Amusing Monday: Geoducks are serious business
Tuesday, February 22nd, 2011If you haven’t noticed, today is not Monday; it’s Tuesday. So this “Amusing Monday” feature is a day late. But I have a good excuse. Yesterday was a holiday, but that wouldn’t have stopped me. The real reason is that the power was out at my house all day, from the time I got up in the morning to the time I went to bed at night. See Kitsap Sun story for the details.
I’ve had geoducks on my mind since writing about them over
the weekend. Check out
today’s story in the Kitsap Sun. I thought it would be
appropriate to bring back some great videos about this amazing
Northwest critter. The entry below first appeared on Feb. 1 of last
year.
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I love the reaction of newcomers to the Northwest when they see a giant geoduck clam for the first time.
Some people laugh; others stare in disbelief at the unique creature that reminds some people of the male anatomy.
After you’ve lived in Washington state, you learn that this massive mollusk is not only funny, it is big money on the international market. Geoducks are believed to play an important role in the ecosystem, where they filter water and can live for 100 years or more.
Geoducks grow naturally in deep water and are harvested by
divers who dislodge them from the seabed with jets of water.
Revenues go for managing the resource and to local governments
willing to make recreational improvements to the shoreline. Some
people contend that the state is over-harvesting, at least in
certain locations.
(more…)
Scripps Interactive Newspapers Group
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