Most Recent Program Information
April 2025 Program
Tyler S. & Wayne P. went separately to Lake Okeechobee in FL in April for a special arranged field trip through Pacific Geolab. Both gave us information, photos and samples that they collected. {Previously called Fort Drum}
Tyler gave us a summary of the history of the pit. {I've attached the 2005 pdf file for you to read the details.} The pit has a long, complicated history. It originally was mined for shells by the railroad in the early 1900s. It eventually remained dormant due to the fact it was in a wilderness area. In 1959, the Rucks family purchased the property, which was mined for shell material by Okeechobee county for 16 years. In 1988, a FL state geologist noted the presence of Mercenaria clam fossils, but due to mining by dynamite, no complete specimens were found. The Rucks family then switched to using track hoes and complete specimens were located. Thousands of these were collected. By 2007, the area was mined out and was closed. This was partially due to the FL EPA requirements for water infiltration practices.
Eddie Rucks, Jr. realized his loss, and dug out many tons of material to be deposited on his land as tailing piles. He planned to open an RV camping/clam digging park, but went bankrupt after using up the $300,000 he borrowed. He allowed the public to dig through these piles for a fee to collect specimens. {Cindy and I have been there separately.} This eventually ended as well. John from Pacific Geo Lab became interested in this property and offered the Rucks money to be able to open a new digging area to the public. The one time event was the one that Tyler and Wayne attended.
The Mercenaria clams have an interesting history as well. FL was once a shallow sea, filled with clams and other shelled organisms. As the clam organism dies, it leaves a cavity inside the shell. Eventually, calcite forms from the dissolving calcium carbonate shell. Calcium rich water forms dogtooth and radial crystals that are honey-colored. The calcite fluoresces a yellow to green color, and some show phosphorescence. Tyler demonstrated the fluorescence with his UV flashlight. The clams are from the Pleistocene era, and are 2-3 million years old. These are fairly rare, an online specimens are sold for hundreds of dollars.
Wayne talked about the collecting process. He has done collecting in many states in the US and in other countries as well. He stated that this trip was entirely different from any other. He grew up in New England and is familiar with clam digging. He took a clam rake which allowed him to dig through the piles, beginning at the bottom, to find many complete specimens. The piles were over 10' high, and covered an area the size of several football fields. He dug for 2 days in 90 degree heat. The host group was very courteous, and brought ice water to the collectors all through the day. People from CA, CO, MN, MI, IL and FL were collecting.
The trip is not cheap - $495 per person per day. As the pit is in a wilderness area, hotels are 30 to 40 miles away. Wayne and Brenda stayed in their RV. Wayne said the trip was definitely worth it due to the quality of specimens he collected. John told him one of his pieces was worth at least $800. Wayne also collected a 110 pound piece that has many whole clams embedded in it. {See attached photo.} Because Wayne promised to show it as an educational piece at our show, John let him keep it. Of course, the samples must be cleaned to see their full beauty - power washing removes the debris, and muriatic acid helps clean the crystals.
A tip from Wayne - Some folks go to FL by plane and need to ship their materials home. Wayne has had a terrible experience with the postal service. He mailed a box of rocks home from Quartzite, AZ, and the specimens were crushed. He's still trying to get his reimbursement. Using UPS is a better option.
Tyler said that Pacific Geo Lab is planning two more collecting adventures - one in the fall, 2025, and the other in March, 2026. If you'd like to go, or to see more info - go to this website: https://pacificgeolab.com/pacific-geolabs-crystal-clam-dig-okeechobee-florida-april-2026/
Thank you, Wayne and Tyler for sharing this wonderful trip with us!!
