Our mission is the protection and preservation of rocky shore intertidal life, nesting and migrating sea birds, and marine mammals that inhabit Devil’s Punch Bowl State Natural Area, Otter Rock Marine Gardens, Otter Rock Marine Reserve, and the Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge.
Learn how easy it is to make a positive impact on marine conservation. Join us for a free BioBlitz informational webinar on July 22nd at 6pm PST. Learn how you can contribute to scientific research during the month of August by using your smart phone to document species that you see. No scientific or previous experience required! Everyone welcome to participate.
At just 1.2 square miles, Otter Rock Marine Reserve is the smallest of five designated sites along the Oregon Coast where no fishing, no wildlife removal, and no ocean development are allowed.
This mini yet mighty marine reserve provides a unique and nutrient-rich habitat in which an amazing mosaic of wildlife thrives.
Take a tour with us and hear how Otter Rock Marine Reserve contributes a wealth of value to scientific research, the economy, and conservation efforts.
Friends of Otter Rock Marine Reserve recognizes the lands of Otter Rock as part of the ancestral homelands of the Yaqo’n or Yaquina people who lived between Cape Foulweather and Beaver Creek since time immemorial. The neighbors to the north, the Tillamook peoples, named a rock formation off the coast of Devil’s Punchbowl State Natural Area as əs·hí·higəl ʃə́·nʃis (us-HII-hi-gul SHUN-shis).
Translated to English as Otter Rock, this formation is the namesake of the present-day marine reserve. Our organization commits to respecting each tribe’s history, cultural contributions, and living descendants, including those of the Confederated Tribes of the Siletz Indians, in our work of promoting coastal conservation. We recognize the loss of cultural and ecological richness through colonization and overexploitation, and work in support of the indigenous people who continue to steward these coastal lands today.