Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Attack of the GEODUCKS!!!! Blah!

So on our little jaunt over to Dash Point, we made a disgusting discovery (how's that for alliteration? nice right?) We noticed these nasty little blobs sticking out of the sand that would go down every time we got close. Not only that, but they would squirt water as they slunk down below the sand. The boys tried to dig a little to unearth one(as did Brucey, after being squirted by one), but gave up as no one wanted to touch the globby creatures. Luckily we asked a passer- by if he knew what they were, and he did. "Geoducks," (gooey ducks) he told us. When we got home we looked them up and this is what they really look like: Prepare yourself!





(This photo is not mine, but I picked it because it's so ridiculously funny. Her nails are all painted nice and she's holding it like she's shooting a comercial. Ha! Classic.)
Is that not the grossest thing you've ever seen in your life?! Apparently, they are native to the Puget Sound in Washington(where we live,) and we just happened to run across them. What are the odds?! I know you're curious so here are some fun facts about the geoducks:
-The name geoduck has a native American origin, meaning "dig deep"
-The Chinese call the geoduck the "elephant trunk clam." They actually eat these! It's a Chinese delicacy(I think I just threw up a little bit in my mouth.)


-Oldest Recorded Age: 146 to 168 years
-
The neck of a geoduck can stretch to 1 meter, from the body and shell of this clam
-
A developing geoduck will burrow into sediment at an approximate rate of 1 foot per year. After digging about 3 feet deep, the adult geoduck settles in for 100 years or more.
-
The average size of 2.2 pounds is reached in five to six years. The
maximum documented weight: 7.15 kgs. That's 15.76 lbs!
http://www.manandmollusc.net/geoduck.html

What is this strange place I've moved to?!

8 comments:

The Heiner Family! said...

Yikes! Amber! Gross! Thanks for sharing I think! At least you are having new adventures. . . right?

Lyndsey said...

That looks like something I don't want to say :/ But mostly an elephant trunk! How weird! I remember going to the beach with my cousins & there were little tiny crabs everywhere.. when we got home we found a bunch in our beach bags :] Love the pics! Call or text me anytime you want :] Have fun!

Celeste said...

HAHA Those Geoducks are so cool. LOL

jp said...

I DID throw up in my mouth, sick!

Kari and Joel said...

I was actually wondering what they were when I saw your pic on facebook. They would squirt you?! Yuck! I don't think I ever want to meet one and I have to agree with Lyndsey on what they look like! haha

Toni said...

Yes ,, that is pretty darn disgusting!!!! The wild adventures of Amber ,, ha ha!!!

Bryce and Miranda said...

Hey Amber. First those are totally Gross. Second, I must be totally out of it but I didn't realize you lived in Washington. How is everything going?

Anonymous said...

Hand job.