Oregon Coast

From north to south, the Oregon Coast is over 360 miles of rocky headlands, coastal dunes and thick forest, all being constantly shaped and reshaped by the unrelenting power of the Pacific Ocean. It is one of the most diverse and beautiful places on Earth, a favorite haunt for vacationers, hikers, sportsmen and photographers. It is home to tens of thousands of species of native animals and plants. If you have never before experienced the Oregon Coast, we promise you will never forget it. And if you are a returning visitor, you already know how its beauty lingers on the mind and feeds the senses.

Our Role As Interpreter and Steward

Since 1992, the Oregon Coast Aquarium has been at the forefront of sharing, interpreting and preserving the beauty and biological diversity of the region. The arrangement of the Aquarium exhibits were designed to guide our visitors from one ecosystem to the next – from the top of the Coastal Mountain range to the dark, muddy bottom of the waters offshore. As you visit, you’ll notice a progression in our exhibits, starting with the habitats closest to shore and ending in the blue vastness of the open ocean. You can click on any of the exhibits listed below to learn more about them and the animal species they contain.

Sandy Shores: Begin your journey in the spot where most people experience the ocean… on a sandy beach. Some species may be familiar to you, like the Sand Dollar washed up on shore. But others will come as a surprise, as they lie hidden beneath your feet or in the currents just offshore.

Rocky Shores: This gallery provides the next leg of your journey out to sea. The ancient volcanic flows that sculpted the Oregon coastline are home to all kinds of marine life, from tide pool invertebrates to colorful reef fish.

Coastal Waters: Not accessible from the beach, but still close to land, are the teeming coastal waters. Here, huge colonies of Moon Jellies or Sea Nettles drift on the cold currents and fish build vast symbiotic communities among kelp forests.

Sea Otter and Seal & Sea Lion Exhibits: Oregon’s coastal waters contain thousands of islands and rocky headlands which are habitat and “haul out” areas for marine mammals. Our outdoor canyons simulate these areas. Wander through these narrow passages where waves crash through the rocks and you can spot California Sea Lions, Harbor Seals and the endangered Sea Otters at play.

Giant Pacific Octopus Exhibit: As you explore the dark passages of our outdoor canyons, keep your eyes peeled for one of the ocean's most fascinating and enigmatic creatures: the Giant Pacific Octopus. An animal of myth and legend, our octopus exhibit allows you to peer into the animal's hidden home among the rocks.

Turkey Vulture and Seabird Aviaries: The animals of the Oregon Coast live beneath the waves, on the cool breezes far overhead, and roost on the numerous offshore islands. Birdlife is one of the most visible and spectacular features of the Oregon coast, and these exhibits bring some of the more recognized species within inches of you.

Passages of the Deep: This series of connecting underwater tunnels guides you through the more remote areas of the Pacific Ocean off the Oregon Coast. Most of us will never see these ecosystems and animals firsthand, but Passages of the Deep allows us to wander among the deep chasms of the Orford Reef or among swirling schools of sharks and rays.

What About the Rest of the Coast?

What makes the Oregon Coast so diverse is the interaction between land, sky and sea. The ocean works as a great engine, driving moisture inland which feeds the creeks, streams and rivers. As the water runs back toward the ocean, it nourishes the different life zones, from towering pine forests to the swampy coastal estuaries. Once you’ve finished exploring our major exhibits, we invite you to experience the natural beauty of two terrestrial ecosystems.

Our Aquarium Gardens provide an example of native coastal forest featuring plant species like Sitka Spruce, Western Red Cedar, Salal and a multitude of ferns. The nearby Estuary Trail lets visitors experience Yaquina Bay in its natural state -- as an expansive wetland that’s home to dozens of species of birds, and a nursery to marine life of every description.

The Animals of the Oregon Coast

Our galleries will provide you with only part of the Oregon Coast story. Though not every ecosystem could be represented on the grounds of the Aquarium, those represented are important to the ecological diversity of the region. You can learn more about the Oregon Coast as a whole by browsing the “Meet the Animals” feature shown below. This area provides larger examples of animal species important to the coast. Many of these features will provide information on areas where you can view wildlife or experience the natural beauty of the Oregon Coast.

What Lives Here

American Beaver

This animal is not part of an Aquarium exhibit, but is rather a native species which lives along the Oregon Coast.It's impossible to talk about the important aqua... more
American Kestrel

This animal is not part of an Aquarium exhibit, but is rather a native species which lives along the Oregon Coast.This common and colorful falcon species is often... more
Bald Eagle

This animal is not part of an Aquarium exhibit, but is rather a native species which lives along the Oregon Coast.The Oregon resident is also the national bird of... more
Basking Shark

This animal is not part of an Aquarium exhibit. It a wild species that lives in the open sea and in Oregon coastal waters. It is included here as part of the Aqu... more
Black Bear

This animal is not part of an Aquarium exhibit, but is rather a wild species that may be seen along the Oregon Coast.This medium-sized bear is common throughout... more
Bobcat

This animal is not part of an Aquarium exhibit, but is rather a species that may be seen along the Oregon Coast.For most people, the Bobcat is probably the most e... more
Blue Shark

This animal is not part of an Aquarium exhibit, but is rather a wild species that lives in the open sea and in Oregon coastal waters. It is included here as part ... more
Coho Salmon

