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Pompano
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Bay Scallops - Conception Bay - Soon to be Extinct?
1987 COYOTE BAY - A BAY FULL OF SCALLOPS
Who doesn't love these delicious shellfish!? For many years up until the date of the following is how we got our bay scallops. An easy workout for
those willingly to make the effort. One conservative meal at a time...by snorkling or diving for each taste....and not daily, but just every now and
then. We never suspected there soon would be no more in the Bay, let alone in our little lagoon. All I can say is, I'm thankful for the memory of
what was once the most prolific marine environment in the world...Bahia de Concepcion.
One fine day..on this day of May 18th ..... 1987.
Our gear sitting atop the sea wall after a good morning spent gathering scallops in the Bay just in front of mi casa.
Co-pilot and amigo, Jorge examine our bounty.
Jorge shows one of the bay scallops. He made a believer out of me one day like this. He said "No kidding...They just jump into your bag!"
Well, they really did. You dove down to them, laid the open dive bag in front of them, then gently poked them, and...presto...they 'jumped' the few
inches and right into your bag! What a hoot that was!
A 'HATCHET' scallop. Named so because they looked like the head of a hatchett sticking up from the sea bottom. You grabbed it and wiggled like
crazy to lift it free. Had a peice of delicious scallop meat about the size of a large marshmellow. The hacha is lots of work, but worth it!
Co-pilot is carefull of it's sharp shell edges.
Teamwork...cleaning scallops for dinner later on the patio. Easy to do with a good knife.
Of course, some were for eating immediately...raw...just a little lime juice for these 'poppers'
Then just use the knife edge to loosen the meat from the shell..
Ready for one, Pompano?
Gracias!
Bon Appetite!
And...you certainly didn't need to use SCUBA gear. Most times you just went snorkling and could fill a bag quite easily.
Yours truly in about 10 feet of clear water over a sand bottom..almost too easy.
This is a young visitor from London on her first attempt...she 'This is so easy and so much fun!'... and she was hooked on Baja.
A fresh sweet and salty treat! We were all spoiled with Natures' bounty....for a while, anyway. Who knew we only had a season or two left to
enjoy those scallops?
Some history. (Why is it that mankind makes the same mistakes over and over?)
In the 1950s the Ensenada de La Paz was the main scallop fishery site for the country, but the density by 1978 declined to almost zero; a decline
mainly attributed to overfishing and environmental factors. Well, the idea of learning from history seems to have escaped these greedy folks,
because the fishery migrated to Concepcion Bay, Ojo de Liebre Lagoon, San Ignacio Lagoon and Magdalena Bay where the population depletion continued.
According to records, the fishery reached its peak in 1989 at 35,000 tons which were mainly obtained from the Bays of Magdalena and Concepcion Bay.
SCALLOP CAMPS AND PANGAS IN THE BAY OF CONCEPTION 1989
There were over 6000 people working and living in these scallop camps within the bay. Mostly these were people from the mainland. Over 1500 pangas
with hookah divers working the Bay every day. Each boat could haul out about 1/2 ton of scallops on each trip. The bay would not recover from this
assault.
The scallops were shucked and the empty shells littered the shorelines near the camps. The putrid smells from these camps let you know when you were
downwind from them.
Long after the hordes had left, their piles of empty scallop shells told the story.
Please forgive a little preaching, but I think there's an obvious lesson to be learned here. Can we learn and not let history repeat itself
elsewhere? Yes, sure we can. One can get involved and create some hope. Who knows, someday we may get to snorkle out there again for a great
dinner. You can do the diving and I'll bring the limes. 
[Edited on 5-19-2015 by Pompano]
I do what the voices in my tackle box tell me.
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mtgoat666
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today i see a lot of callo de hacha on the pacific side lagoons, but no free-swimming scallops.
but perhaps the callo de hacha were never as depleted as the swimming guys, eh?
i have seen the hooka divers scallop fishing in the pacific lagoons in past year, i never did find out if they were going for callo de hacha or the
swimmers.
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Pablito1
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Thanks for the post. It reminds me of what happened in Peru during the early 1980s. They started diving for scallops or "conchitas"as the Peruvians
call them with improvised hookah or what ever and the production was very high for a while. You can see the thousands of piles of shells along the
highway in the desert to the south of Pisco and Paracas.
I had a guy working for me that knew what was going on and he said that they were using old compressors with a garden hose attached and just sticking
the other end in their mouths and somehow breathing without a regulator. I remember reading in the newspaper that 3 people died in one day.
It's basically the same story all over the world, look what happened in the Monterey Bay or killing most of the buffalo.
