As promised in “The Spanish Explore the Coast of California,” see below for the pictures of Little Whale Cove, Oregon, sent in by Dave of Gleneden Beach, which is nearby. Little Whale Cove, you may recall, is one of the possible sites of Drake’s “fair and good bay,” and definitely more likely than “Drake’s Bay” on the coast of California. Thank you Dave!
I sent the pictures to Melissa Darby, author of Thunder Go North: The Hunt for Sir Francis Drake’s Fair & Good Bay, who holds to the Little Whale Cove theory. She provided some context:
My theory is that it is likely Whale Cove, but I don’t know for sure. The photos are Whale Cove, nice photos. You can see the shell midden where the village once was present. It is a restricted area as of 2014, the US Fish and Wildlife folks patrol it, and have trail cameras. Seals pull out and are protected there. If you live along the bluff you can go on the beach, or if you are someone’s guest. In the summer the water is calm, wind from the north. I was there two weeks ago, and it was quite rough.
