Devils Punchbowl is a collapsed sea cave or littoral sinkhole located on a headland in Devils Punchbowl State Natural Area at the community of Otter Rock, about 8 miles (13 km) north of Newport and 5 miles (8 km) south of Depoe Bay, Oregon. The Punchbowl connects to the ocean through two tunnel-like openings, creating a maelstrom of currents during high tide. Originally known as Satan’s Cauldron, its name was changed when Devils Punchbowl State Park was established in 1929, following a land donation by Frederick W. Leadbetter and his wife, Caroline Pittock. Otter Rock, located on US Route 101, takes its name from a nearby sea stack historically inhabited by sea otters. The coastal rocks and headland are shaped by uplift and erosion, fluctuating shorelines, volcanic eruptions, and rock dislocation by faults. In the Middle Miocene, about 20 to 18 million years ago, coastal uplift and erosion were followed by sea invasion and sediment deposition in the Astoria Formation. The Astoria Formation consists of beds of yellowish-gray sandstone and dark-gray siltstone. Thick beds of vvolcanic ash, likely from eruptions in an ancestral Cascade Range, were also deposited in the shallow sea and are visible in the sea cliffs at Devils Punchbowl. Deposition of Astoria Formation marine sediments ceased when the shallow sea was uplifted. During the Pleistocene, sand and pebble sediments were deposited near sea level and now form an ascending series of uplifted marine terraces, ranging from 40 to 500 feet (12 to 150 m) in elevation. These terraces indicate several periods of uplift and erosion of the Coast Range over the past 2 million years. The Astoria Formation sandstone, exposed along the sides of the sea cave and tunnels, features numerous holes about 1 inch (2.5 cm) in diameter, bored by piddock clams. Volcanic breccia cuts through the Astoria sandstone on the floor of the Punchbowl, formed when hot lava was explosively injected into wet sediments. This likely shattered the overlying rocks, creating an easily eroded circular area.

The Yaquina were a Native American tribe that spoke one of the Yakonan languages. They lived in several villages along the coast from present-day Depoe Bay to the Yaquina River and around Yaquina Bay. Native peoples of the Oregon coastal regions traditionally controlled access to natural resources on their lands through property rights and access rules. Specific families often owned assets such as fishing sites or managed gathering places, while hunting grounds might be shared with the broader community. Such rules contributed to their effectiveness as traders. Trespassing or theft could result in fatal retribution. Settlers began arriving in the late 1830s and routinely ignored tribal laws and policies. During the fur trade era, the Oregon Country was primarily under the influence of the British Hudson’s Bay Company. The company’s large trapping parties often bypassed engaging with their Native hosts, harvesting furs and game without permission or apology. In 1832, Alsea hunters killed two Hudson’s Bay Company trappers who were trapping furs without consent. John McLoughlin, the Chief Factor for Hudson’s Bay Company at Fort Vancouver, instructed Michel Laframboise to lead a retaliatory expedition. The party attacked an innocent Yaquina village, and according to Coquelle Thompson, they shot every man, woman, and child, effectively ending the Yaquina as a nation. Over time, fur traders, settlers, miners, entrepreneurs, and military agents engaged in repeated violent confrontations with Native people, resulting in the expropriation of their lands and their placement on reservations.

In 2008, Oregon began designating and implementing a limited system of marine reserves within state waters. These reserves are fully protected marine areas aimed at conserving and restoring overutilized marine ecosystems. Numerous global studies indicate that marine reserves can offer long-term conservation benefits for marine organisms, populations, and biodiversity. Since 2009, five marine reserves have been established in Oregon, with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife as the lead agency for management and monitoring. As the reserves in Oregon are still new, it remains uncertain whether the anticipated benefits are being realized. Researchers are currently collecting data at these sites to detect measurable impacts over time. Otter Rock Marine Reserve is the smallest along the Oregon coast, covering approximately 717 acres (290 hectares). It provides habitat for various seaweeds, fish, and invertebrates. Notably, it is one of only two marine reserves in Oregon with canopy-forming kelp beds. Emergent rocks and islands are also prominent features. The reserve includes a biologically diverse stretch of rocky intertidal habitat. During the first ten years of monitoring at Otter Rock, the complete disappearance of the Sunflower Sea Star in response to sea star wasting disease was observed inside and outside the marine reserve. Natural, inter-annual variability in fish, algae, and invertebrate communities was also documented. Due to low historical fishing pressure and small size, minimal changes attributable to marine reserve protections are anticipated at this site, but the monitoring program provides a foundation to evaluate future changes. Local community groups have formed organically around each marine reserve site. These groups promote stewardship and serve as liaisons between the community and the management agency. They have played a crucial role in outreach, community engagement, citizen science, education, and economic development projects. These efforts complement and expand beyond the agency’s implementation activities. Read more here and here. Explore more of Devils Punchbowl and Otter Rock here: