do see
Beard’s Hollow
SEAVIEW, WASHINGTON
Arcadia Beach State
Recreation Site
The Cove
CANNON BEACH, OREGON
SEASIDE, OREGON
Indian Beach
Hug Point State
Recreation Site
ECOLA STATE PARK, OREGON
CANNON BEACH, OREGON
Haystack Rock
Short Sand Beach
CANNON BEACH, OREGON
OSWALD WEST STATE PARK, OREGON
Within this mysterious kingdom was a beautiful array of life not at
all what it seemed. And it was absolutely, stunningly marvelous.
“We lost more than 90 percent of our population in five months,” she tells
me. “It’s been devastating.” She’s bending over now, parting the seaweed
gently with her fingers for a more intimate look. “But in the last few days,
we’ve been finding lots of these.”
And nestled there on the rock, shining brightly, lies a juvenile ochre sea
star, not much bigger than a nickel.
More people have joined us now, eager for a glimpse at the next gener-
ation, and, immediately, she’s fielding questions about the little star’s fu-
ture. She tells us that we can’t know what will happen yet, but this young
fellow is a good sign; that for now, all we can do is wait, and watch, and seek
to learn.
And that’s when I see it happen. On the edge of an outgoing tide — the
water replaced by a wave of teachers and attentive students — I witness the
singular moment where wonder and knowledge come together, and end up
wedded forever.
Today, on this beautiful stretch of Oregon beach, there is still hope for the
sea stars.
20 • Our Coast 2015 • discoverourcoast.com