Out of this world (or just under it)

A rather UFO-esque jellyfish I saw at the Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport today. It was this or any number of adorable close-ups of a fuzzy-faced sea otter. I opted for awe-inspiring over aww-inspiring.

Made it another 75 miles down the coast today, to Florence (some 60 miles due west of Eugene). I stopped in Depoe Bay in hopes of seeing any of its resident gray whale pod, and was happily treated to two of them. Over the course of half an hour they breached over and over, their dark marbled backs cresting just over the surface, and then their iconic whale tails flashing as they descended back into the water to feed on tiny shrimps nestled in the sediment of the sea floor. This was my first ever sighting of a gray whale.

Also visited Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area, a BLM-managed area complete with tidepools, seabird colonies, and an historic lighthouse. Then to the aquarium and Newport's historic bayfront, where I swallowed that ounce of shame I reserve for dining alone in nice restaurants and enjoyed a fresh Dungeness Crab Po' Boy at an eatery called Local Ocean Seafood. Best decision all day. Besides stopping to scan for whales.