Frequently Asked Questions
... about the Visitor Center
- General information
- What can I see and do at the Visitor Center?
- About our exhibits and animals
- Other local attractions
Do you have a question? Contact us!
GENERAL INFORMATION
Q. Where are you located? When are you open?
We are part of the Hatfield Marine Science Center, which is located in the South Beach area of Newport, across Yaquina Bay from the harbor (and close to the Oregon Coast Aquarium). For maps and information about how to get here, and our seasonal hours of operation, please see our Hours & Directions page.
Q.How much does it cost to get in?
Admission to the Visitor Center is by donation (suggested $4 per person / $10 per family). Any and all donations are gratefully accepted.
Q. Is the Visitor Center accessible to people with mobility, vision and hearing impairments?
The Visitor Center is wheelchair accessible, as is the nearby paved Yaquina Bay Estuary Trail; some outdoor classes may require assistance. Many of our exhibits include Braille signage and/or audio descriptions. We make every effort to accommodate visitor needs; for more information, visit our Accessibility page.
Q. Can I bring my pet?
Sorry, but the only outside animals allowed at the HMSC are assistance animals trained to assist a physically impaired person in one or more daily life activities, including guide/assistance dogs in training. The state regulations covering animals on Oregon State University Property can be read in detail here. Please leave your pets at home or at your lodging; leaving them in your car while you tour the center is never a good idea, and during warm weather it can be deadly.
Q. Where can we eat lunch?
While there are no dining facilities, vending machines or covered eating areas at the Visitor Center, there are outdoor benches and short concrete walls near our entrance where you can sit and eat the lunch you brought, depending on the weather. Chaperones should remain with student groups while eating. There are outside garbage cans for your cleanup, but large groups should notify us in advance so we can provide additional cans.
The Oregon Coast Aquarium has a covered picnic table area in their parking lot, available on a first-come, first-served basis. Two nearby State Parks have day use areas with picnic tables and restrooms (though neither has covered areas for large groups):
- South Beach State Park is 1.3 miles south of HMSC
- Yaquina Bay Lighthouse State Park is 1.2 miles north
Q. Do you offer wireless Internet access?
HMSC has 100 mbps of fiber optic connection available for wireless access to the Internet. The Guin Library has a public wireless network as well as five computer terminals available to the public.
Q. Where is the closest ATM?
At the Oregon Coast Aquarium. There is also one at the Aquarium Village shopping area. Many banks are located downtown. ATMs are also available at all of the three supermarkets.
Q. Where is the closest pay phone?
If you have a calling card you can use the phone in the Visitor Center vestibule. Dial “9” to get an outside line.
WHAT CAN WE SEE AND DO?
Q. When is the octopus fed?
Watching our resident octopus get fed may rank as one of the most popular activities at the Visitor Center. The animals do not eat every day, though, and the schedule varies from season to season, so check the current feeding schedule.
Q.Is there a schedule for films?
While we occasionally schedule special films, visitors can also choose from more than 100 natural science videos on subjects including marine mammals, birds, intertidal animals, fish, coastal hazards, marine ecosystems, research, and global issues. Videos range from six to 60 minutes long and are available for viewing at almost any time. We also offer a wide variety of videos and presentations that are especially good for visiting school groups. Check with us when making arrangements for your group's visit.
Q.How long does it take to see the Visitor Center?
That depends on what you want to do! You can see all our indoor exhibits in about an hour; plan to stay longer if you want to explore the outdoor Yaquina Estuary Trail, pursue an Oregon Coast Quest or spend time browsing our bookstore.
Q. Are other parts of the HMSC open to the public?
The Guin Library is open to the public 8 am to 5 pm., Monday through Friday, except for major holidays. You can use this extensive library collection of marine and estuarine books and magazines. There’s even a section of children’s books.
During the summer, and occasionally at other times of the year, we offer guided tours of our animal husbandry area and other behind-the-scenes activities. You can also book a special tour for your group, for a small fee. If you're bringing a group of 12 or more to the Center, please call ahead to book your tour.
Outdoors, the Yaquina Estuary Trail offers an easy loop around the entire HMSC campus along Yaquina Bay, with interpretive signs pointing out features of the estuarine environment.
