During summer, gray whales can be spotted along the shore of the Oregon Coast.
A nearly 6 magnitude earthquake struck 102 miles off the Oregon Coast on Sept. 8, followed by a series of aftershocks.
The 5.8 magnitude earthquake occurred at approximately 9:08 p.m., southwest of Port Orford, at a depth of 8.6 miles, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
While at least five aftershocks have followed the earthquake, and more are expected to follow, there currently is no tsunami risk and less than 1% chance of any aftershocks larger than magnitude 5, according to USGS.
Anyone who may have felt the earthquake is encouraged to use the USGS's "Did you feel it?" tool to report what they felt.
How often do earthquakes happen off the Oregon Coast?
Dozens of earthquakes happen off the Oregon Coast every year, but most go unnoticed.
Most earthquakes that occur offshore happen in the Blanco Fracture Zone. The Blanco Fracture Zone is an approximately 200-mile-long active fault system that runs northwest off the coast of Washington and Oregon along the Juan de Fuca Plate.
The Blanco Fracture Zone is one of the most seismically active faults and can produce hundreds of earthquakes each year. However, many of the Blanco Fracture Zone's earthquakes are less than magnitude 3 and are only registered with a seismometer.
Ginnie Sandoval is the Oregon Connect reporter for the Statesman Journal. Sandoval can be reached at GSandoval@gannett.com or on X at @GinnieSandoval.