Regards, Pablo
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Pompano
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Quote: Originally posted by Pablito1  | Thanks for the post. It reminds me of what happened in Peru during the early 1980s. They started diving for scallops or "conchitas"as the Peruvians
call them with improvised hookah or what ever and the production was very high for a while. You can see the thousands of piles of shells along the
highway in the desert to the south of Pisco and Paracas.
I had a guy working for me that knew what was going on and he said that they were using old compressors with a garden hose attached and just
sticking the other end in their mouths and somehow breathing without a regulator. I remember reading in the newspaper that 3 people died in one day.
It's basically the same story all over the world, look what happened in the Monterey Bay or killing most of the buffalo.
Regards, Pablo |
Yes, same thing here in the Bay, Pablo. I've seen the old compressors the hookah divers used in the scallop harvesting days. Suicidal..is what any
experienced diver would say.
Some obvious dangers: Lack of any requirement for training and certification, using regular 'shop' air compressors, air embolism or decompression
sickness, carbon monoxide and oil contamination into the breathing tube, breathing gas under pressure, no balanced regulator if any at all...and the
list goes on.
I don't know how many injuries or deaths occurred from this careless hookah operation in the Bay, but the warnings were there. You couldn't have paid
me enough to use one of those rigs.
[Edited on 5-19-2015 by Pompano]
I do what the voices in my tackle box tell me.
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J.P.
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Extinct Scallops
My memory of Scallops Harkens back over 50 years. The things a Army Mess Cook could do to a Scallop shouldn't be mentioned even in this group. For my
benefit it is just as well they are EXTINCT. 
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Pompano
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| Quote: Originally posted by J.P. | | My memory of Scallops Harkens back over 50 years. The things a Army Mess Cook could do to a Scallop shouldn't be mentioned even in this group. For my
benefit it is just as well they are EXTINCT.
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J.P. - Then, is it safe to say that you are not a fan of SOS either? 
I do what the voices in my tackle box tell me.
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mcfez
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Damn good post Pompano . Damn good.
Old people are like the old cars, made of some tough stuff. May show a little rust, but good as gold on the inside.
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vandenberg
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Most of them now come from Mag Bay.
10 to 15 years ago we got them directly from the harvesters for 4 bucks for 5 kilos.
Now they go for 10 bucks a kilo here at the Sunday market. Well worth it. Love them !!
My latest way ot preparing them: Squeeze them dry in a towel, Marinate with onion and garlic powder, Than sautee in a very hot skillet in mixture of
bacon grease and butter.
[Edited on 5-19-2015 by vandenberg]
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Bob and Susan
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scallops in the bay are not extinct...
they are not like they were but
I see divers getting them every "flat water" day
i'm pretty sure april is the "legal" month to "harvest" them
I really don't like scallops...too bad
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Russ
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They're like mini manolions. I love them in spaghetti.
Bahia Concepcion where life starts...given a chance!
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2002maniac
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I harvested a handful of hachas for dinner a couple years ago just off the (undisclosed) concepcion beach. They have a really tough grip on the
rocks! Very tasty cooked in the fire with a little butter and lime. YUM!
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J.P.
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| Quote: Originally posted by Pompano | | Quote: Originally posted by J.P. | | My memory of Scallops Harkens back over 50 years. The things a Army Mess Cook could do to a Scallop shouldn't be mentioned even in this group. For my
benefit it is just as well they are EXTINCT.
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J.P. - Then, is it safe to say that you are not a fan of SOS either?
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Now S.O S. my mom could whip up some of the best. I wasn't introduced to sea food until I was grown I grew up in west TEXAS. EAT MORE BEEF.
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bajabuddha
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There's a huge difference between acha, ancha, and catalina scallops; it was the free-swimmers (catalinas) that were obliterated are the small pink
shelled ones that litter the shores of the bay. Acha are the purple-lipped heavy shelled scallops, grow to at least 6 to 8 inches in diameter and
anchor to rocks; look just like the rocks too, unless you know what you're looking for. The ancha are the penn-scallops, with the foot-long shells
that anchor deep in gravelly/rocky beds.
My last full-winter stay (6 months worth) on La Bahia was about 4 years ago, and a young Mexican couple that lived right above me on the hill were
Pescadores; he'd dive just off our beach in about 20' of water, had the proper permit, and harvested an amazing amount of acha scallops. There were
callo (scallop) harvesters all over the Bay that year; at least two other boats worked the same area as mi vecino, Ezekiel. However, they went
'overboard' (pun intended) on the take; the next year (and I believe 2 years) there was a moratorium on the Bay, and no scallops to be had anywhere
unless they were brought in from somewhere else. For years I could stop by Bertha's tienda across from Coyote entrance and order talones from her,
and she'd radio her own personal Pescadores for them (if not too windy). After the too-heavy harvest even she couldn't score any.
