![]() ![]() There are probably 300 million to 400 million adult geoducks in Washington total, estimated Ron Teissere, geoduck manager for the state Department of Natural Resources. That doesn't count the clams in shallow or deep water (geoducks grow from the tide zone to depths of at least 350 feet). There are an estimated 130 million geoduck clams of adult size (about 2 pounds or bigger) in what the state defines as its harvest zone - water between 18 and 70 feet deep. "If you had a pile of all the salmon, and all the seals, and all the orca whales, and all the everything, the geoduck pile would be the biggest," he explained. Size matters, says Port Townsend naturalist David George Gordon, author of "Field Guide to the Geoduck" (Sasquatch, $6.95), because the flesh and shells of geoducks combined make up the greatest biomass of any animal in Puget Sound. The geoduck can become an old-growth monster living more than 150 years and weighing up to 20 pounds. Size matters to Northwesterners, who get bragging rights to the world's biggest burrowing clam. But the final product-a 1 1/2 to two-pound clam that’s ready to be shipped off to China, sliced into sashimi at a nearby seafood restaurant, or gawked at by tourists at the local fish market-is worth the effort to anyone who's ever indulged in the deliciously briny, meaty creature.It matters to Asian seafood lovers, who pay retail prices up to $30 a pound to dine on gargantuan neck of Panopea abrupta, better known by its Nisqually Indian name of "gwe-duk," or "dig-deep": the geoduck. It takes more than half a decade, a little patience, and lot of elbow grease. However, professional farmers make their jobs a little easier by using diesel-powered water pumps, which help dislodge geoducks from the sand with their powerful spray. ![]() ![]() Recreational geoduck hunters might dig down into the sand with a shovel to uncover a stubbornly-burrowed clam. About six years later, the clams have reached a stupendous three feet in length, at which point, it’s time for harvest. The geoducks make themselves at home, burrowing down into the sand until they’re large enough to make do without the PVC pipe. However, since the young, developing geoducks are potentially vulnerable to crabs, diving ducks, and other predators, farmers make sure to stick a section of mesh-covered PVC pipe into the sand to protect the "seeds" as they grow. Once the geoducks reach a suitable size- about one-half an inch to an inch- they’re “planted” on the beach. Back to the water the geoducks go they’re transported to a floating raft, dumped into containers of sand, and left dangling in the water from anywhere for a few months to a few years. But before they’re ready to hit the beach, the little guys have to grow a bit larger. This entire process, says Modern Farmer, takes about a month.Įventually, the baby geoducks, or “seed,” need to burrow into the sand. Eventually, these zygotes develop tiny shells and feet. The geoducks release clouds of sperm and eggs, which join together to form zygotes. The geoducks are then transported to a hatchery, loaded up with nutritious, high-fat algae, placed in warm water, and left to reproduce. How does the world’s largest burrowing clam make its way from Puget Sound to plate? In a post over at Serious Eats, workers at Taylor Shellfish Farms in Shelton, Washington, demonstrate, step-by-step, the tricky process of geoduck farming.įirst, divers harvest wild geoducks from the water. They use spray hoses to excavate the clams, which are often buried several feet deep in muck. ![]() It’s also prized in Asia, where according to Aubudon magazine, geoduck (pronounced "gooey-duck") can fetch up to $100 apiece. But according to chefs, the fleshy, long-necked clam works well on a dinner plate, thanks to its salty flavor and meaty texture, and is frequently served up in the Seattle restaurant scene. The geoduck-a bizarre yet edible mollusk that populates the waters of the Pacific Northwest-looks more like a gag gift you’d purchase at Spencer’s than the focus of an $80 million industry. ![]()
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