Secrets of the Season

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Post Spring Break Weeks Full of Surprises on Oregon Coast

Otter Rock, near Newport: where low tides will be especially spectacular, with the Devil's Punchbowl emptied of tides

(Oregon Coast) – There’s more to spring than spring break along the tourism hotspot of the Oregon coast.

In fact, that period after the main spring breaks, from mid April through to the end of May, is a distinctively unpopulated time with a host of interesting natural wonders that make this an unusual time of year in the region. It’s nicknamed the “secret season” or “hidden spring” – various incarnations of that, because it’s a time when the coast becomes neglected and empty. There is a growing movement of coastal businesses and tourism agencies that are making it a point to point out what’s going on.

Weather pulls some interesting surprises, minus tides are often at their lowest of the year, sea foam is more apt do some wild stunts, and this spring in particular holds some wonders because of low sand levels and changes in beaches. Plus, lodging deals are in such great abundance they almost outnumber the visitors to the coast.

Whale watching is still prime as well, with plenty of the great cetaceans gliding past these shores on their way north to Alaskan waters. You can still spot them until late May, but even then, the summer pods start to show up in full force and wander closer to shore, lingering around most of the summer.

Killer whales spotted in Florence in May, 2006 (photo Tiffany Boothe, Seaside Aquarium)

Yet another startling aspect of all this is beginning to come to light, as some of the science experts on the central Oregon coast are just now talking about how killer whales are often seen around Newport and Depoe Bay in the middle of April. Some believe they may be attracted by an increase in the population of sardines in recent decades, which are only now recovering from over fishing back in the 30’s.

The killer whales have been seen wandering into Newport’s Yaquina Bay in some years. Others, they drift around in the Depoe Bay area, or simply hang out barely just inside the jetties. Either way, it makes for some spectacular and highly unusual whale watching.

Bill Hanshumaker, Public Education Officer at the Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport, said he’s seen them on the central coast in killing mode, chasing after sardines and slapping their prey with their tails, which is part of teaching their young about how to kill food. He’s also watched some kill sea lions in the area.

Look for deserted beaches and state parks, like Cape Lookout State Park

On top of the beautiful natural phenomenon that abound this time of year, crowds are sizably less. In some areas, like Manzanita, it’s almost a ghost town, and you can enjoy the most incredible chunks of north coast beaches in total solitude. You're apt to find the roads and beaches completely to yourself at times, if not fairly often. This is true even on most really nice weather weekends, where things do get a bit busier.

April brings a crazed kind of weather, often switching back and forth abruptly between sunny and squalls within the same day, sometimes within a half hour. You get an interesting mix of increasingly nice days, with occasional winter-like storms still possible – periodically within the same day. May starts to calm down considerably, and you lose the big storms, but weather switch-a-roo’s still happen quite often.

You’ll want to come prepared for abrupt changes in weather, bringing along changes in clothing and jackets, in case the weather decides to turn on you.

Those spring storms can offer some wild, strange sights that winter storms may not be able to, because of the larger blooms of phytoplankton that happen this time of year. These are the microscopic creatures that whales and other fish eat in huge abundance. One kind, called diatoms, are responsible for the sea foam you see in the waves. Their millions of tiny skeletons combine with the air to make air bubbles in the breakers.

Oceanside: a moody spring sky threatens the sun

With more of them in the spring blooms, you then get a better chance of seeing sea foam pulling all sorts of strange stunts during the season’s storms, like moving across the highways or even flying upwards, creating the mind-boggling sight of what looks like snow going the wrong direction.

Some of the year’s lowest minus tides happen in March, April and May, with May having a tendency to be the lowest. May 17 and 18 will have the biggest minus tides of the year. This allows for greater exploration of tide pools and other sights not always visible.

This means a huge new world to discover on the coast, as a myriad of objects both alive and inanimate open up. It means a lot more than starfish.

Wild objects at Hug Point

In places like Hug Point, just south of Cannon Beach, minus tides bring entire new vistas to this already remarkable beach. You can see the bottom parts of the road that was blown out of the headland in the early last century, and other mysterious rocky slabs show themselves just beneath the water.

In Oceanside, on the Three Capes Tour, the landscape changes drastically in many ways at low tides. Entire new vistas of rocky marine gardens show themselves. Not to mention, you can walk around Maxwell Point to get to its other side, instead of having to go through the tunnel.

There have been a lot of changes in the beaches this year because of heavy wave action ripping away sand and eroding many spots.

These changes have meant some interesting finds for the beachgoer. Agates are again found at Agate Beach in Newport, thanks to the sand-scouring action of the season’s storms. They’ve been buried beneath the sand layers all along, and haven’t been seen there for ten years, until last year.

Agate Beach from above

“There are a couple of small agate-containing agate bars that are open along the meandering channel of Big Creek,” said Newport beach expert Guy DiTorrice. “The channel has shortened its hard-northerly track this past winter, opting for some wider sections closer to Agate Beach State Park.

“However, sand depth remains high on most of Agate Beach; ditto at Beverly Beach State Park, Coal Creek and Moolack Beach (in other words, the stumps are all covered again).

DiTorrice added there are some agate-containing beaches open north and south of Lost Creek State Park, and further north at Thiel Creek, with many collectors reporting nice picking, especially for the “Newport blues.”

Ghost forest of Neskowin

Lower sand levels mean the ancient “ghost forest” stumps were visible again on beaches just north of Newport, just as the ones in Hug Point and various other spots along the coast. But these have all disappeared recently. However, there is a major “ghost forest” that’s still visible fairly often at Neskowin.

Traditionally, lodging prices drop after Labor Day Weekend, and then stay really low throughout the winter after dropping again in the late fall. In the spring, around spring break, they start going up again, but there’s still this intermediate time where some remain at winter rates or just slightly higher.

There is no rule of thumb how much prices rise, but usually summer rates don’t kick in until June or July. Many incredible deals are still anxiously awaiting takers, as the coast is rather bereft of tourists at this time of year.

Baby purple sails found in March (photo Seaside Aquarium)

Lorna Davis, with the Newport Chamber, said lodging prices are still near winter lows in Newport, with almost everyone offering incredible deals on weekends and weekdays, as they’re looking to coax people in. “There’s a lot of two-for-one specials, or ‘stay two nights and get the third free,’ especially during the mid week,” Davis said.

Typically, this time of year means the occurrence of what are called “purple sails,” or velella velella, as they’re technically called. They look like small, purplish round jellyfish, with a small fin at the top. They often show up in spring or early summer, in great abundance, and usually start creating a pungent fishy smell while stranding on the beaches in such numbers. They start to arrive when the west winds kick up, but smaller, infant purple sails have been spotted on the beaches since March.

Inn at Cannon Beach. Beautifully wooded natural setting at quiet south end of Cannon Beach. Great during winter storms with a new book by the fireplace – or when the sun is out for family fun and beach strolling. Handsome beach cottage-style architecture. Lush flowering gardens and naturalized courtyard pond. Warm, inviting guest rooms. Continental buffet breakfast. Warm Cookies. Family and Pet Friendly. Welcome gifts. Smoke-free. Complimentary Wireless Connectivity. Wine and book signing events. 800-321-6304 or 503-436-9085. Hemlock At Surfcrest, Cannon Beach, Oregon. www.atcannonbeach.com.

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