From giant octopuses to puffin sculptures, experience the Oregon Coast’s wildest creatures.
If you and your kids want to learn about marine life, the Oregon Coast has you covered. You’ll find everything from aquariums with kid-friendly touch pools to interactive museums that uncover some of the ocean’s many mysteries. One must-see is Newport’s Oregon Coast Aquarium, which features a new giant Pacific octopus habitat designed to resemble a natural seafloor. “The wraparound viewing window gives guests the chance to see the octopus as it feeds, plays and displays its colorful camouflage,” says Jeremy Burke, the aquarium’s director of marketing and visitor services.
Best of all, most Oregon Coast marine attractions have weather-protected spaces, which makes them ideal for a rainy-day getaway. Here are a few places to see, hear and feel Oregon’s marine creatures.
From Marine Art to Tide Pools on the South Coast
The geography of Oregon’s Southern Coast features stunning dunes and vast river estuaries — as well as lakes and beaches — and residents are serious about protecting the land. Bandon is the place to learn about marine life and conservation through art. Start at the city’s Old Town Marketplace, where Washed Ashore: Art to Save the Sea, a nonprofit focused on ocean-conservation awareness, displays marine sculptures made out of upcycled garbage collected from the beach. Head to Coquille Point to see Washed Ashore’s Cosmo the Tufted Puffin sculpture, then visit Art 101 Gallery — which Washed Ashore’s founder, artist Angela Haseltine Pozzi, opened in 2024 — to check out Bandonia the Phoenix, a gargantuan sculpture of the mythical bird of rebirth made entirely from trash.
At University of Oregon’s Charleston Marine Life Center near Coos Bay, kids can do gentle hands-on exploration in a tide-pool-inspired touch tank and walk through a deep-sea gallery where visitors experience the sensation of being in the depths of the ocean.
In Reedsport the Umpqua Discovery Center covers both the cultural history of the Umpqua River region and its ecology. Don’t miss “Pathways to Discovery,” which takes guests on a journey through the seasons in one day, from an autumn sunrise over the estuary to a summer sunset over coastal dunes.
Aquarium Fun and Whales on the Central Coast
For an enchanting day filled with marine creatures and discovery, take the family to Newport’s celebrated Oregon Coast Aquarium. Recent renovations include stunning re-envisioned spaces for the Sandy Coast Gallery and the Rocky Coast Gallery, where you can see a giant Pacific octopus up close. A new touch pool was designed to be accessible to all, with a thin outer ledge that makes reaching in easier than ever, and kids will also love the outdoor nature play area.
You can see plenty of marine life out in the wild on the Central Coast, too. Just 11 miles north of Florence, the Sea Lion Caves has provided a glimpse into the lives of giant Steller sea lions since 1932. Visitors descend into a quiet viewing area to see the creatures resting in a rocky cave, or view them from the cliffs above as they play in the ocean.
About a 20-minute drive north of Newport, Depoe Bay is known as the whale-watching capital of the Oregon Coast, with many opportunities to see the majestic marine mammals throughout much of the year. Don’t miss the two-story Oregon State Parks Whale Watching Center to spot whales with the help of park rangers and volunteer docents. Then head to the Whale, Sealife & Shark Museum, which is packed full of exhibits covering everything from seabirds to Depoe Bay’s summer resident gray whales, which feed just outside the town’s tiny harbor from June until October.
Harbor Seal Family and Ship Exhibits on the North Coast
On the North Coast, the Seaside Aquarium is one of the oldest aquariums in the country, dating back to 1937. Highlights include a touch tank where you can get up close to anemones and sea urchins, plus tanks full of all sorts of curious creatures, from wolf eels to sunflower stars. Don’t miss the aquarium’s family of harbor seals, which are known for their entertaining antics. You can extend your marine explorations beyond the aquarium’s walls by picking up some Discovery Cards, which highlight different animals that you may spot when out on the beach.
North of Seaside, in the city of Astoria, the Columbia River Maritime Museum is a hit among visitors of all ages. Exhibits here focus on ships and Oregon’s maritime history; there’s also a 3D movie theater that screens films on life under the sea. A new exhibit, “Cedar and Sea,” which focuses on the Indigenous people of the Pacific Northwest coastal region, opens in fall 2024.
– By Margot Bigg
Top photo: giant Pacific octopus at the Oregon Coast Aquarium by Courtney Klug