The Sea Star Community in Lincoln City, Oregon -- January 12th, 2012

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a sea star? You'd have five arms, and thousands of feet.  Five eyes, but practically blind.  If you lost an arm, within a year, you'd be able to grow a new one.  For dinner, you'd need to find a fellow sea creature (usually clams, mussels, limpits, small fish, barnacles and oysters) pry it open (if needed) and then proceed to move your stomach OUTSIDE of your body, in order to digest your meal! You would never need a blood-transfusion, because don't need blood!  In fact, your vascular system would contain only sea water!

If you lived on the Oregon Coast, you'd probably be an Ochre Star (Pisaster ochraceus).  You'd be big and bright and beautiful, and easy to spot given your colorful skin- you'd be orange, red or purple.  You would spend your days and nights clinging to a rock in the Tidal Zone on one of the many beautiful beaches that Oregon has to offer.  Twice a day the water would move in, beating you and your friends for hours, but with those rough waves, the chances of finding food goes up.

Once low tide arrived, you'd be exposed to the sun and wind and rain, but you'd be easy to spot for the two-leggeds wandering the beach.  You might even be visited by a curious human or two, drawn by your brightness and rough skin, don't worry though, visitors here understand and appreciate your beauty- they might say hi, but they'll never hurt you.

We have an incredible community of sea stars right here on the beach below The Coho Oceanfront Lodge, come on down and say hi to one today.

If you'd like to learn more about these fascinating creatures, check out the Newport Aquarium during your visit!

Thanks For Stopping By, we look forward to your next visit

-Article and photos by Liza Carlson ~ Front Desk Represenative for The Coho Oceanfront Lodge