Thousands Of Tiny Clams Wash Up In Newport Beach

NEWPORT BEACH (CBSLA.com) — Beachgoers and surfers were surprised to find an abundance of clams and clam shells washing up on the shores of Newport Beach.

The tiny bean clams carpeted a stretch of shore north of the Newport Beach Pier on Wednesday.

"All lined from the boardwalk all the way down. I didn't really see them stop. About 10 feet thick, just all the way down the boardwalk. Pretty crazy," surfer Bharat Vishnubhotia recalled.

Surf conditions and low tides exposed the creatures, which spend most of their lives buried in the sand, UC Irvine marine biologist Matthew Bracken said.

"We've had so many unusual surf earlier this week, and some erosion happened an exposed them," said Bracken. "If we leave them alone, they will bury themselves nicely back down in the sand."