Lincoln City, OR. – There is ample wildlife that watches you too in the forests and waters near Lincoln City, long known for its rugged coastal beauty. As many as 150 harbor seals frequently can be seen sunning themselves on the Salishan spit in Siletz Bay on SW 51st. These mammals, reaching six feet (1.8 meters) in length and 250 pounds (113 kilograms), dive as deeply as 60 (18 meters) feet and stay under water an average of five minutes. If you see their pups lying on the beach, leave them alone. Their mothers frequently leave them for hours, even overnight, while hunting for food. If you touch the pups, the mothers will not return to them, and they will likely die.

Of course the largest mammals around are the whales. The grays are the most commonly seen, though pods of orcas also travel through on occasion. Gray whales were removed from the endangered species list in 1994 and are best seen during their migration period from mid-November through mid-May. To view them easily, travel to an elevated place like Cascade Head, SW 40th Street, Roads End, or an upper floor of an oceanfront motel.

Brown pelicans are one of six endangered species in the area. They inhabit the area from late spring through early fall after breeding in California and Mexico. Residents and visitors alike enjoy their fishing antics in Siletz Bay and on the ocean. They are noticeable for their rag-tag formations and their habit of folding their wings and collapsing into the water to catch prey.

Adorable flocks of sanderlings and sandpipers race up and back on the beach, just ahead or behind the tide line, to catch their crustacean dinners, while large groups of gulls swoop in to steal their meals from beached fish or even unsuspecting humans with lunch. Although there are several varieties of gulls, the brown colored gulls are usually juveniles, not a different kind. Occasionally an annual ocean buffet brings as many as 15,000 gulls of different types to Siletz Bay. Farther south in the Bay and estuary, a variety of graceful wildlife can be seen, including geese, ducks, Great Blue Herons and the Great Egrets.

On the lakes and rivers of the area other varieties of wildlife may be present. Although Pacific sea otters were hunted to extinction here early in the last century, freshwater otters, reaching nearly three feet (.9 m) in length, still cavort in inlets and streams. Some are even occasionally seen on Devils Lake. Devils Lake also boasts colorful perching wood ducks, coots, loons, and, of course, the Great Blue Heron. The stately bird is approximately four feet (1.2 m) tall at maturity. If you are lucky, you might even catch a glimpse of its elaborate and graceful mating dance.

Perhaps the largest mammal in the area, other than whales, is the Roosevelt Elk, reaching one thousand pounds (453 kilograms). They travel in large herds in the meadows around the Salmon River Estuary and Chinook Winds Casino Golf Resort, going down to the edge of Devils Lake for water. In order to find food and water, elk and deer often need to cross Highway 101, so be alert and take care when driving.

The Lincoln City Visitor and Convention Bureau has bird and other wildlife watching guides for self-guided tours, featuring the best vantage points for viewing and photographing marine mammals and birds without harming the environment.

If you wish to learn more about birds and wildlife on the Coast, consider a bird-watching kayak tour offered by the Devils Lake State Park or the Lincoln City Audubon Society or rent your own kayak from Blue Heron Landing for a self-guided tour. There you can learn more about the wildlife that has been watching you.

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