Ocean Adventure, Part Eight: Mud Suck and Aphrodisiacs

Anytime I head to the ocean I always pass this beach that is less beach and more mud flats. When the tide is out, it's one long stretch of brown-gray sludge covered in flat ocean grass and seaweed.


I often see people out there with buckets and I've been told they are gathering seaweed. So, on my way to find an ocean adventure I thought it's time to discover what they are really doing once and for all.

 

When I arrived the tide was WAY, WAY out. After negotiating the rock wall that separates the highway from the beach,

I surveyed the area. I could see a small group of people with buckets to my left and another group to my right.

 

Since I'm normally driving down the highway unable to really look, I had never noticed just beyond the flats was something...? I decided to start there.

 

Hmmm...interesting. I had no idea what I was looking at but something was being cultivated in rows.

 

Lots of rows. A seaweed garden?

 

It went on for about two miles in both directions.

This close to the water the mud was so deep if I stood too long to study or take a picture I would get sucked down and the suction made it hard to remove my foot. I was a little worried I'd get stuck and the tide would roll in quickly. What would I do? Both groups of people were so far away I doubt if they could hear my screams. I guess someone would find my drown and dead body when the tide went out again. I really didn't look at the rows close enough since I was preoccupied with staying alive.

 

 

The group of people to my left looked closer so I started trudging through the mud toward them. It was slow going. Any time I leave footprints I always think of that story about Jesus carrying me and wonder: if he is really carrying me, why is this so difficult?  Have I been abandoned?

 

Along the way I saw all manner of seaweed from soft wispy kind,

to bulbous piles,

 

and also strange little mounds in the mud. I have no idea what I'm looking at, but I'm sure it's something fascinating.

As I got within fifty feet of the group, they started heading away from me!

"No, stop, don't run away! I'm trying so hard to catch up to you!"  I'm sure they thought I was crazy. Finally I did catch up to them and they were VERY informative.

They were gathering butter clams and oysters! I guess between two markers unbeknownst to me, this is a public beach. With a clamming license, one person can gather up to 18 oysters and 15 butter clams.

 

They also must be a certain size and the oysters must be shucked and their shells left on the beach for baby oysters to attach.

The seaweed rows are oyster beds! Ah ha! If you look closely at the above pictures you'll see the oyster shells attached to the rows, but the public can gather the oysters that are laying on the mud or under the mud. You need to bring a bucket, a shucking knife, and an oyster-raking tool.

 

(Oh! Is that what I have? All this time I was using it for gardening!)

 

Knowledge is power and this made me very aware of the crunching beneath my very thin beach boots as I walked. I was a little worried those sharp shells would cut into my feet.

 

The oysters are all over! On top of the mud, under the mud. Oysters are expensive and all this time I had an opportunity to gather them for free!

What was embarrassing to me is these people were from the Midwest and on vacation. They knew more about my area than I did! Of course, the man was a former marine biologist who used to work in the area. I have lived in the oyster capital of the world for the past seven years and this was the first time I had ever seen an oyster bed! How does this happen? Anyway, this new discovery inspired me! I felt the urge to run home, buy a license and come back outfitted for clamming and oystering, until I reminded myself I was Resting, Relaxing and Recuperating. Not a good idea to shuck oysters with bad arms and crippled hands. Next time!

After being educated on the advantages of living near the ocean, I thought I'd trudge back to the oyster fields for another look...by the time I got there it was nearly all under water! Tide was coming in...time to head back to land...fast!

 

 

What a lovely adventure!

 

Update: I drove by this beach today with the tide half way in and there is no sign of oyster beds. Everything is under water. I think I just lucked out at the right time to see the tide way out and the oyster beds showing.