| We visited Yaquina Head Lighthouse, | | | | Small fissures and ponds held even more |
| Oregon early in the day to learn of its | | | | colorful and amazing species, green sea |
| history. Lighthouses were necessities | | | | anemones, purple sea urchins too |
| of the nineteenth century. Rocky coasts | | | | numerous to count. Starfish came in all |
| and poor charting often spelled doom for | | | | manner of size and color. The largest |
| ships. The lighthouse functioned to | | | | of these were as big as dinner plates |
| warn sea captains of danger and help | | | | and burnt orange in color. Some were |
| with location and navigation. Modern | | | | palm size and purple or grayish. Some |
| day GPS and satellites have made | | | | starfish were attached alone to rocks |
| lighthouses almost obsolete. However, | | | | while in other places they were tumbled |
| Yaquina Head's light shines today as it | | | | together. |
| has for more than a century through its | | | | One very fascinating creature at first |
| Fresnel lens. The lens's construction | | | | looked like the basalt upon which it |
| took place on site and contains 250 | | | | sat. Black, slightly domed and |
| pieces of glass. That alone makes it a | | | | elongated, and only partially covered |
| wonder. Yet, the precision of its | | | | with a row of eight saddle shaped |
| construction and pattern allows the | | | | plates, one might have overlooked it. |
| light to be seen 20 miles out to sea. | | | | Such is the Katy Chiton, which we found |
| The lighthouse itself is made from | | | | in one small pool. Chitons are what I |
| 400,000 bricks, is 93 feet tall (tallest | | | | would characterize as living fossils. |
| on the Oregon coast), and has no steel | | | | Surely, biologists refer to these |
| reinforcement. One can climb to the top | | | | creatures as close to the ancestral |
| using 114 steps, which we did. | | | | mollusks. They attach themselves to the |
| We took a look at the cobblestone tidal | | | | bottom of rocks in shallow water and |
| pools while at high tide finding Harbor | | | | feed on algae. Chitons can move by way |
| seals basking on the outlying rocks. | | | | of their elongated foot. |
| Glaucous-winged, Western and Herring | | | | Of course, exposure at low tide means |
| Gulls rode the winds in and about the | | | | dinnertime for the gulls and cormorants. |
| cliffs. Brandt's Cormorants roosted on | | | | We watched as a California Gull spent |
| the larger, taller rocks, and Surf | | | | his evening at easy pickings. The |
| Scoter and Western Grebes rode waves as | | | | cormorants were more active diving in |
| they washed in. | | | | the shallows. There were a couple of |
| At 5:44 PM low tide occurred along the | | | | Harbor Seals curious enough to swim |
| coast of Oregon this September day, | | | | closer to shore, but not too close, to |
| 2007, and we were drawn back to the | | | | watch us watch them. Who was the |
| tidal pools in the evening. Tidal Pools | | | | observer; who the observed? |
| are fantastic marine nurseries. Living | | | | Experiencing the Yaquina Head Lighthouse |
| organisms which inhabit such must be | | | | and its tidal pools at both high and low |
| well adapted to the exposure that the | | | | tide was a highlight to our trip. We |
| ebb and flow of the tides dictate. | | | | would recommend to all this adventure. |
| At low tide, we were not only able to | | | | One would be astounded by all there is |
| walk farther onto the cobbles but also | | | | in this most unusual habitat. There is |
| onto the basaltic rock platforms that | | | | a profound appreciation, all at once, |
| fingered their way into the Pacific. | | | | for both the fragility of life but the |
| Upon these platforms were beds of | | | | tenaciousness with which it occupies its |
| mussels and shelves of Leaf Barnacles. | | | | chosen niche. It is easy to note the |
| How ever so dead looking the mussels and | | | | interdependence of living organisms in |
| barnacles appeared, they were not. Just | | | | tidal pools. The concept of food webs |
| waiting for the tide to roll back in | | | | and biomes are so apparent in this most |
| when they would open their shells and | | | | unique of environments. |
| feed again. | | | | |