Fall in love with digging for clams off the coast of Washington

In November, the season’s third series of razor clams begins after WDFW announced that digging can resume from the first of the month.

The ministry recently approved the five-day dig after tests confirmed the oysters were safe to eat.

Negative tides will occur each day, and depending on how the weather and surf develop, oysters may get their first good fortune by preying on oysters in the deeper parts of the beds.

Bryce Blumenthal, WDFW’s recreational razor clam manager, recently reported that most diggers were doing well, but bad weather in the second open season made digging difficult.

“We just finished our second excavation and the weather was a little worse than before,” Blumenthal said.

“We didn’t see this many people in the first excavation,” he said. “I think people were looking at the tides and realizing that we hadn’t really had any negative tides. So they thought ‘okay, there are some really nice tides in the next series of tides, so we’ll just wait it out.’

“We had a storm over the weekend which affected attendance and success. “We weren’t too happy with the way it worked out because we had some really good tides, including a tide of minus 1.7 feet.”

He reported that the weather was nice and success was better in the last few days of the second dig.

Were the oysters a good size?

“Not really so far,” Blumenthal said. “Most of the oysters were happy to have reached a limit but commented that the oysters were a bit small. We did not experience the best tides and the good tides we did experience were affected by weather conditions. So the excavations so far have been at the top of the razor oyster beds.”

He explained that the upper part of the beds is often filled with smaller oysters.

“Up on the beach, there are smaller oysters that can get established and exist. That’s just the rule of thumb. The first areas you can find at the top of the oyster beds, there are smaller oysters because they can survive much easier.”

“We haven’t reached the full width of the beds yet,” he added.

While collecting clams, diggers look for “shows”, or holes in the sand, that indicate the presence of scallops on the beach. They then dig them up using a clam gun or clam shovel.

Winter and fall digs are evening and night adventures and require the use of a high-powered light or flashlight. Day and morning excavations will be carried out in the spring.

Oyster enthusiasts are also reminded that the northern end of Long Beach offers less choppy beaches and better digging opportunities.

This summer’s population assessment showed a very similar population to last year, and Blumenthal believes the season will be very similar to the 2023-2024 season.

Toxins such as domoic acid do not appear to be a problem at this time. Blumenthal said that the algae that cause toxins are present in small numbers and that the conditions necessary for them to create toxic blooms do not currently exist.

However, the unusually warm weather this autumn brings with it some dangers. A few warm, sunny days can change these conditions; so scallop fishermen are reminded to check the state’s website on toxins before doing any digging.

An announcement will be made via WDFW newsletters before the next excavations take place. WDFW News releases:

The latest test results for domoic acid on Washington beaches can be found on the department’s domoic acid reports webpage.

The limit is 15 oysters per digger per day. Each participant must dig their own oyster and keep the first 15 oysters they dig. Oysters returning to the beach have a very low chance of survival.

Additionally, each digger should store their oysters in a separate container.

Blumenthal emphasizes safety during excavations in the winter months, when it is dark and conditions can be challenging.

“Safety is always a concern when we enter the high-swell stormy season,” he said. “We want to remind people to always be aware of conditions, look around and take care of their fellow digs.”

“People shouldn’t dig on their own if they can avoid it.”

A replacement light is a good idea in case your original light fails.

early excavations

During the evening (afternoon) low tide the following excavations will proceed as planned:

• Saturday, November 2, 19:47; -0.4 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks (switch to standard time)
• Sunday, November 3, 19:22; -0.4 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis
• Monday, November 4, 20:00; -0.3 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis
• Tuesday, November 5, 20:42; -0.1 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks

Please note that the change to daylight saving time will mean that tide time on 3 November will reflect this change, with tide time on that day hitting bottom earlier than the day before rather than later.

Future excavations

The following dates for future excavations will be confirmed following testing of toxins.

• Wednesday, November 13, 16:15; -0.2 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks
• Thursday, November 14, 17:02; -1.1 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks
• Friday, November 15, 17:48; -1.7 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis
• Saturday, November 16, 18:33; -1.9 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis
• Sunday, November 17, 19:19; -1.8 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks
• Monday, November 18, 20:05; -1.3 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks
• Tuesday, November 19, 20:54; -0.7 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis