearby group of male and female harlequins. I was especially happy to get to photograph the harlequins in their environment as the tide came in, until the selfsame tide forced us both from our perches.
I’m happy to report that I did buy some Neos waterproof overshoes before the trip and they worked a treat, keeping my feet dry each day. On this day the tide came up fully over my ankles and thankfully my shoes underneath stayed dry, as I was wearing my beloved orange running shoes so I’d be comfortable on the drive back to Portland. They fold up nicely so they can go in a backpack or in a random corner in the corner, when home I hosed them out to wash off any residual saltwater and they soon dried and were ready for the next visit to the coast.
I visited Yaquina Head today for the first time in years and had a great time, but was sad to see that not only does the park not open until 8am, but you also have to leave right before sunset. This was fifteen minutes before as I was about to get in the car.
The rising sun colors the northern sky though it yet climbs a hill to the east, marking the end of the work day for the Yaquina Head Light, beacon in the night.
A harbor seal pops up in the surf to take one last look at me before swimming away in the gentle surf at Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area in Newport, Oregon.
A sculpin is nearly hidden in the jumble of objects in the shallows of a tide pool at Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area in Newport, Oregon. These small sculpin species will spend their lives in the tide pools, with birds and larger fish their primary predators.
Purple sea urchins sit in the depressions they’ve carved over time into the tide pool, minimizing the force of the waves as the tide comes in and out. I came across these urchins in 2004 on a sunny day at Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area in Newport, Oregon. The picture below is a different set of urchins but taken on the same day, I’ve posted this one before but it was years ago.
Boolie 