The goeduc’s life expectancy is 145 years. A 168 year old clam has been found. They live 3 feet below the bed of the sea, where few predators can get to them. On the lowest tides, they can be found on the edge of the intertidal zone.
The Native American name goeduc means “dig deep.” They are a very difficult clam to dig, as they live deep in fine sand, and the water table is very close to the surface when you’re digging them. You must continually battle the collapsing sand as you attempt to dig deep enough to get them. Even then, you must go under water/sand to finally extract the clam.
My first goeduc was obtained with just a shovel and hands. This is a difficult way to get one. However, if you want a proper initiation, try it.
Later I bought a garbage can and knocked the bottom out. This I used to shore up the side of the hole as I dug. This makes the process easier, but I still found myself upside-down in a garbage can, with the top of my head in the water and my hands fully extended deep into the underlying sand.
The goeduc is excellent eating if prepared properly. A quick dip of 6 seconds in boiling water and the outer skin of the neck can be peeled off. The neck can then be sliced raw and eaten with wasabi and soy sauce. Some people recommend throwing away a large portion of the clam body but I think this is criminal and dishonors the ancient entity. It can all be eaten in chowder or fried, and is quite good.
The horse clam is related to the goeduc but is much easier to dig. They live perhaps 2 feet under the sand and are possible to dig using bare hands and nothing else.
Most Americans deride the horse clam because they do not know how to prepare them. I often hear people say they are so tough the only thing they can be used for is chopped fine in chowder. The neck is fine eating if prepared like the goeduc neck above.
