Tomales Bay Oyster Company Resumes Shellfish Harvesting Following Favorable Water and Oyster Testing Results
October 19, 2026
Tomales Bay Oyster Company is pleased to announce that the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) officially reopened Tomales Bay growing areas for shellfish harvesting effective Sunday, October 18, 2026, at 7:00 AM.
The reopening follows a precautionary closure issued October 12 in response to a septic system failure at a hotel near Olema, approximately 15 miles from our growing areas. The discharge entered Olema Creek, a tributary flowing toward the southern end of Tomales Bay.
Water and Oyster Testing Results
Throughout the closure, water quality monitoring and shellfish sampling provided reassuring results:
Water Quality: Water samples collected from Tomales Bay met applicable water quality standards, with no elevated bacterial levels reported.
Oyster Testing: Multiple oyster samples were collected and tested, with results reported as non-detect or below laboratory reporting limits.
Final Confirmation: Two oyster samples collected October 16 were both non-detect for male-specific coliphage (MSC), an indicator used to assess potential viral contamination in shellfish growing areas.
Following review of the testing results, CDPH authorized the reopening of Tomales Bay growing areas, ending the precautionary closure well ahead of the standard 21-day closure period.
Our Commitment to Shellfish Safety
Immediately upon receiving notification of the incident on October 12, Tomales Bay Oyster Company suspended harvesting and shipping shellfish from its Tomales Bay growing areas and took precautionary steps to protect customers.
As an additional safeguard, the company initiated a voluntary, precautionary market withdrawal of shellfish harvested between September 14 and October 12, 2026. This action was not a government-mandated recall but an additional precaution undertaken by the company.
Our oysters are handled under strict food safety and quality assurance procedures, including refrigerated handling, treated seawater wet storage, routine water quality testing, and compliance with California's shellfish sanitation requirements.
Local Harvesting Has Resumed
With the growing areas officially reopened, Tomales Bay Oyster Company is once again harvesting locally grown oysters for our customers. We also continue to offer high-quality Pacific oysters sourced from our trusted partner farms in Washington State.
We appreciate the patience and support of our customers, restaurant partners, and community throughout this temporary closure.
The health and safety of our customers remain our highest priority. We are pleased to put this precautionary closure behind us and return to doing what we love — bringing fresh, delicious oysters from Tomales Bay to your table.
Tomales Bay Oyster Company
Tomales Bay Golden Nuggets
Our seasonal Golden Nuggets are a cocktail oyster, farmed on the north shore of Millerton Point in TBOC’s cove. The dynamic tumbling system that tumbles the oyster with every tide produces a deep cupped, plump, and ivory-fleshed oyster. The flavor profile starts with the brine of the Tomales Bay estuary, and mellows into a rich, buttery finish, with hints of melon and cucumber. A large scallop (adductor muscle) provides a firm crisp texture. We are proud of our Golden Nuggets not only for their taste and look but also because the nugget growing system is environmentally sensitive and does not disturb bottom-dwelling organisms or eelgrass.
Handling oysters
Like any fresh meat product, oysters require proper care to maintain flavor, texture, and product safety by controlling bacterial growth. After purchase, it is the consumer’s responsibility to properly handle shellfish to maintain these qualities. This information will help you to keep your live shellfish fresh so you can enjoy a safe, nutritious oyster:
Temperature
Keep oysters for several days by placing them in a bowl with a damp cloth to cover and place in a fridge with temperatures ideally 37°- 45° F (1.7°- 7.2° C).
Can I use ice?
Oysters can be kept for 3-4 days on the ice, but it is essential to drain the water from the ice regularly as shellfish submerged in freshwater for long will die. We recommend dumping water morning and night. Do not store shellfish in airtight containers. Keep chilled oysters cup side down to conserve liquid.
Warning signs
Live clams, oysters, and mussels should have tightly closed shells. Shellfish that will not close tightly when tapped should be discarded. If you have any questions please call. We are happy to help.
Sustainable seafood
Pacific Oysters are truly sustainable food. They require no fertilizer, no feed, just a saltwater estuary, and natural phytoplankton, algae, and diatoms brought in by the tide. These natural elements produce a delicious succulent oyster.
Shellfish has a low impact on the environment because it is less dependent on inputs such as freshwater use. Oysters are a more efficiently produced protein compared to land-grown meat.
Oysters, Clams, and Mussels are listed as the best choices of sustainable seafood by The Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch.
We are a fishchoice.com partner.
Taste merroir
Oyster flavors vary in different seasons. In a drought, oysters will be very salty. In rainy months they will be sweeter. The many different algae growing in the bay impart a nice crisp flavor and green or bluegills. In fall and winter, oysters are firm and chewy, excellent for eating raw, and in summer they have a creamier texture.
They also develop a taste profile from the growing area they are farmed in or their ‘merroir’.
Merroir, with the root word “mer,” which in French means “sea,” refers to the specificity of the environment in which an oyster is grown, and its impact on the oyster itself. This expression is an adaptation of the term “terroir” from the wine lexicon
“Terroir,” with the French root “Terre” for land, refers to the impact of the environment in which a grape is grown on the taste of the wine. This explains why a chardonnay grape grown in the relatively cold, overcast, and mineral environment of Burgundy produces a very different wine than a chardonnay grape grown in sunny, rich-soiled California.