This animal is not part of an Aquarium exhibit, but is rather a native species which lives along the Oregon Coast.Coho salmon are a well-known and popular sport f... more
Common Thresher Shark

This animal is not part of an Aquarium exhibit. It a wild species that lives in the open sea and in Oregon coastal waters. It is included here as part of the Aqu... more
Cougar

This animal is not part of an Aquarium exhibit, but is rather a wild species that may be seen along the Oregon Coast.Hunted to near extinction by the 1960s, the... more
Coyote

This animal is not part of an Aquarium exhibit, but is rather a wild species that may be seen along the Oregon Coast.Once rare west of the Cascades, the Coyote ... more
Giant Pacific Salamander

This animal is not part of an Aquarium exhibit, but is rather a wild species that may be seen along the Oregon Coast.As their name suggests, these are the largest... more
Golden Eagle

This animal is not part of an Aquarium exhibit. It a wild species that lives in the open sea and in Oregon coastal waters. It is included here as part of the Aqua... more
Gray Whale

This animal is not part of an Aquarium exhibit, but is rather a species that lives in Oregon coastal waters. It is included here as part of the Aquarium's broad m... more
Great Horned Owl

This animal is not part of an Aquarium exhibit, but is rather a native species which lives along the Oregon Coast.These large, beautiful birds are ubiquitous with... more
Humpback Whale

This animal is not part of an Aquarium exhibit, but is rather a wild species that lives in Oregon coastal waters. It is included here as part of the Aquarium's ... more
Lion's Mane Jellyfish

The Lion’s Mane Jellyfish is not only the largest jellyfish in the world (one specimen measured 120 feet [36.5 meters] – which is longer than the Blue Whale), it ... more
Mountain Chickadee

This animal is not part of an Aquarium exhibit, but is rather a wild species that may be seen along the Oregon Coast.Mountain Chickadees are a ubiquitous species ... more
Northern Elephant Seal

This animal is not part of an Aquarium exhibit, but is rather a wild species that lives in the open sea and along the Oregon coast. It is included here as par... more
North American River Otter

This animal is not part of an Aquarium exhibit, but is rather a wild species that may be seen along the Oregon Coast.Not to be confused with the Sea Otter, the Ri... more
Northern Spotted Owl

This animal is not part of an Aquarium exhibit, but is rather a native species which lives along the Oregon Coast.The Northern Spotted Owl is a medium-sized rapto... more
Orca

This animal is not part of an Aquarium exhibit, but is rather a wild species that lives in Oregon coastal waters. It is included here as part of the Aquariu... more
Pacific Lamprey

This animal is not part of an Aquarium exhibit, but is rather a native species which lives along the Oregon Coast.Although most people wouldn’t consider the Pacif... more
Pacific Tree Frog

This animal is not part of an Aquarium exhibit, but is rather a wild species that may be seen along the Oregon Coast. This small frog (adults generally grow ... more
Pacific Wren

This animal is not part of an Aquarium exhibit, but is rather a native species which lives along the Oregon Coast.This small, rapidly-moving bird is an annual vis... more
Pelagic Cormorant

This animal is not part of an Aquarium exhibit, but is rather a native species which lives along the Oregon Coast.These distinctive-looking birds are common along... more
Roosevelt Elk

This animal is not part of an Aquarium exhibit, but is rather a wild species that may be seen along the Oregon Coast.Roosevelt Elk (sometimes referred to as Olymp... more
Short-Beaked Common Dolphin

This animal is not part of an Aquarium exhibit, but is rather a native species which lives along the Oregon Coast.Although not as well known as similar species, t... more
Short Fin Mako Shark

This animal is not part of an Aquarium exhibit. It a wild species that lives in the open sea and in Oregon coastal waters. It is included here as part of the Aqu... more
Short-Tailed Albatross

This animal is not part of an Aquarium exhibit, but is rather a wild species that may be seen along the Oregon Coast.The largest of the north Pacific albatross,... more
Silverspot Butterfly

This animal is not part of an Aquarium exhibit, but is rather a wild species that lives in on the sandy dunes and coastal meadows and forests of Oregon. It is inc... more
Sperm Whale

This animal is not part of an Aquarium exhibit, but is rather a species that lives in Oregon coastal waters. It is included here as part of the Aquarium's broad m... more
Steelhead Trout

This animal is not part of an Aquarium exhibit, but is rather a species that lives in Oregon coastal waters. It is included here as part of the Aquarium's broad m... more
Steller Sea Lion

This animal is not part of an Aquarium exhibit, but is rather a species that lives in Oregon coastal waters. It is included here as part of the Aquarium's broad m... more
Striped Skunk

This animal is not part of an Aquarium exhibit, but is rather a native species which lives along the Oregon Coast.Almost everyone knows the skunk on sight. Its bl... more
White Shark

This animal is not part of an Aquarium exhibit, but is rather a wild species that lives in the open sea and in Oregon coastal waters. It is included here as p... more
Western Pond Turtle

This animal is not part of an Aquarium exhibit, but is rather a wild species that may be seen along the Oregon Coast.The Western Pond Turtle is one of two native ... more
Western Snowy Plover

This animal is not part of an Aquarium exhibit, but is rather a wild species that lives in on the sandy shores of Oregon. It is included here as part of the... more
White Tailed Kite

This animal is not part of an Aquarium exhibit, but is rather a native species which lives along the Oregon Coast.This strikingly beautiful bird is one of the sma... more