Learn About Roosevelt Elk, Tide Pool Creatures, Oregon Coast Whale Migration and More
Oregon Wildlife Animals
At Heritage Vacation Homes, you’re not just booking a getaway—you’re stepping into a world of Oregon wildlife. Plan your trip around the whale migration off the coast, or spot rare tufted puffins, also known as sea parrots, at Haystack Rock.
Explore tide pools at Hug Point and Haystack Rock, and marvel at creatures like green sea anemones and starfish. When hiking nearby, you might spot the massive Roosevelt elk, a sight you’ll never forget.
From bright blue Vellela vellela jellyfish on the shore to curious bunnies hopping around Cannon Beach, Oregon’s wildlife offers countless surprises.
Read on to learn more about these fascinating animals, where to find them, and fun facts to enhance your wildlife adventure.
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Tide Pool Creatures
Starfish
• The most commonly-found starfish on the Oregon coast is the “Ochre Star”.
• Sea stars produce a “glue” that permanently adheres them to a rock or their prey. They then can secrete a substance that dissolves the “glue” when they are ready to let go.
• They have a diet that consists mostly of mussels.
• Ochre Stars can live up to 20 years in the wild.
Sea Anemone
- Sea anemones sting their prey with their beautiful tentacles before sucking it into their stomach to digest.
- The vibrant “Giant Green Anemones” which can live up to 100 years!
- The “Aggregating Anemones” are smaller in size, grey like a rock, and live closely together in large colonies.
- Many people ask how to pronounce sea anemone, so we’re here to help! The correct pronunciation is “see uh-NEM-uh-nee.”
Be careful where you step on rocks so that you don’t endanger these small creatures!
Vellela Vellela
- Another name for these creatures is “by the wind sailors”.
- Vellela vellela float on the water, capturing prey by stinging with their centimeter-long tentacles. The 45 degree angle of the Vellela’s sail is akin to the fastest angle that a sailing boat may travel at.
- A Vellela is born with either a left or right-angled sail, so a strong wind will split an entire population floating on the ocean as it pushes them either to the right or to the left.
Haystack Rock Awareness
Tufted Puffin
• In the summer, these beautiful birds fly in from the open ocean to return to their nest on Haystack Rock. A single egg is laid in each nest.
• Tufted puffin eggs have an incubation period or 41 days. You can see both parents taking turns on the nest.
• They may live to be over 20 years old, with much of their life spent over open ocean.
• These puffins use their webbed feet to run across the water, building up momentum before flying into the air after a dive for food.
• Their beaks allow for them to carry up to 20 fish at a time.
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Grey Whale
When thinking of Oregon coast wildlife, whales are not typically an animal that comes to mind and yet they are definitely an animal that visitors should keep an eye out for! Grey whales are the most frequently seen species. Peak whale watching times are between April and May, as well as December and January when the whales are making their migrations between Alaska and Mexico. During these seasons, Oregon State Park volunteers are posted up and down the coast for a week, helping visitors spot the whales.
When staying in one of our Oregon coast homes, be sure to always keep an eye on the horizon because you never know when one of these beautiful animals may be spotted in the distance!
Habor Seals
• Oregon harbor seals can swim at birth.
• If you see a juvenile seal up on the sand or tucked into the rocky cliffs, the mom has placed it there while she goes fishing. She will return!
• Harbor seals can dive for up to 40 minutes, though typically their dives are much shorter than that!
• If you touch a seal, it could cause it to be abandoned by its mother.
• If you see someone harassing a seal, please call the Oregon State Police.
Cannon Beach Bunnies
- Years ago, someone let their pet bunnies out into the wild in Cannon Beach, and the domesticated rabbits became part of the local scenery.
- At least twenty years later, a plethora of these adorable animals roam the grasses of Cannon Beach.
- While they look domesticated, they are wild animals and should be treated as such.
- It’s illegal in Cannon Beach to feed wild animals so please simply enjoy watching them!
Roosevelt Elk
• Roosevelt elk hide in the forests that surround Cannon Beach and often come out into the grassy areas, like along Highway 101.
• Dawn and dusk are the best times to see elk.
• Elk usually travel as a group, so if you see one there is a good chance that more are nearby!
• Elk communicate through bugling- a sound that combines roaring and whistling.
• You should keep a very good distance from elk.
Discover Cannon Beach
Bald Eagles
- A group of eagles flying together is called a “kettle”.
- While on the Oregon coast, look above you from time to time to spot adult or juvenile bald eagles perched in the trees along the cliff line.
- Bald eagles mate for life.
- Bald eagles are only found on North America.
- The lifetime of a bald eagle is anywhere from 25 to 40 years old.
- While bald eagles can be found up and down the coast, it’s especially fun when they fly around Haystack Rock!
