Netarts Bay
Crassostrea gigas
Beach-cultured Pacific oyster from pristine Netarts Bay in Northern Oregon. Strong, tongue-coating flavor with metallic notes, sweet cucumber finish, and distinctive black mantle line. Colorful shells and soft texture.
Flavor Profile
Finish
Pronounced cucumber and melon finish, slightly metallic
Expert Notes
Beach-cultured Netarts Bay oysters deliver an intense, tongue-coating experience from one of America's cleanest estuaries. Their strong, slightly metallic flavor is balanced by sweet cucumber and melon notes, while the soft, crunchy texture and distinctive black line through the mantle make them visually striking. The unusual brown, cream, and purple shell patterns reflect their pristine Oregon coastal environment, where mountain streams feed the bay. Origin & Characteristics
- Species
- Crassostrea gigas
- Native to
- Japan
- Grown in
- Netarts Bay, Northern Oregon
- Size
- Medium (2.5-3.5 inches)
- Shell Color
- Brown, cream, and purple patterns
- Meat Color
- Cream to light gray with distinctive black mantle line
What Experts Say
Across 9 sources, tasters describe this oyster as:
Unique notes: tongue-coating, melon-like finish, grassy, soft texture, black line through mantle
"beach-cultured and taste like it: strong, tongue-coating, slightly metallic in flavor. The meats have a softness and a distinctive black line through the mantle."
strongtongue-coatingmetallicsoft
"An oyster plucked from Netarts Bay will splash [with distinct flavors]"
distinct
"Mild brine, creamy texture, cucumber notes, and a sweet, melon-like finish"
mild brinecreamycucumbersweetmelon
"briny, sweet flavor with subtle grassy notes"
brinysweetgrassy
"Oyster critics around the world value the flavor, texture and lingering fresh finish of Netarts Bay Oysters. The high-salinity and fresh ocean water environment allows oysters to grow slowly and retain a clean, salty flavor."
cleansaltyfresh finish
About the Farm
Multiple producers including Haystack Shellfish Co., Pearl Point Oyster Company, Netarts Bay Oyster Company
Netarts Bay has multiple oyster producers. Pearl Point Oyster Company was acquired by Liu and Mark Wiegardt from Whiskey Creek Shellfish Hatchery in 2012. Netarts Bay Oyster Company has been under the same ownership since 1995. Haystack Shellfish Co. is a small, family-owned operation formerly known as Nevør Shellfish Farm.
- Cultivation Method
- beach culture, tray suspension method, bottom culture
History & Background
Netarts Bay has a long history of oyster farming since the 1860s. Native Olympia oysters were indigenous to Netarts Bay but were depleted during the late 1800s when demand for fresh oysters in California created a type of 'gold rush' for the small delicacy. It wasn't until the introduction of Crassostrea gigas (Pacific Oysters) to the West Coast that oysters were grown again in Netarts Bay. Historic accounts indicate a shanty town named Oysterville was present in the bay, and the bay was sometimes called 'Oyster Bay.' By 1903 virtually all shore line was claimed.
Netarts Bay would be more accurately described as a salt water inlet due to its utter lack of rivers and single creek, Whiskey Creek, that feeds it. This ensures that the water in the bay remains clean even during Oregon Coast's frequent rainfall. The bay is fed by two small mountain streams creating a pristine ecosystem.
Did You Know?
- The gunmetal gray waters of Netarts Bay are alive with charter fishing boats as numerous rivers empty into nearby bays, making them salmon paradises
- Relatively shallow, Netarts Bay completely replenishes its water every few tides providing a high-salinity and fresh ocean water environment
- In 1867, local resident Tim Goodale wrote that schooners made the trip to Netarts regularly from San Francisco, paying 50 cents for oysters
- Oysters from Netarts Bay have a distinctive black line through the mantle
- Since 1983, Steve and Sharon Roso have been farming oysters on 17 acres in Netarts Bay and began hosting U-pick Oyster days
Sources & References
This information was compiled from 9 sources.
- Netarts Bay - The Oyster Guide — The Oyster Guide
- Merroir: Oregon's Distinct Oysters — Travel Oregon
- Pearl Point Oysters - The Oyster Encyclopedia — Oyster Encyclopedia
- Corfini Seafood Netarts Bay Oysters Post — Facebook
- Netarts Bay Oyster Company — Netarts Bay Oyster Company
- Netarts Bay is nerve center of regional oyster industry — Tillamook Coast
- Netarts Bay - Wikipedia — Wikipedia
- 150 years of oyster farming — Tillamook Headlight Herald
- Haystack Shellfish Co. — Haystack Shellfish Company
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Learn More
The Big Five: A Complete Guide to Commercial Oyster Species
Comprehensive guide to C. virginica (Atlantic), C. gigas (Pacific), C. sikamea (Kumamoto), O. lurida (Olympia), and O. edulis (European Flat)
Read article → Biology & SpeciesThe Pacific Oyster (C. gigas): Cream, Cucumber, and the Japanese Legacy
Understanding the world's most cultivated oyster - from Japanese origins to West Coast dominance
Read article → Merroir & EnvironmentWhat is Merroir? The Science of How Environment Shapes Oyster Flavor
Understanding merroir - the marine equivalent of terroir - and how water chemistry creates flavor
Read article →