Nisqually Gweducs (Geoducks)

The Pacific Northwest Geoduck (pronounced gooey-duck) is an evolutionary marvel of inland waters of Canada, and Washington state. Native only to this region, the geoduck grows up to 14 pounds and lives up to 150 years. The Nisqually Indians called them gweduc, which means “dig deep”, and contains reference to crude genitalia (the Nisqually Indians have a sense of humor) Typically found in tide flats, the shell and body rests about 3-4 feet below the surface, with a long neck having two siphons poking out just above the mud or sand. The siphons collect food, disburse waist, and release sperm or eggs a couple times a year. These giant clams have more recently become a world delicacy to the wealthy, where in Hong Kong they fetch about $65. Heavily regulated harvests don’t stop poaching, as the lure from the world market has now created a demand, and then a strain on the geoduck population and habitat. Hell, what good is something if you can’t overharvest it for a quick buck? But I digress.

While most of you have never heard of the geoduck, they actually exist. I have dug them, and somewhere in my family photo album, over the years I have various pictures of me holding the duc, as my father would plan most of our vacations around the tides. Here’s a good overview of the geoduck if your interested.

Religious beliefs are the antithesis of the geoduck. While we have all heard of it our entire lives, it has failed to produce any evidential reality. It’s imaginations have been forced on captured the minds of the unwilling child, the gullible teen, and the old. The geoduck however, doesn’t need to preach to prove it’s existence. Only god needs that.