Other facilities, including the HMSC research facilities, are working laboratories and open to the public only by invitation or on special occasions such as the annual SeaFest.
Q. Can I take pictures? How about videos?
Feel free to photograph our exhibits and animals, but please don't use a flash when photographing the octopus. In fact, you may get better pictures of many exhibits by disabling your flash to eliminate glare from the aquarium tanks. Public demonstrations and lectures can be videotaped with prior permission from the presenter.
Q. I saw a great book/gift/T-shirt at the HMSC Bookstore but didn't buy it - can I have it shipped to me?
Yes! Our bookstore is now online! Many of the items that you saw in the store are available on our secure online shopping site. If you saw something that you don’t see listed in our online store, you are welcome to email or call us to locate that item and get it shipped to your home.
Q. Who operates the bookstore? Do my purchases benefit the Visitor Center?
Our bookstore is operated by Oregon State University/Hatfield Marine Science Center staff, students, and volunteers. All proceeds from this non-profit bookstore directly support the educational mission of the Visitor Center.
OUR EXHIBITS AND ANIMALS
Q. How cold is the water in the aquarium tanks? Where does it come from?
A flow-through life support system is used to maintain most of our aquatic animal exhibits. This water is constantly being pumped into the tanks and an equal volume of water is flowing back out, carrying fish waste back to Yaquina Bay. The HMSC facilities pump water straight from Yaquina Bay into holding tanks during high tide periods. The water is filtered slightly before it enters the Visitor Center. The best part of this system is having a constant supply of sea water on demand and typically at the appropriate temperature to maintain the exhibit animals indigenous to this area. Yaquina Bay water temperature fluctuates between 11oC (51.8o F.) and 16oC (60.8o F).
Q. Is that the same octopus I saw last time? How often do you change the octopus? Where do they come from, and what happens to the current octopus when you get a new one?
Of the hundreds of animals we have on display, the Giant Pacific octopus seems to be a visitor favorite. Many who come back to the Visitor Center after a year or two are surprised to find a different animal on display.
Our octopuses come straight from the Pacific waters off Newport, where they are quite common. Sometimes our aquarium staff catch them (they know where to look); occasionally local fishermen bring us an octopus they've brought up with their catch. The animals go through a period of adjustment in our animal husbandry labs to make sure they're healthy before we put them on public display.
Typically, an octopus stays on display for five or six months, depending on how well it is eating and how well it's handling captivity. When we replace a healthy octopus, we release it back into the bay.
Near the end of its three-to-five-year life, the Giant Pacific octopus goes through a senescent stage before dying -- the males after mating, the females while brooding eggs and after the eggs hatch. Sometimes we notice signs of senescence in the octopus on display - it stops eating, its movements become uncoordinated, etc. When that occurs, we replace the animal as soon as possible.
Q. Who designs the exhibits? Are the exhibits designed for kids only or both kids and adults? Do you ever get feedback from kids on what exhibits they like/dislike?
We design the exhibits at the Hatfield Marine Science Center in-house with a small exhibit design team. We will often work with community members and esearchers/scientists to assist with content areas. All of the exhibits go through a prototyping process and a formative evaluation
The exhibits are designed for families and intended to promote social (group) learning. We work with our local school district and have a teacher advisory council that helps to provide ideas for content, but have not worked with kids directly. We do, however, often work with college students (from OSU and local community colleges) to help design our exhibits.
Q. Why are there tsunami warning signs? Is a tsunami likely to happen here?
While tsunamis do not happen frequently, they are likely sooner or later all along the Pacific coastline. Our warning signs are part of a larger effort to alert coastal communities and visitors to that possibility and teach them what to do if one should occur.
The HMSC is susceptible to a tsunami because it is located close to sea level and sits on top of dredge spoils that make up much of the South Beach area. The Lincoln County tsunami warning system should provide plenty of time to evacuate from a tsunami caused by a distant offshore earthquake. In the case of a near-shore quake, the earthquake itself is your warning, and means a tsunami could strike in a matter of minutes. If you feel the earth shake, head by foot, not car, to the nearest high ground (near the south end of the bridge - see the HMSC evacuation map)
Q. Are the urchins in the touch tank poisonous?
The two local varieties (purple or red urchins) we have in our touch tank are not poisonous to people. However, punctures caused by their spines can get infected. Be careful when handling them, and wash your hands well afterward.
