Razor Clams at Long Beach in Pacific Rim National Park

Razor clams (Siliqua patula) are the signature shellfish associated with the west coast and Pacific Rim National Park Reserve. The long, exposed sandy beaches are perfect habitat for this surf-loving clam. In the national park, the stretch of Long Beach between Green Point and Schooner Cove is prime Pacific razor clam habitat. While live clams are difficult to view, if …

Deep Bay Marine Field Station

At the end of a crushed shell road lies the Deep Bay Marine Field Station, a research facility run by Vancouver Island University. It’s a gorgeous location overlooking Deep Bay on Vancouver Island. The station is spectacular in its design, looking a little like a huge clam shell. The station is used by Vancouver Island University for aquaculture and marine …

Saving the Magnificent Pacific Gaper

It is not often that you see a living horse clam on the surface of the beach unless you have taken the effort to dig one out yourself. That’s why Jocie and I initially thought that the Pacific gaper (Tresus nuttallii) that we found at Miracle Beach was dead. We quickly realized otherwise after touching the extended siphon and watching …

Horse Clam Shells

In my last post I wrote about finding weird but fascinating Horse Clam siphons sticking out of the sand and trying to identify the species based on what could be seen on the surface. Fortunately it is a lot easier to separate the Fat Gaper (Tresus capax) from the Pacific Gaper (Tresus nuttallii) if you’ve got shells that you’ve found …

Horse Clam Hitchhiker

One of the fun things that you can do with your kids at the beach is look for the dramatic siphons of the Horse Clam (Tresus sp.) at low tide. Most people don’t connect the somewhat grotesque looking tube sticking out of the sand with the feeding apparatus of a clam but that is indeed what they are. Below the …

Flacid Horse Clam Siphons

I love turning over rocks in the intertidal zone – you never know what you might find! Many creatures that live in the intertidal zone bury themselves beneath the surface. Looking for clues that there is living creature under the sand or gravel is very worthwhile. Finding the siphon of a horse clam (Tresus sp.) can be a provocative discovery. …

Butter Clams at Goose Spit

Goose Spit in Comox, British Columbia is a good place to look for things washed up in the tide. The long, sandy beaches often deliver intertidal treasures. Seaweed in the strand line is intriguing to examine. Beachwalkers can look for the shells of dead clams exposed by the dropping tide. One of the clams that we discovered on Tuesday at …

Flotsam and Jetsam at Goose Spit

We were pretty much house bound because of the weather in the Comox Valley. High winds and lots of rain mean that it is difficult to venture out. We made a few short forays out for walks around the neighbourhood between squalls but for the most part hunkered down. I was stunned to see the sun when I woke up …

Jingle Shells

After Monday’s deluge there was a break in the weather yesterday. We made the most of it, taking the kids to Air Force Beach in Comox to enjoy the sun. Surprisingly, we had never been to Air Force Beach before despite the length of time we’ve lived in the Comox Valley. We’ll definitely be back. It’s a beautiful beach that …

Varnish Clams

Walking on the beach at Goose Spit in Comox this weekend got me thinking about clams. I always enjoy sorting through seaweed in the strand line. Often I take a closer look at shells that have washed up on the shore before returning them back to the beach where I found them. On this walk I found several “old-friends,” including …