Razor Clamming

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The Pacific razor clam (Siliqua patula) is an exceptionally meaty shellfish which ranges from California to Alaska. It is abundant on surf-pounded ocean beaches, but also occurs in sheltered areas along the coast. Limited diving observations have indicated some adult razor clams (S.patula) offshore for up to one-half mile. Razor clams dredged in water deeper than 30 feet, although similar to the beach clam, are a different species (Siliqua sloati)

In Oregon, the razor clam grows to a maximum length of six inches. Clams seven inches long have been recorded, but are very rare. The life expectancy for Oregon razor clams is five years. Again, there are exceptions, but razor clams suffer from a high degree of mortality due to predation by Dungeness crabs, shore birds, numerous species of fish and of course thousands of clam diggers. A disease was also discovered in the early 1980's that caused mass mortalities of large numbers of clams. It is unknown how long this disease has affected clam populations. In contrast, razor clams found in Alaska may grow to eleven inches in length and live to be 15 years old, due to colder water temperatures and slower growth rates.

Razor clams are found primarily on the intertidal coastal beaches (those that are exposed at low tide) from a +3 foot level to a -2 foot tide level.

How to Dig Razor Clams

Using a clam shovel...

First look for a "clam show". What is a clam show? That's where a clam has withdrawn its neck or started to dig leaving a hole or dimple in the sand. There are three major kind of "shows" to look for:

dimple: a depression in the sand
doughnut: which has raised sides
keyhole: which is usually in drier sand areas and is shaped like an "hour-glass" or is a hole with very distinct sides.

Always look for the larger sized hole shown here next to a quarter. This is a good indication that the clam will be larger, but not always.

Clams will also show at the edge of the surf line when you pound the beach with a shovel handle or your foot. They may squirt sand and water out of the hole where they are located. You need to be quick when digging in the surf as razor clams dig quite fast in the soft fluid sand.

Proper digging improves your efficiency, minimizes the breaking of clams and cut fingers.

1. Place the shovel blade 4 to 6 inches seaward of the clam show. The handle of the shovel should be pointed toward the sand dunes.		This information was gathered from the site listed below. You will also find links to alot of information about Razor clams.
2. Use your body weight to push the shovel blade straight into the sand while you drop to one knee. In hard sand, gently rock the shovel handle from side to side for ease of entry. It is very important to keep the blade as vertical as possible to keep from breaking the clam shell.
3. Pull the handle back just enough to break the suction in the sand, still keeping the blade as straight as possible. The sand will crack as shown.
4. Remove sand by lifting the shovel upward and forward. Repeat this 2 to 3 times.
5. Succeeding scoops of sand expose the clam enough to reach down with your hand and grasp its shell. Razor clams move rapidly downward but not horizontally. Make sure you keep the first 15 clams and avoid wasting any.

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