Both acha and ancha give the large 'puro' muscle that's about 2" in diameter or so; acha are a little less tough and more flavorful. Both also offer
the 'talon' muscle, my favorite of all, and little known in the gringo community. Catalinas, the small little button-sized scallops are still
available, just not from Bahia Concepcion. For the last 3 years i'd buy my talon de callos from a tienda in Santa Rosalia, same with catalinas.
[Edited on 5-19-2015 by bajabuddha]
I don't have a BUCKET LIST, but I do have a F***- IT LIST a mile long!
86 - 45*
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Pompano
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Thanks for all the interest and input on the plight of the bay scallops of Conception Bay. Maybe if we can just give them a chance they will return
in their previous abundance. It would be good for all the marine life that once lived there.
The rock scallops were always my favorite...both to eat and to dive after. Loved to see those 'eyes' underwater. I would give a lot to see them as
plentiful again.
[Edited on 5-19-2015 by Pompano]
I do what the voices in my tackle box tell me.
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carlosg
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| Quote: Originally posted by bajabuddha | There's a huge difference between acha, ancha, and catalina scallops; it was the free-swimmers (catalinas) that were obliterated are the small pink
shelled ones that litter the shores of the bay. Acha are the purple-lipped heavy shelled scallops, grow to at least 6 to 8 inches in diameter and
anchor to rocks; look just like the rocks too, unless you know what you're looking for. The ancha are the penn-scallops, with the foot-long shells
that anchor deep in gravelly/rocky beds.
My last full-winter stay (6 months worth) on La Bahia was about 4 years ago, and a young Mexican couple that lived right above me on the hill were
Pescadores; he'd dive just off our beach in about 20' of water, had the proper permit, and harvested an amazing amount of acha scallops. There were
callo (scallop) harvesters all over the Bay that year; at least two other boats worked the same area as mi vecino, Ezekiel. However, they went
'overboard' (pun intended) on the take; the next year (and I believe 2 years) there was a moratorium on the Bay, and no scallops to be had anywhere
unless they were brought in from somewhere else. For years I could stop by Bertha's tienda across from Coyote entrance and order talones from her,
and she'd radio her own personal Pescadores for them (if not too windy). After the too-heavy harvest even she couldn't score any.
Both acha and ancha give the large 'puro' muscle that's about 2" in diameter or so; acha are a little less tough and more flavorful. Both also offer
the 'talon' muscle, my favorite of all, and little known in the gringo community. Catalinas, the small little button-sized scallops are still
available, just not from Bahia Concepcion. For the last 3 years i'd buy my talon de callos from a tienda in Santa Rosalia, same with catalinas.
[Edited on 5-19-2015 by bajabuddha] |
Here's some "CALLOS" harvested by some locals in Punta Chivato:
(CORRECTION: It should say "Pinna Rugosa" not "Atrina oldroydii")
"CALLO DE HACHA" before cleaning:
"CALLO DE HACHA" after cleaning:
This one here I recall being called "CALLO DE BURRA" by my friends in PC
And it wasn't as tasty as the "CALLO DE HACHA"
They're called "CALLOS" because of the "callus" that holds both shells (halves) together.
Here's a link to some research done by the University of Sonora:
http://www.scielo.org.mx/scielo.php?pid=S0188-88972012000200...
We even had great sashimi from this little one:
[Edited on 5-19-2015 by carlosg]
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BajaBean
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About 20 years ago I was staying with a friend at his place on the far shore of BOLA. Went diving for "baseball clams" thats what he called them.
Not sure of the real name. They were cemented to the rocks. No way to pry them loose they were actually part of the rock bed. Took a hammer down
and broke them open. Fried up in mojo de ajo. Tasty.
The opposite of love is not hate. It is indifference.
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Pompano
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Tasty is right!
That great looking variety of scallops makes one hungry for a feast. Here's one from our corner of Baja..
Boleo Bakery at Sta. Rosalia for making some garlic bread, rock and hacha scallops from San Marcos waters, jumbo shrimp from the Pacific, and
strawberries from Viscaino. Should make quite a good time at the dinner table.
I do what the voices in my tackle box tell me.
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Bob and Susan
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wow...roger you've lived the BEST life...I picked the WRONG career
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Russ
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The folks I've dealt with call them Catrinas. Probably just a local name but since I've been here I've not heard them called catalinas
Bahia Concepcion where life starts...given a chance!
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blackwolfmt
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Blanca I 2nd that pomp is a wealth of baja info forsure thanks Pompano
So understand dont waste your time always searching for those wasted years
face up and make your stand and realize that your living in the golden years
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