LONG BEACH, Wash. — Some apparently greedy diggers are facing criminal charges after exceeding their razor clam limits—and one was so confident he wouldn’t be caught that he even told an officer to go ahead and strip-search him, according to Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) police.
The incident began in Long Beach, where a WDFW officer was patrolling at the end of a popular recreational razor clam dig. He noticed a man and woman harvesting clams and discreetly passing them back and forth.
As the officer observed, it became clear the woman was stashing extra clams in her waders. The activity was captured on the officer’s body camera.
The daily limit for razor clams is 15 per person.
“At one point, a different individual walked down with an empty clam bag, and it was filled by these two individuals. The two harvesters were very careful not to walk back up the beach with more than 15 razor clams in their clam bags,” WDFW police said in a Monday Facebook post.
When the couple finished digging, the officer approached them. Each presented 15 clams for inspection and denied harvesting more than the legal limit.
Despite being given multiple chances to come clean, both stuck to their story. The man even joked that the officer could strip-search him—an offer the officer declined.
However, when the officer told the woman he knew she had more clams hidden in her boots, she began pulling them out. She briefly stopped, but after the officer pointed out a bulge in her waders, she continued, eventually removing 23 extra clams.
In total, the pair had collected 53 razor clams—well over the legal limit—with an unknown number possibly placed in another bag that was never recovered.
WDFW police say the diggers now face several criminal charges, including:
Failing to submit catch for inspectionProviding false information
First-degree overlimit is classified as a gross misdemeanor and can carry a fine of up to $5,000.
The clams were confiscated and preserved for evidence.
According to WDFW, the Pacific razor clam is one of the most sought-after shellfish in Washington state.
For digging seasons, locations, and regulations, follow this link.