Spring's Weird Things Along Washington, Oregon Coast

Published 04/22/25 at 7:12 p.m.
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff

(Seaside, Oregon) – Those of us living in Oregon and Washington reside next to one of the more dynamic environments in the entire world. Oregon and Washington's coastlines are not really like many others on the planet. For one, it's one of the few coastal regions that has sneaker waves. (Photo of a sea bird skull in an ocean burp - Seaside Aquarium)

The beaches here are different every day – sometimes every hour, if the surf is going crazy enough.

Spring keeps up the dynamic pace (and indeed there are offshore small craft warnings and hazardous seas warnings at this very moment of writing). The season is full of wild finds.

So beach experts are urging coastal tourists to walk carefully and look intently at the beaches, as they may find a surprise treasure. It happens anywhere in this region: Westport, Newport, Bandon, Brookings, Cannon Beach, Oceanside or even Yachats or Port Orford. Wherever you are, making sure you're looking around.

Take a gander at what to look for:

Ocean burp - Seaside Aquarium

Everything from egg casings with live embryos, kooky stuff called “whale burps” or “ocean burps,” objects from far away lands, unusual stunts from sea foam, and even a legendary, nearly-paranormal event called “glowing sands.”

“When the wind blows out of the west, it usually causes things to wash onto the beach. It is possible to find ‘burps,’ egg casings, and even glass floats,” said Seaside Aquarium spokesperson Tiffany Boothe.

One possible stunning example could be a collection of egg casings. In one incident several years ago, Seaside Aquarium staff were ecstatic.

Seaside Aquarium

“We have babies!,” proclaimed aquarium spokesperson Tiffany Boothe, after looking into the small, handful of a brood brought in by those wandering the beach. “We have one skate egg casing with four healthy embryos developing inside. They probably have about six months before they are ready to leave their protective casing. Until then they cannot be on display. Their eyes are sensitive to light at this stage.”

Egg casings of this type are often referred to as “Mermaid Purses.”

Seaside Aquarium

Many living things can be found in the “ocean burps,” which is exactly what the Seaside Aquarium staff discovers over and over. The technical term is detritus, and it means the ocean is casting some interesting objects from the depths onto the shores – things you don’t normally find on the beaches.

“Whale burps” is the nickname for rock-hard bundles of sea grass that have been compressed together. There are also “ocean burps,” a very loose term for bundles of sundry objects that get stuck together and tossed up by the tide, which often yield still living specimens like live egg casings from various species.

Seaside Aquarium

Another unusual example is when manmade objects are out to sea for long periods of time and sea life grows on them, like they would any stable, sturdy surface. There have been shoes, boats, chunks of docks and more. When they come onto shore along the Oregon or Washington coast, it's kind'a trippy to look at.

“When objects such as rope, crab buoys, and logs float out in the ocean for an extended period of time, things start to settle on them, such as barnacles and anemones,” Boothe said. “Sometimes other creatures hitch a ride on these now-floating marine habitats, such as crabs and other small invertebrates.”

One year, a massive rope was found on the north Oregon coast, covered in Goose Neck Barnacles. Boothe said these are often found attached to logs buoys and even glass floats. This particular rope also had a myriad of small white crabs living on it.

Seaside Aquarium

“Why do they choose to settle on these things?,” Boothe asked. “Why not? Barnacles will attach to almost anything solid - even whales. If something is in the ocean long enough, barnacles will attach. Unless it's a starfish, because they have small pinchers on the surface of their skin the prevent barnacles from settling on them.”

Glowing sand can also happen – and this time of year it can be a little more frequent because of the diatom blooms happening March through May. See Bioluminescent Phytoplankton: What Makes Glowing Sand On Oregon Coast, Washington

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