Tidepools and Stuff

 April 23 - 28

Our days off, Tues, Wed, Thurs, were mostly filled with fixing a shower leak and leveling the composting toilet, working on issues with my computer's OS, and working on a replacement for Matthew's phone which chose to become a brick. The technology/communication issues have been maddening. Throw in laundry, grocery shopping, and reorganizing the RV so it worked better for both of us, and it was a pretty necessary but boring time off. 

Returning to work on Friday wasn't a chore as we have been enjoying learning new things, interacting with visitors, and taking in the beautiful scenery and wildlife. We spend most of our 5 hour shift outside where the visitors are, pointing things our and answering questions, but also have shifts inside the interpretive center where we greet folks and orient them to the site.

Gooseneck barnacle shells - broken off their rock 

Harbor seals lazing

Giant green anenomes

Cormorants on Seal Rock

A mossy chiton shell

The underside of a gumboot chiton

We are getting our steps in - this was my record so far

Going up and down these 134 stairs to Cobble Beach and the tidepools are getting us in shape 

Quarry Cove - years ago they attempted to make an accessible tidepool here but Mother Nature had her own plans and filled it all in with sand

The memorial to lost fisherfolk

The view from Cobble Beach

Giant Green Anemones

Purple Sea Urchins

A lemon nudibranch washed up by the tide - I put it into the tidepool so it would live

Alligator Rock

Stegosaurus Rock

Looking north from the far end of Cobble Beach

The benefit of getting off work in the early afternoon is having lots of time to explore, especially as it is getting light so much later. We made a run south to get traction/ice cleats for my shoes - the tidepools can be really slippery. We stopped at Seal Rock State Recreation Area to take in the sites.

The Yaquina Bay Lighthouse, just south of Yaquina Head Lighthouse, is undergoing renovations.

View of the Yaquina Bay Bridge with Newport's harbor behind

Memorial to local fisherfolks lost at sea

Monday was a super low tide

Quarry Cove

The view of the tidepool exposure on the walk down

Lion's Head Rock almost totally exposed

A Giant Green Anemone consuming a purple sea urchin

A Red Sea Urchin - and their size in relation to the purple ones

Ocher Sea Stars

Lemon Nudibranch

Red sea urchin

The large oblong "rocks" are actually gumboot chitons - which is why watching your step is so important

A pacific blood star hiding

I was so excited to spot the elusive Opalescent Nudibranch, which I first thought was an insect nymph 

A close up of the Opalescent Nudibranch, floating on its back

A red ribbon worm

Finished my shift with a hike up Comm Hill to check out the Quest box - the stamp and notepad were moved out of it's bigger box to accommodate the nest of mice that had moved in - I loved their nest!