Wednesday, June 4th was the lowest tide of the year. The tide dropped to -4.3 around noon, and then rose to a 12.3 high tide in the evening. A group of people from the Seattle Oceanaire restaurant came out to celebrate the low tide and learn a little bit about Hama Hama oysters.
Adam gave them a walking tour of the beach, going over everything from oyster seasonality and reproduction to the challenges of predicting the effect of atmospheric pressure on tidal changes. They gobbled it up, and they also ate an impressive quantity of shellfish. All in the name of research, of course.
Adam also discussed how growing location influences oyster flavor. Here, Jeff Daniels from Marinelli Shellfish reaches for an oyster growing right next to the river, which tend to be sweeter, and less salty, than oysters grown further from the river.
One of the coolest things about an extreme low tide is that you can walk all the way out to the tippy-tip end of the tideflats, to where the ground starts sloping down to the bottom of the Canal. It reminds you of how hard the river has worked to build the massive tideflats.
Unfortunately, the drop-off is really hard to photograph. Above: a picture of people looking at it.
Sue and I are going to Oceanaire to celebrate our 32nd wedding anniversary tomorrow evening . I looked at their menu on line and saw Hama Hama oysters. That triggered a memory of this post about the folks from Oceanaire visiting y’all.
I know what appetizers i am going to order tomorrow night! 12 on the half shell. Yum!
Bruce
Hi Bruce,
Unfortunately, the wholesale operation has shut down for the month of August! So you won’t be able to get our oysters in Seattle. Or— you shouldn’t be able to get our oysters. We’re only harvesting for the retail store right now. The main operation will get going again in September.
Happy Anniversary!
Darn….will have to settle for the Netarts I guess. If HH oysters are on the menu I will let you know!
We are having the last of the crab we got last Saturday. Crab Louie tonight. I felt like such a dork last Saturday morning….I dropped the pot out in Frenchmans Cove….thought for sure I hit bottom. Tossed the bouy over. My eyes were diverted for a few seconds…when i looked back the bouy was sliding underwater. Yikes. I tried to grab it but could not reach it. Multiple cuss words resounded around the cove as I motored to shore. So I made a run to Silverdale and got a new pot….carried the dingy out at low tide and rowed the new pot out……not as far out as the morning pot! New pot seems to work just as well as the old one. But I will miss the old one…..it provided a lot of crab for many years.
Regards
Bruce