I put this in the fishing discussion board, but maybe some of our members that dive a bunch will see it here and answer. I was walking down the beach Saturday (Garden City, near the point) and I noticed tons of nice sized scallop shells. With it being the offseason, I guess there are not many people collecting them. Anyhow where are these critters in the water?? Are they in deeper water or the shallower inshore water?? I have read that in Florida they hang in the grass beds in fairly shallow water. Do we have any such grass beds around our shores?? I am intrigued by this, given the number of shells I saw this past weekend.
Seems like i read on here a long time ago that there was a significant scalloping industry off of our coast but it eventually whent by the wayside. presumably overfishing or cost prohibitive. Be interesting to see if anyone can add more info on this.
“Endeavor to Persevere.
Give,Give… Never Take.”
EC
For lack of a better response: I seldom dive inshore of 60’, but I don’t remember seeing any. Then again, I’m not really looking for them either. But, they definitely don’t seem to be laying around in 100’ by the thousands. I would think that if we did have them in the deeper depths (60+) that we dive, at least 1 diver who eats them would recognize them and bring them home for dinner on occasion, but I don’t know of that going on either.
That is correct, pescazorro. Calico Scallops were discovered off the SE coast in the early 1970s. They live on the continental shelf, between 30’ and 1,000’ deep. A large industry developed in the Carolina’s, GA and Florida starting about 1977. By 1984 the fishermen had developed the techniques for harvest and just about wiped them out. That was the highest harvest year on record with about 45 million pounds landed. At that time there were many shrimp trawlers converted to scallop boats working the GA/SC coast and there were 4 packing houses in Georgia alone.
Scallops are very slow growing and the resource declined swiftly. By 1990 it was just about over and I don’t think there has been any commercial fishery for them here since about 2000. Fuel too high, scallops too scarce, back to shrimp.
So yes, there are still many off our coast, but not huge numbers like they used to be.
reference: http://oceana.org/sites/default/files/reports/DTReport_low1.pdf
Capt. Larry Teuton
Cracker Built Custom Boats
I have a very good friend that is a commercial scallop fisherman, but they fish for them now in the deep water of the Atlantic Bight and Georges Banks.
Capt. Larry Teuton
Cracker Built Custom Boats
Redstripe
There are three different types of scallops in the water of NC and SC that I know of (could be more).
Offshore you have the calico and sea scallops and then inshore are bay scallops
Bay scallops are found in eel grass beds and on mud bottoms when eel grass dies off in winter. I used to commercial fish them in NY and NC many years ago but never have done the offshore scallops at all.
Squid Row 2
22 Shamrock WA
Flounder Pounder 2
16 Sandpiper Skiff
I wish I had snapped photos. Garden City Beach is littered with decent sized shells 2-3 inches in diameter. Nobody is on the beach really this time of year, so I reckom there is no body picking them up like they do in the summer. I’m certified, maybe I will get a tank on a smooth day, and do some searching in close.
Was there any dredging near there recently? What color shells?
Squid Row 2
22 Shamrock WA
Flounder Pounder 2
16 Sandpiper Skiff
They are almost certainly Calicos. Sea Scallop shells are as big as a dinner plate!
Capt. Larry Teuton
Cracker Built Custom Boats
I don’t think there has been any dredging nearby. It’s been awhile on the beach renourishment. They were more like a golden color. I’m going to get pics next time I’m down and will post them. I saw a pic of the Calicos and I don’t think thats what they were.
Do you see it on here I don’t think it would be to exotic? Ive tried to id many shells for a collection and colors/patterns will vary, structure won’t. Most my shells came from GC and CG and colors often differed.
http://www.iloveshelling.com/blog/seashell-identification/
cheers
I kinda feel like a dummy now, cause whats on the beach are probably Cockles. At least thats the closest thing they look like from the above website. They could have been small Calicos. I will get some pics soon. It does make want to dive more than I have been doing as of late. Supossedly Cockles are yummy. Maybe I can find that mother load wherever it is…ha ha…
There are lots of cockles around. You can find them scattered at the bottom but if you want to find them in large numbers they will be washed up aginst wrecks and structure after a storm. Just wait til the vis gets good enough and you will see them all around a structure.
I’ve seen plenty around 100’ and deeper but they aren’t abundant by any means. Also they are typically jammed up in a reef and not clearly visible if you are just casually swimming by.
14’ Pamlico 140 Angler w/ rudder
Kayak, SCUBA, or both.
Jordan,
Cockles or Scallops…?
That’s a Cockle. You’ll only find them in large numbers after a storm when they are all washed near the structure. As the seas calm they disperse. You gonna try and eat 'em?
Thats just a random picture I found online. The ones I see offshoe here are scallops. They have the squared off shell by the back hinge part and cockles don’t. Now I’m thinking of bringing one up to see how well it eats.
14’ Pamlico 140 Angler w/ rudder
Kayak, SCUBA, or both.
Eat 'em up, if they have that “fan shape” with the flat base at the hinge you’re good to go