With more than 360 miles of beaches, crashing surf, soaring dunes, migrating whales and dramatic sea stacks rising offshore, Oregon’s coastline is a mecca for nature lovers and adventurers. But as the ocean recedes, a watery wonderland of briny, slimy sea plants and gnarly crustaceans and molluscs emerge, rippling in the rock pools and blanketing the boulders with razor-sharp shells. This coastal emporium displays a smorgasbord of intertidal edibles; seaweeds packed with vitamins and minerals, sustainably grown and subtly seasoned with the saltiness of the sea.
To navigate the Pacific Ocean’s ebb and flow and discover the magical marine realm exposed at low tide, I explore with Alanna Kieffer, the founder of Shifting Tides, who offers foraging tours along the Oregon coast, home to some of the most diverse and abundant coastal ecosystems on the planet. Our afternoon adventure takes place on the wild, driftwood-strewn Indian Beach at Ecola State Park, a protected wilderness which is home to eight miles of the Oregon Coast Trail and swathes of dense, old-growth Sitka spruce forest, roamed by Roosevelt elk.
