Confessions of an Angry Sea Cave: Colorful Silver Point on N. Oregon Coast

Published 02/01/2020 at 6:30 PM PDT
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff

(Cannon Beach, Oregon) – A Photo Essay with Contributions from Tiffany Boothe of Seaside Aquarium.

Famous for its views of Cannon Beach and that oh-so-pretty southern face of Haystack Rock, Silver Point is one of the most photographed spots along the entire Oregon coast, with hundreds if not thousands pulling into the paved lookouts every day. Sometimes the little spot is just bustling and buzzing with people. Every once in awhile, when the beaches have emptied out, you get to be alone for perhaps a maximum of five minutes before another tourist drops in.

There’s a lot going on underneath the noses of viewers here – quite literally. Below the viewing platforms is a hidden beach full of wild and wonderful things, however plenty of dangerous stuff as well, depending on the weather. There are stormier days when the thin stretch between cliff and surf doesn’t exist at all: it’s simply a wall of water bashing up against the ancient land. A fair amount of time, it’s accessible (although skinny enough you don’t want to linger too long in case the waves decide to get sneaky).

Photo Tiffany Boothe

If you’re paying close attention from above, your focus will abruptly shift to a mysterious sea cave lurking in that gigantic blob of a rock below. Yes, there’s an opening. But no, you can’t get to it.

Every once in a great while the tides grant some access to near the cave mouth, but never actually inside it. Which is where Seaside Aquarium’s Tiffany Boothe came in handy, with her intrepid explorer side. She grabbed these incredible closeups of the normally angry, inhospitable sea cave.

Photo Tiffany Boothe

If winter has scoured out enough sands and there’s a low tide, you see a host of goo-covered boulders leading up to the sea cave, likely fallen from the cliff above at various points over time, or from the basalt structure itself.

Seen here, sometimes this sea goo is quite colorful. The rocks look like a small army of hairy, green gremlins on the beach.

However, the pièce de résistance is this flash-lit shot from Tiffany showing the vast array of untouched sea life living in the cave. Colony upon colony of curious little creatures inhabit this swirling, infuriated place.

For more on this viewpoint see the Silver Point Guide and the Cannon Beach Virtual Tour. Below: what the area looks like during a storm and at an extreme low tide, but normally it looks more like this stormy moment. Hotels in Cannon Beach - Where to eat - Cannon Beach Maps and Virtual Tours

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