Clam Digging - In Normandie France

We dug clams.

In the story One Morning in Maine Sal goes clam digging with her father. As she is a six year old girl with a loose tooth, she has many questions about clams and whether or not they have teeth. This story was a family favorite, but I never imagined we would have the opportunity to dig for clams as Sal had done.


Clams can be found just below the surface of the sand, in the summer months when the tide is out.

Clam diggers native to Normandie

using rakes to spot clams hiding under the sand

late June 2014

The tide swings are very large in Normandie, France due to the shape of the land. The houses in the background, nearly one kilometer away, mark the high tide location.

Clams like seaweed and can often be found hiding under patches. When digging for clams the hands just feel in the top layers of sand for hard circular objects.

Once the clams are collected, they need to be soaked in salt water (1 1/2 hours) to remove sand trapped inside their shells. While soaking, they open and come out of their shells as the one is near the upper-left side of the bowl.

Watching clams open

Clams are cooked by first scrubbing the shells and then placing them into boiling water. When they are done the shells open and sometimes the clams detach from the shells.

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