Springtime Brings Beach Safety Reminder

Rescue helicopter searching for people missing from the beach in early 2006 off Gleneden Beach Photo By: Tim King

(LINCOLN CITY) - Two annual springtime events that begin this weekend along the Oregon Coast bring with them a beach safety warning from the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department.

Both the SOLV Great Oregon Spring Beach Cleanup and the opening day of spring whale watch, begin Saturday.

OPRD officials say everyone heading to the coast for spring break needs to remember that the ocean is still at winter strength, and even in sunny weather the combination of powerful seas, eager visitors and drift logs left behind by winter storms can have deadly results.

OPRD and SOLV invite visitors to help pick up debris left by those winter storms on beaches the length of the Oregon coast from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM. A zone map that shows 42 check-in points, many of them in state parks, along with helpful tips and other information are posted on the SOLV website:www.solv.org/programs/spring_beach_cleanup.asp.

Viewpoints for whale watchers are the 28 "Whale Watching Spoken Here" sites along the coast from the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center in Ilwaco, Washington south to the 9th Street Beach in Crescent City, California.

More than 200 trained volunteers will be at the sites from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM each day of the eight-day event to give tips on how to spot some of the mammals on their way north from lagoons in Mexico to summer feeding waters in the Bering and Chukchi seas.

A map of "Whale Watching Spoken Here" sites and more information on exhibits and other services are online at www.whalespoken.org. The program is coordinated from OPRD's Depoe Bay Whale Watch Center, which also has information about the Gray whale migration.

State park campgrounds are near all the Oregon whale watch sites and beach cleanup check-in points. Besides full hookup, electrical or tent sites, 14 parks offer yurts and/or cabins, reservable by calling Reservations Northwest, (800) 452-5687. State park information also is available at www.oregonstateparks.org.