Recently, Fathom Seafood teamed up with Harry Soo to show viewers the incredible process of what goes into harvesting the famous geoduck clam. 

Harry Soo is the owner of SlapYoDaddyBBQ and is an award-winning pitmaster—you don’t want to take him on because you probably won’t win. He is not only quite the competitor, but he is also a cooking instructor and social media BBQ influencer. 

Follow SlapYoDaddyBBQ on YouTube and Instagram to see what we’re talking about. 

You've seen Soo on BBQ Pitmasters, Food Network, Chopped Grill Masters, Smoked, Cutthroat Kitchen, and local TV in California. He has won over 30 BBQ/cooking grand championships and will continue to win because he is the best! 

How Are Geoduck Clams Harvested?

Fathom Seafood get their geoduck from the waters near Seattle, WA. This is where they are farmed and harvested...but do not get served onto our plates until they are mature, which takes about 7 to 8 years! 

Seattle Shellfish is the operations plant and shop for all geoduck crews in that area. Soo gets a tour around the warehouse along with a mini history lesson on how geoduck farm-raising came to be. Soo is then taken on an off-road adventure to the world of geoduck harvesting, which also takes place off-land on a geoduck vessel.

Did you know that PVC pipes are used as a harvesting technique?

They are the homes to young geoduck until they are ready to be harvested—7 to 8 years later.

Geoduck clams that are ready to be harvested, are taken out of their farm (water and mud) by the Seattle Shellfish crew, are banded, then crated within the water. 

But first...they must be “caught.”

Commercial geoduck divers gear up in wetsuits and breathing apparatus and go down deep to see who’s ready to be plucked. 

They are dug out of the mud and piled into a fishing net, which raises them on board. 

They are then banded to ensure their bodies do not separate from the shells during transportation. 

How to Tell The Age of a Geoduck?

Another neat fact that we learn from Harry Soo’s experience is that you can tell the age of a geoduck by the rings on its shell. 

Before leaving, Seattle Shellfish introduce Soo to the greenhouse they use to grow a variety of strains of algae, which are used to feed the animals. The algae cultures first begin in a lab that is just down from the greenhouse. Everything is done on-site! 

In another building lies the baby geoduck “nursery.” 

They are kept in large containers filled with sand, which are pumped with seawater, algae, and the nutrients they need to survive and grow. 

Lastly, Soo takes a walk on top of where the geoducks live in the PVC piping until they are brought up. The animals were acting a tad shy during filming! 

Overall, Soo and the folks at Seattle Shellfish took viewers on a fascinating and educational adventure to learn all about the geoduck-harvesting process. 

If you want to see the entire experience...watch the full video HERE!

We hope you enjoyed this article on our Geoduck. Don't forget to check out our amazing live dungeness crab for sale today at Fathom Seafood.