Coast Explorer Blog

Today’s low tide, one of the lowest of the year, made it possible to walk from Chapman Point at the north end of Cannon Beach, past Ecola Point to Indian Beach. I only took my point-and-shoot camera, but it was a beautiful morning with dramatic clouds in the sky and some beautiful tidepool scenes. Morning minus tides continue through Saturday, June 27, but Tuesday and Wednesday were the lowest of the lows. Enjoy the pictures. All of these shots were easily accessible, with no trampling of fragile intertidal areas. As a general rule, when you explore the intertidal area, walk only on sand or bare rock and never remove any creature from its home to keep these scenes a treat for future generations.

If you missed this weeks low tides, you’ll have another chance at some good lows July 20-25 and August 17-22

A sunflower sea star left in a shallow pool

These girls got some big fat razor clams. Dad will do the cleaning.

Green anemones with a sea lemon nudibranch and acoralline algae.

Many people took advantage of the low tides to see these usually inacessible areas.

A colorful scene under an inch or two of water. Not bad for a point and shoot camera!

I've never made it this far north on the beach below Ecola Point for this view of the offshore rock with window in it.

Purple ochre sea stars hiding behind surf grass.

Dave got his limit and I forsee a nice dinner with a fine Pinot Gris from Walnut City Wineworks.

A nice grouping of green anemones in a pool.

As I was photographing this sea stack, all of the common murres began spilling off the rock. An eagle was soaring overhead just behind me.

Stranded on the beach.

Beautiful clouds and the sun hitting the rocks makes easy work, even for the point and shoot (I did wait for the wave to create a nice line).

A colorful group of ochre sea stars.

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CANNON BEACH, OREGON – During the Independence Day holiday weekend, Cannon Beach, Oregon hosts a colorful aerial display unlike most communities. The Great Cannon Beach Puffin Watch July 3-5 is a seabird watching event on the beach that will offer visitors the opportunity to watch nesting puffins and many other varieties of seabirds. The Great Cannon Beach Puffin Watch is part of a fireworks-free Independence Day celebration on Cannon Beach shores that also includes a small town Fourth of July parade Saturday morning, Fire Dancers in the City Park Saturday evening and an outdoor symphonic band concert Saturday afternoon.

The Great Cannon Beach Puffin Watch is part of a fireworks-free Independence Day celebration in Cannon Beach, Oregon.

While many coastal communities don’t enforce state laws prohibiting fireworks on the beach, the City of Cannon Beach has recognized its special enforcement needs related to its surrounding sensitive marine environments and nesting seabirds. Haystack Rock is protected as a state designated Marine Garden and it, along with other offshore rocks on Cannon Beach, is part of the Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge system.

Spotting scopes will be set up on the beach near Haystack Rock from 7 to 10am and 4 to 6pm Friday, Saturday and Sunday, July 3-5. Visitors will be able to observe nesting puffins on Haystack Rock, the most accessible observation point to watch Tufted Puffins in their natural environment in the Northwest. Many other varieties of birds are also common visitors to the area, including Brown Pelicans, cormorants, Common Murres, Pigeon Guillemots, Black Oystercatchers and Bald Eagles. A free Puffin Watch Passport will be available that provides identification information and a checklist of birds that can be seen in the area.

During the three-day event, the city’s Haystack Rock Awareness Program (HRAP) will present a series of interpretive programs on the beach with special guest speakers, including displays of live rescue birds. A complete schedule of events will be available at the HRAP beach station near Haystack Rock during its hours of operation and at Cannon Beach City Hall, 163 E Gower. The schedule will also be posted at www.ci.cannon-beach.or.us.

Other Cannon Beach Fourth of July activities include a hometown parade beginning at 11am from Spruce and Monroe Streets, usually accompanied by a brief military jet flyover. Kids and dogs scramble after treats thrown by parade participants. After the parade, everyone is invited to gather at the Cannon Beach Fire House for free hot dogs and pop. Bring the kids and let them check out the equipment, climb on the trucks, play with the hoses and try to knock down a cone in the parking lot with the hose. There is a prize for those who can do it. At about 10am strawberry shortcake will be available for $3 on the U.S. Bank porch.

CANNON BEACH, OR – There are giant plans for the 45th annual Sandcastle Weekend in Cannon Beach, Saturday, June 12 and 13. A 35-foot-long sand sculpture of Gulliver will begin construction on Wednesday, June 10 with five truckloads of sand. The enormous undertaking is a throwback to the early days of Cannon Beach’s most famous event when the community would come together to create a large sculpture the week of the long-running sandcastle contest.

The actual sandcastle contest begins Saturday, June 13 with Masters category entrants beginning sculpting at 8am and all others beginning at 9am. Judging will take place at noon for children’s creations and 1pm for others. Onlookers are welcome to view the construction from the perimeter of the sculpting area. Radio Disney will announce winners at approximately 1:45pm.

Other events for the weekend include a town picture to be taken at 7pm on Wednesday following the construction of Gulliver, with a bonfire to follow. On Friday, June 12, Michael and Fran Vellings, Master sand sculptors for 20 years, will teach a free sculpting class on the beach off 2nd Avenue from 3-5pm. In addition to the sandcastle contest on Saturday, the band Sam Bam Boo will perform in the City Park at 3:30 and 5pm with a break for a dog talent contest, “Americanine Idol,” at 4:30. Prizes will be awarded for the most talented pooches.

The sculpture of Gulliver will be constructed high on the beach at the foot of Washington Street in hopes that it will be there for all to see through Saturday.Artist Bill Steidel, an integral part of Cannon Beach’s arts scene since the 1970s created the original drawing that will be followed for the construction of the classic literary character tied down with ropes on the beach in Lilliput. Steidel recalls a huge dragon that was sculpted one year where they made smoke come out of the mouth. Another year, a whale was constructed that was so large, they used a ladder to get on top and held children by their ankles to smooth the sides of the big creation.

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