Q. What's that ship docked out front of the Visitor Center?
The HMSC serves as home port for OSU's research vessels, the Wecoma and Elakha, and the newer R/V Pacific Storm. Other vessels come and go; the HMSC ships calendar usually lists visiting vessels.
By 2011, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Pacific research fleet will join the HMSC vessels in Newport, thanks to a 20-year lease the agency is planning to sign with the Port of Newport.
Q. I found something weird on the beach. What is it?
All kinds of interesting things, natural and man-made, wash up on Oregon's beaches. To learn about some of them, download the free Oregon Sea Grant publication Flotsam, Jetsam and Wrack in illustrated .pdf format or plain text.
If that doesn't answer your question, check our Ask A Scientist page!
Q. I would like to be a marine scientist when I grow up. How can I learn more?
For a great overview of marine science careers and some of the people who pursue them, visit the Sea Grant Marine Science Careers site. If you're a high school student, our Career Day marine education programs can give you a taste of what it's like.
OTHER LOCAL ATTRACTIONS
Q. Where is ...
... the Oregon Coast Aquarium?
About 1/2 mile from here. Either take the Estuary Trail, or turn left out of the Visitor Center parking lot, then turn left onto either 23rd St. or Ferry Slip Road. You'll see plenty of signs.
... Discovery Tours?
Across the bridge in Newport’s historic bayfront. Take the first right turn after the bridge, then a left down the hill.
... Ripley’s Believe It or Not, Undersea Gardens, Wax Museum?
On the Bayfront (see above)
... the lighthouse?
There are two nearby:
Yaquina Bay Lighthouse
Just north across the bridge. Take the first right after crossing the bridge. Keep to the right and circle around underneath the bridge, then take the left fork into the park. The park is free and offers great vistas of Yaquina Bay. The historic lighthouse is managed by Oregon State Parks; admission is by donation.
Yaquina Head Lighthouse
North of town, up US 101 about 4 miles from the Visitor Center. Turn left at the stoplight at Lighthouse Drive and 52nd Ave. - it's well-marked. This is an active lighthouse and part of the Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area managed by the Bureau of Land Management. There is a $5/day fee per vehicle – unless you have a Golden Age or other federal passport. Yaquina Head is a favorite local whale-watching spot, and the nearby interpretive center features educational exhibits and programs about the area's environment and natural history. Read more at the BLM Web site.
Q. Where can I go tidepooling nearby?
- Seal Rock State Park, approximately 9 miles south on US 101, just past the Seal Rock shopping area. Take the paved trail down to the beach. The end of the pavement has washed away so there’s a 3-foot scramble to the sand.
- Yaquina Head, approximately three miles north. From the lighthouse parking area take the steps down to Cobble Beach. There is a $5/day fee per vehicle to access this area.
Q. Where can I crab around here?
From a boat or the public pier across the bay, in crabbing season. Please don't try crabbing off the HMSC dock - it is reserved for research vessels and off limits to the public except during special events featuring vessel tours.
Q. Where can I collect shellfish/clams? Do I need a license?
Clams can be collected along almost any sandy, flat stretch of beaches – but not in a state park or any other type of reserve. Cockles are found in Yaquina Bay in rocky areas. Coquille Point, across the bay is one place. Yes, you must have a shellfish license to collect.
Q.How do I know if it’s safe and legal to collect shellfish?
Check the shellfish hotline: 1-800-448-2472 or on the Web.
For more information about crabbing, clamming and how to catch and prepare other food from the sea, see Oregon Sea Grant's free online publications.
Q. What seafood is in season? And where can I eat some? Where can I find out about lodging or camping?
Lincoln County Sea Grant Extension agent Kaety Hildenbrand has put together a handy "what's fresh and when?" guide to Oregon's commercial seafood seasons for 2009. Dates change from year to year, depending on the supply and fishery management decisions. Check dates and download a printable version here.
For a guide to some of the great local seafood (and other) restaurants, hotels, camping sites and activities, visit Discover Newport.
