Bandon Event Lets You 'Eat Like an Otter' on South Oregon Coast

Published 08/07/25 at 6:25 p.m.
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff

(Bandon, Oregon) - Bandon will soon give you an opportunity to really dive in on local seafood.

A unique blend of culinary adventure and coastal ecology is coming to the southern Oregon coast on Tuesday, August 13. The event, titled “Eat Like an Otter,” invites participants to explore the region’s edible shoreline while learning about the vital role sea otters play in maintaining healthy marine ecosystems. (Above: courtesy photo. Alanna Kieffer of Shifting Tides is one of the educators running the event)

Running from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., the immersive experience will take place across Bandon’s beaches and the Port of Bandon. Organized by the Elakha Alliance - an organization working to reintroduce sea otters to Oregon’s coast - and Shifting Tides, a company specializing in coastal foraging education, the event offers a rare opportunity to connect food, habitat, and conservation. Cost is $175.

Part guided hike, part culinary showcase, “Eat Like an Otter” includes intertidal foraging, a visit to a sustainable aquaculture operation, and a shoreline cooking demonstration featuring local shellfish and seaweed. Attendees will learn about Oregon’s rocky shore ecology, the seasonality of mussel harvesting, and the impact of sea otters on kelp forest health.

Courtesy Shifting Tides

Participants will have the chance to harvest their own mussels (with a shellfish license) and observe a cooking demo on-site. The group will then tour a sea urchin and seaweed farm at the Port of Bandon, where they’ll learn how the absence of sea otters has led to a surge in purple urchin populations, which in turn is contributing to the decline of bull kelp forests. The farm raises urchins for the culinary market, feeding them Pacific Dulse, a locally farmed seaweed also used in gourmet dishes.

The day concludes with a shoreline tasting session, featuring freshly prepared mussels and urchins, along with other bites sourced from the coast. Ten percent of event proceeds will support the Elakha Alliance’s ongoing efforts to restore sea otters to Oregon waters.

Sea otters were once a common sight around the North Pacific, including along the Oregon coast. However, globally they were hunted down to just one percent of their population. One of the last in this area was reportedly hunted in the Depoe Bay area. While it's true that the population has rebounded in many areas, Oregon is not one of them. This keystone species has been missing here for over a century.

They are a needed part of the ecosystem. Sea otters feed on sea urchins, which in turn supports the growth of kelp forests. These are critical habitats for countless marine species and a foundation for coastal economies.

“Eat Like an Otter” offers a hands-on way to experience the connection between food, habitat, and conservation, while supporting efforts to bring balance back to Oregon’s coastal ecosystems. See more at the link

Sign up to attend at this link.

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