TO LOOSELY QUOTE the Zombies, “It’s the tide of the season for digg-ing.”
The lowest tides of the year hit the eastern edge of the North Olympic Peninsula this weekend.
As long as one doesn’t subscribe to the “R” month argument — a belief shellfish harvesting is only for months that have the letter “R” — it promises to be a clam hunter’s paradise.
Starting Friday and ending Tuesday, one can collect cockles, hoard horse clams or (if you’re feeling frisky) even grab a few geoducks with relative ease.
Most of the Strait of Juan de Fuca is closed to one form or another of shellfish harvesting because of biotoxins.
Thus, Jefferson County’s multitude of bountiful beaches are the best bet to score a shellfish dinner . . . especially when low tides are hovering around the minus 3-foot variety we’ll see this weekend.
Duckabush, Dosewallips State Park, Quilcene Bay and Oak Bay County Park are probably some of the better options available.
(To see the full map of beaches to choose from, including descriptions, visit wdfw.wa.gov/fish/shelfish/beachreg/.)
Each has healthy shellfish populations and rumors of gargantuan geoducks floating around.
Here is a listing of tides for each:
• Duckabush/Dosewallips — Friday: -2.72 feet at 10:45 a.m.; Saturday: -3.35 feet at 11:27 a.m.; -3.67 feet at 12:10 p.m.; Monday: -3.58 feet at 12:56 p.m.; Tuesday: -3.04 feet at 1:42 p.m.
• Oak Bay — Friday: -2.53 feet at 10:18 a.m.; Saturday: -3.03 feet at 10:58 a.m.; Sunday: -3.25 feet at 11:41 a.m.; Monday: -3.13 feet at 12:25 p.m.; Tuesday: -2.63 feet at 1:11 p.m.
Of course, this weekend isn’t the last chance to score some shellfish on the Peninsula.
There will be a handful of extreme low tides during the next two months.
Such events also provide access to tidelands of the hands-off variety on the Peninsula.
So one need not be a crazy clam hunter to enjoy them either.
Places like Tongue Point and Shi Shi Beach, for example, offer spectacular views of tide pools and aquatic life not seen under normal circumstances.
To view tides for the Peninsula, visit tbone.biol.sc.edu/tide/sites_uswest.html.
More halibut
It appears coastal anglers haven’t quite had their fill of flatties.
The state announced Wednesday that enough quota remains to reopen Marine Area 3 (LaPush) and 4 (Neah Bay) to halibut fishing on Saturday, June 19.
State department of Fish and Wildlife coastal policy coordinator Heather Reed said that the leftover quota (26,776 pounds) is enough for one day but not two on the coast.
“There’s still quota remaining because poor weather early in the season kept people from heading out on the water,” Reed said in a news release.
“The remaining quota is sufficient for a one-day opening on a weekend day, when more folks can participate.”
Kayak race volunteers
The sea kayaking set will hit the Strait for the inaugural de Fuca Downwind Kayak and Outrigger Race this Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Event organizers are asking for a few extra hands to make sure everyone is safe and sound for the 13-plus-mile odyssey from Freshwater Bay to Hollywood Beach.
Those with a power boat are welcome to volunteer their time and watercraft.
Olympic Raft and Kayak will provide volunteers with $25 in gas for their boat, an event T-shirt, Friday night barbecue and a raffle ticket.
Those interested can call Raft and Kayak at 360-452-1443.
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Matt Schubert is the outdoors and sports columnist for the Peninsula Daily News. His column regularly appears on Thursdays and Fridays. He can be reached at matt.schubert@peninsuladailynews.com.
