Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
12. Cape Perpetua
Finding refuge on this headland during a dangerous storm, Capt. James Cook, the British
explorer,christeneditCapePerpetuabecausehefeltasifhehadbeendelayedhereforever.
But far worse fates could befall a visitor. Towering more than 800 feet above the Pa-
cific Ocean, Cape Perpetua is a place of natural, scenic, and historic wonders. Tidepools
teem with sea stars, barnacles, limpets, and hermit crabs. In an ancient rain forest, giant
sprucesbearwitnesstothepast.Pilesofdiscardedclamshells—somemeasuring40feetin
height—provide the only remaining evidence of Indian habitation along the entire Oregon
coast.
At Devils Churn far-off whales can be glimpsed through a telescope, while spectacular
views can be enjoyed nearer at hand. Three miles north of the cape, the drive passes
through Yachats, one of the few places in the world where sardine-like silver smelts come
close to the shore to spawn.
13. Oregon Coast Aquarium
About 28 miles north of Yachats, the excitement moves into the Oregon Coast Aquarium.
Atthisstate-of-the-art facility,you'lldelight intheantics ofseaottersandsealionsasthey
play along the aquarium's rocky shores, while tufted puffins frolic in the pools of one of
the largest outdoor sea bird aviaries in North America. Encounter sharks and other deep-
sea denizens in Passages of the Deep—a 200-foot undersea tunnel snaking its way through
three marine habitats. Next door is the Hatfield Marine Science Center, which further ex-
plores and explains the mysteries of the sea.
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