Surreal Science of the Oregon Coast: a Look Back at Spring's Strange News

Published 09/15/2010

Mother Nature can be a real crazy person on the beach.

All we have to do is look back a few months to April and the spring, where things truly got odd in the world of science. Now, these kooky news stories have a particular relevance and poignancy if you take into account the "glowing sand" phenomenon we have on the coast at this time, as well as the "bummer summer" weather that's plagued the region as of late.

Spring is always a very dynamic time on the coast - which is in itself an extremely dynamic environment. This spring, however, we encountered a number of surprises.

Oregon Coast News This Week: Strange Brown Blobs, Dead Whale, Dining Specials A baby whale was entangled in rope and drowned; other beach oddities. It took not very much time for authorities to figure out what happened to a baby whale that showed up on the beaches, already dead. An extremely sad situation to be sure, but it's not just nature herself that was the instigator of something out of the ordinary: it was mankind as well, and with tragic results. Then there were those weird brown blobs floating on the waves of the north coast back then. What on Earth was that? You'll have to click to find out the juicy, oddball details.

Japanese Glass Fishing Floats Return to Oregon Coast - Briefly Glass Japanese floats were a common sight on Oregon beaches throughout most of the 20th century. It seems these delights weren't as extinct or rare as we may imagine. True, they're still rare. But they can still be found. There is a period in March when these tend to show up, and then there was the stunning influx of them this past spring. What caused it? Mother Nature is being a bit of a freak again. Click to find out more.

Hundreds of Crab Shells Show Up on North Oregon Coast It's simply crab molting season for the Dungeness crab in Oregon coast waters, where adult crabs are getting bigger and outgrowing their shells. Spring storms do the darnedest things, but just run-of-the-mill water currents can also do wacky stuff.

Killer Whales Spotted All Over Oregon Coast Usually seen on the central coast, they've been spotted up north as well. The annual appearance of Killer whales is always fascinating, but this time they showed up earlier and in places they're not normally seen.

There's always more goodies at www.beachconnection.net/OregonCoastNature

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Oregon Coast Honeymoon Guide: Lodging, Hotels, Motels, Destinations, Restaurants and more that scream romance for the newly hitched.

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