Tidal Pools and Farewell to Coos Bay

The third day at the coast started early for some of the students who, after many cups of coffee, went to a magnificent bay in order to see tidal pools. We reached the place at 8 am, during the low tide, when the ocean had receded leaving many rocks naked under the light of the sun. We took a long time walking among the rocks and observing the fascinating ecosystem of the pools. Among the thick population of algae and kelps we spotted sea stars, crabs, fishes, anemones and many other species.

After this practical lesson of marine biology we went back to the camping site and joined the others students who had preferred to sleep through the morning. The whole of us then started to pack our things, take down our tents, and charge the vans. We left the campsite at midday and bid farewell to Coos Bay, a place where all of us have left a piece of our hearts.

However, we did not have time to mourn: the picturesque town of Bandon was waiting for us! After a quick lunch by the ocean we visited the showroom of Washed Ashore, an NGO whose goal is to create works of art using garbage recovered from the ocean. We had the chance to admire wonderful statues, mimicking sea creatures, made out of plastic, glass and polystyrene.

Soon it was time to head back to Eugene. During the way back we stopped twice: first, to one of the oldest lighthouses of the Oregon coast; and secondly, to an elk spotting location. Tired but happy, we finally reached our dorm and had rest.