A tsunami advisory was in effect along the West Coast until 1 a.m. today, but that didn’t necessarily keep people away from the beaches.

The tsunami, created by an 8.0- to 8.3-magnitude earthquake in the South Pacific, was expected to hit Coos and Curry counties around 9:20 last night.

Just before the hour, a crowd gathered on Bastendorff Beach near Charleston in hope of glimpsing a swelling wave, while officials tried to disperse onlookers with warnings over a loud speaker.

Sea levels rose less than five inches in Charleston, the West Coast/Alaska Tsunami Warning Center reported. The highest waters hit in Port Orford, reaching half a foot.

The center issued the tsunami advisory around 3 p.m. Tuesday to serve as caution to stay out and away from the water, due to dangers arising from strong currents and surging waves.

A World employee who watched from a cliff near Face Rock in Bandon on Tuesday night, said the waters were rough, but it was hard to tell the tsunami from any other waves.

“Around 9:15 p.m., the water receded just behind Cathedral Rock, followed by a large wave that brought the tide almost to the high-tide mark,” Ginger Shepherd said.

That was about it.

Officials with the U.S. Coast Guard Station in North Bend and at the State Parks regional office at Sunset Bay said there were no incidents or rescues.