Because so many clams and other shellfish have been harvested for so many years, the supplies are dwindling and towns regulate their gathering and areas and times when shellfishing is allowed. You must obtain a town shellfish permit.
While on the Cape, you will hear about “mussels,” “steamers,” “quahogs,” and “little necks.” What are the differences?
Mussels, which are dark blue oblongs about 2½ inches long, are found in groups attached to rocks or pilings.
Quahogs are grayish hardshell clams that are commonly used in chowders. Small quahogs, known as little necks or cherrystones, are served raw. Quahogs are dug with a wide-toothed rake, or scratcher, primarily along the Cape Cod Bay shoreline at low tide and in the shallows of Nauset Bay and Pleasant Bay. From their boats, commercial shellfishermen use a heavy, long-handled rake that looks like a wire basket on the end of two long poles.
Softshells are whitish, oblong clams that are steamed or fried. They are dug with a small fine-toothed rake, or clam hoe, at low tide on sand flats facing the Atlantic, Nantucket Sound, and Cape Cod Bay. You can spot their locations by tiny holes in the sand. Sometimes they squirt water at you as you step near their holes.
Other common shellfish are bay or sea scallops. Scallop shells come in a variety of colors and have ribs or elevated ridges running from the top to the outer edges. Bay scallops usually are found in eelgrass beds.
A tip to out-of-staters: Cape Cod clam chowder is made with a milk base. Manhattan clam chowder is made with a tomato base. Do not expect the latter on the Cape. Don’t even ask for it!
Whale Watching
