Clams usually are found close to the surface and most clam diggers look for little dimples in the sand or for a shimmering which indicates some activity beneath the surface. Clammers are either instantly rewarded or digging frantically trying to keep up with the rapdily retreating clam. If you damage a razor clam while digging then keep it because it will die. Clammers should be aware of red tides when digging for razor clams. The dinoflagellate Gonyaulax is responsible for red tide poisonings along the Northwest coast.
Razor clams can accumulate large amounts of the toxin.
Gonyaulax can cause paralytic shellfish poisoning and even death. If after eating clams, your lips begin to feel numb and your fingertips begin to tingle then vomit your meal and head for the nearest medical facility. They have an average life span of 9 years in California and 12 years in Washington. A slower growth rate, larger size and older age, from 18-19 years is seen in Alaska specimens. Each year a razor clam produces a distinct growth ring so age is easily determined.