Abalone anyone...?

[Drewpy]

Went up to Jenner/Fort Ross area(Sonoma Coast) to see if we could find some abalone before the season is over. temp on the drive up was 26 degrees in Napa and needless to say we were having reservations about getting wet...Brrrr. But upon arriving at the site it was gorgeous,it had warmed up to about 45 and continued climbing,very sunny and clear!
Geared up and made like a Mt goat down the bluff to a rocky entry point that wasnt too bad. paddled out with a boogie Board and managed to find two keepers( one was huge)and my bubby got his limit! This was my first time, and I was rather pleased to get any! I have a new found respect for free divers...man that is hard work!
The climb back up the bluff was heinous!!I should have saved some energy LOL!
Came home and had a wonderful dinner of fresh abalone.... Awesome! Now I know why it is so expesive!!!
All in all a great day, and fun and rewarding first abalone dive!!

 

[drbill]

Remember the days when I could watch an abalone grow for a few years before I harvested it... there was plenty of choice on Catalina back in the 60's. Miss those days. Haven't had abalone in more than a decade. Know where a number of them are, and it is fun to watch them and reminisce when I dive today.

Dr. Bill

 

[PhotoTJ]

I've been diving SoCal for 5 years, and have never seen one.

 

[GQMedic]

Neither have I.

PhotoTJ once bubbled...
I've been diving SoCal for 5 years, and have never seen one.

 

[John H. Moore]

Sure, I'd love to see an abalone!

Great idea this combining of NorCal and SoCal into one group!!!

 

[Drewpy]

Its only a Nor Cal thing. There used to be lots of abalone all up and down the coast but Im afraid there are very few left in So Cal
waters.It is only legal to harvest them from Moterey north I beleive?The season is from April 1st to November 30th.You are only allowed 3 per day with a total of 24 per year I think.There has been a rampant black market trade (many DFG stings) and the regulations are strictly enforced! SCUBA IS NOT ALLOWED!Many of the busts involved asian restaurants whose customers are willing to pay big $$s(up to 100$ a lb so I hear)
There sure were a lot at the dive site!
Hey Dr Bill -Care to elaborate on the species and its decline in the south?
I understand the southern species is the white abalone and its northern counterpart is the Red..??
Man they sure are good eating... but must be sliced very thin and pounded to death before cooking!

 

[OCdiving Deb]

I read recently... that we have red abalone in SoCal, although not many of them, and that it is important not to touch them because they hemorrhage very easily if touched.

Also, I did not verify this, but I believe you must not take abalone unless you are north of SF Bay. I would not want someone to think they can take them in Monterey. NOT TRUE! It could be an expensive mistake.

kelphelper

 

[paulwlee]

Yep, abalone can only be legally taken north of Golden Gate. But since much of it is shark country and with no easy access, there is no real abalone diving until Bodega Bay, which is way more north.

And it is OK to 'touch' it. If it dies when something touches it, I don't think it will survive in the wild at all.
I heard that they have no clotting agents in their blood, so you should measure the abalone before detaching it, as there is a high probability that it will get flesh wounds during the process even with the rounded abalone irons, specifically required to minimize the chance of knicks. It will bleed to death if that happens.

 

[Otter]

last weekend. It was about 6-7". Its the only one I have ever seen. Pretty cool.

 

[John H. Moore]

kelphelper once bubbled...
I read recently... that we have red abalone in SoCal, although not many of them, and that it is important not to touch them because they hemorrhage very easily if touched.

Kelphelper,

Sad to say that we used to have reds, greens, pinks, whites, pintos and flats down here... and I think even the occasional black, but I'm less certain of that...

And, yes, you cannot pry them off, measure them, and put them back... because they'd bleed to death. But touching them is fine. In fact, find a nice juicy piece of kelp and hold it up right next to them (the edge). Feeding abalone is a lot of fun.

OK, now I must go back to annoying reactionary conservative divers who don't know anything about the environment they're diving in!