Get your boots on, and let's head down to the tidepools!
Let's go meet some Ochre Stars, an array of anemones, nudibranchs, urchins, and more during the minus tides!
Newport is home to not only the largest ocean on the planet but also an array of coastal environments, including tidepools!
Tidepools are best viewed during a low or minus tide, so start your adventure with a local tide table, found at an array of shops and businesses around Newport, or hop online and look up a tide table for your specific location. Make sure to head out an hour or so before the low tide time, that way you have more time to explore before the tide rushes back in.
A great place to see some of our marine locals up close is Otter Rock Marine Reserve and Marine Gardens, right next to Devil's Punchbowl. Another fabulous place with multiple tidepooling spots is Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area (which also has some of the only fully accessible tidepools on the coast.)
Since tidepools are very sensitive habitats for many local species, please practice these tidepool etiquette pointers:
Never remove/pull animals off of the rocks, and don't ever take any creatures from the tidepools (many are protected)
Walk with care and make sure not to step on any marine life, and be very careful to avoid the slick kelp and algae. Low and slow is the way to go!
Leave nothing but footprints, take nothing but photos, and don't turn your back on the ocean
Keep dogs leashed at all times and out of the pools
If you happen to see any marine mammals like seals or sea lions, keep a significant distance (150ft+) for you and the animal's safety. Contact the Marine Mammal Stranding Network if you come across a sick, dead, or stranded animal
Wishing you all a magical minus tide!
Photos and post by Jamie @girlinwaterphotography