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Virtual Happy Hour on February 4th: All About Olympias!

$ 95.00
$ 95.00
Experience Type

Description

Explore the culinary past, present, and future of the Olympia oyster—the West Coast’s only native oyster species.

For thousands of years, the Olympia oyster was a staple food for Indigenous communities along the West Coast and later helped launch the modern West Coast oyster industry. After decades of overharvesting and habitat loss, Olympias are now hard to find and easy to misunderstand.

Join us as we savor Olympia oysters and delve into their story: their cultural significance to Pacific Northwest communities, the challenges of farming and restoring them, and the distinctive flavors that set them apart from other PNW oysters. The conversation will feature experts including author Rowan Jacobsen, tribal biologist Franchesca Perez, farmer Jesse Honiker, and restoration biologist Jodie Toft of the Puget Sound Restoration Fund.

Here’s how it works:

A box of oysters will be delivered to you on Tuesday, February 3. Keep the oysters refrigerated overnight. On Wednesday, February 4, at 5:00 PM Pacific time, we’ll gather on Zoom, eat the oysters together, and explore their past, present, and future in conversation.

What’s in the box:

  • 2 dz Olympia oysters
  • 1 dz Hama Hama (for contrast)

What to expect:

  • Oyster delivery on Tuesday February 3rd
  • Zoom link sent via email 
  • Conversation from 5 to 6 pm Pacific Time, Wednesday February 4th

Join without the oysters: Choose the “zoom only” product variant and we’ll send you a link to join virtually.

See panelist bios below, and find background reading material via bookshop.org.

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⚠️ Proposition 65 Warning

⚠️ WARNING: Consuming this product can expose you to chemicals including cadmium, which are known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm. For more information go to www.P65warnings.ca.gov/food

Here's more information about cadmium.

About the panelists:

Franchesca Perez has worked for the Stillaguamish Tribe since 2003, the last 12 years in the marine program. In 2021 the tribe purchased tidelands and she has been learning how to grow oysters and clams since then. The TNC SOAR program helped support the Tribe’s first Olympia oyster restoration project in 2025. Learn more about her project here.

Jesse Honiker has worked for Hama Hama since 2021. She oversees our nursery and planting operations, and helps with farm logistics and specialty projects. She received a TNC SOAR grant in 2025 to remotely set Olympia oysters.

Rowan Jacobsen writes about science, nature and the less-explored corners of the world. His groundbreaking 2007 book A Geography of Oysters won a James Beard Award and led to a resurgence in oyster appreciation across the US. His 2009 book The Living Shore (recommended reading for this class - see the next tab) weaves the story of a team of marine scientists and researchers working to restore native Olympia beds along the coast of British Columbia into a meditation on humanity’s profound connection to the shore.

Jodie Toft has been tinkering with and studying marine ecosystems for the past 20+ years. As Executive Director of Puget Sound Restoration Fund (PSRF), she has the good fortune to advance science, expand partnerships, and build support for the unique brand of PSRF in-water restoration for native oysters, kelp, abalone, and more.

Shipping Rates:

  • WA & OR — $10
  • ID, NV, CA — $45
  • Other continental states — $75
  • Alaska & Hawaii — $100

Free Shipping:

  • Spend $150+ in WA & OR
  • Spend $250+ everywhere else (except Alaska & Hawaii)

Non-Perishable Shipping Rates (USPS):

  • Flat rate $8
  • Delivery may take up to 1 week

We pack every order in insulated boxes with frozen gel ice and ship via FedEx.

Packages usually arrive overnight, but there's enough ice to keep things cool for up to 2 days (3 in the winter), in case of delays. 

Signatures are not required for delivery

Delivery Timing

  • Select your preferred delivery date at checkout (Tuesday–Friday).
  • We'll ship with the goal to deliver on that date, but orders may arrive 1–2 days late due to factors outside our control.
  • For less stress, pick a delivery date 2–3 days before you plan to eat the shellfish.
  • Order cutoff: 6 AM Pacific for same-day shipping.
  • FedEx delivery window: usually 4:30–8:00 PM, depending on location.
  • Specialty items (i.e. seasonal boxes) usually have fixed delivery dates.
  • Non-perishables ordered by themselves ship via USPS and may take up to a week. (If you order a t-shirt with your oysters, it'll arrive with the shellfish). 

Where We Ship

  • Within the continental U.S. only 
  • Physical addresses only — no P.O. boxes
  • No live oysters to Texas
  • Hawaii & Alaska: email us to discuss order options

Changing or Canceling an Order

  • Cancel up to 8 AM on your ship date.
  • Need to modify? Give us 24 hours’ notice to add or remove items.

Sending a Gift?

  • Add a gift message during checkout if you like.
  • Please make sure the recipient will be home to receive it (and put it in the refrigerator!)

Shipping to an Apartment or Business

  • Confirm FedEx can access or leave the package safely.
  • FedEx sometimes delivers in the morning, so ensure someone’s available at 9 am.
  • If delivery isn’t possible (closed business, locked entry, wrong address), the package may need to be picked up at a FedEx location.

Our business is 103 years old (and counting) so we're definitely in this for the long haul — building loyalty means making things right when something goes wrong.

Our Happiness Guarantee covers:

  • Damaged items during transit (please send photos!)
  • Lost product from deliveries delayed more than 2 days from selected delivery date.
  • Missing or mis-picked items
  • Quality concerns (too big, too small, or not what you expected)

Depending on the issue, we’ll reship, refund, credit, or offer a discount on a future order, as long as you let us know within 72 hrs. Please see our refund policy for more detail.

If Your Perishable Order Is Delayed

  • We’ll contact you if there’s a delay, and will work with FedEx to reschedule delivery for the next day.
  • Don’t worry — your shellfish will just think the tide has gone out, and will be fine with an extra day or two in transit.
  • When your box arrives, check the temperature tracking tab inside; it’ll confirm that everything stayed cold.
  • Learn how to read your temperature tag here.

What’s Not Covered

We can’t replace or refund orders when issues are outside our control, including:

  • Incorrect address or delivery date entered at checkout
  • Orders not retrieved on the delivery date
  • Lost or stolen packages after FedEx marks them as delivered

Still, we’re happy to help troubleshoot — just email info@hamahamaoysters.com

Beef up on your oyster knowledge with these books, all available in our bookshop.org shop!

The Living Shore by Rowan Jacobsen - This 2009 book weaves the story of a team of marine scientists and researchers working to restore native Olympia beds along the coast of British Columbia into a meditation on humanity’s profound connection to the shore. It's no longer available in print (although used copies exist) but you can get an ebook for $14 from bookshop.org via the link above.

Katie Gale, a Coast Salish Woman's Life on Oyster Bay by Llyn de Danaan. De Danaan, a cultural anthropologist, tells the story of Katie Gale, who was born in the 1850s and who, despite many hardships and setbacks, ran her own oyster business in South Puget Sound in the late 19th century. This book paints a fascinating portrait of the Indigenous experience around the time of Statehood, and of the commercialization of the olympia oyster.

Heaven on the Half Shell by David George Gordon, Samantha Larson, and Maryann Barron Wagner. A comprehensive history of the oyster industry in Washington State, now in its second edition.