| Pages:
1
2 |
geoffff
Senior Nomad
Posts: 673
Registered: 1-15-2009
Member Is Offline
|
|
Building filled with scallop shells?
On the south end of Bahia Concepcion, there's what appears to be an abandoned RV park where the one remaining building is overflowing with scallop
shells. What's the deal with that?
(GPS: 26.5374, -111.7365)
I was going to ask a more general question along the lines of what's the deal with those huge piles of scallop shells you find everywhere in Baja, but
I did some poking around here and answered my own question. So sad about the overfishing.
Quote: Originally posted by Pompano  | 3000 persons living in ramshackle huts along the shores of Conception Bay destroyed the bay scallop population. At the peak of this rape, there were
over 1000 pangas heaped to almost sinking with scallops making their trips from the diving grounds to the shore camps. These were Mexicans from
places other than Mulege.
The stink from these camps permeated the entire atmosphere of the Bay. Being downwind of one of these camps would make you gag. The shells were
thrown away carelessly...literally the whole shoreline was covered with those piles.
The Bay is now dead and it's national shame. [...] |
Still not sure why the Bahia Concepcion guys made the effort to put their shells in this building...(?)
-- Geoff
|
|
|
bajabuddha
Banned
Posts: 4024
Registered: 4-12-2013
Location: Baja New Mexico
Member Is Offline
Mood: Always cranky unless medicated
|
|
If you travel the entire circumference of the Bay, you'll see literally hundreds and hundreds of middens of the little shells; most of the old piles
that are fairly accessible by pick-up have been hauled into town/settlements for landscaping and driveway paving. Looking at that photo it seems
there were more piles outside of the ruin... maybe those were shoveled in for safe-keeping until a later date, or they're just what hasn't been
removed yet.
I had heard earlier stories of the rape of the Bay in the early '60s, the pangeros diving, the man-camps and tarp shelters shucking, and Japanese
container ships loading all aboard for processing and shipping back west. Palms were greased in the Federal Government (NO!) for the fishing rights.
All heresay, no proof. But, that was told to me by old Pablo Fuerte who lived there at the time.
I don't have a BUCKET LIST, but I do have a F***- IT LIST a mile long!
86 - 45*
|
|
|
Tomas Tierra
Super Nomad
Posts: 1281
Registered: 3-23-2005
Location: oxnard, ca
Member Is Offline
Mood: Tengo Flojera
|
|
Callo Catarina?
|
|
|
AKgringo
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6004
Registered: 9-20-2014
Location: Anchorage, AK (no mas!)
Member Is Offline
Mood: Retireded
|
|
Maybe the shells were dumped in there by the landholder to discourage squatters? Just a guess, but someone wanting to stay there would have a lot of
work ahead of them.
If you are not living on the edge, you are taking up too much space!
"Could do better if he tried!" Report card comments from most of my grade school teachers. Sadly, still true!
|
|
|
Bob and Susan
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8813
Registered: 8-20-2003
Location: Mulege BCS on the BAY
Member Is Offline
Mood: Full Time Residents
|
|
the real story...
in the 70's there were hundreds of people "mining" scallops in the bay until it was almost stripped...the bay was lined with camps
the shells went to the "graveyards" in the desert
the govt finally banned scallop fishing in the bay except for one month a year...I have a copy of a news article somewhere about the scallop fishing
and the ban in the bay
all the people left
now the scallops are back...these shells could be poached or from the past
|
|
|
David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64749
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
|
|
| Quote: Originally posted by bajabuddha | ...
I had heard earlier stories of the rape of the Bay in the early '60s, ...
...But, that was told to me by old Pablo Fuerte who lived there at the time. |
Not the early 60's... not until AFTER Highway One was paved was the bay 'raped'... pavement came in 1972 and the highway was completed by the end of
1973.
See Bob & Susan's post above... "the real story..."
|
|
|
J.P.
Super Nomad
Posts: 1673
Registered: 7-8-2010
Location: Punta Banda
Member Is Offline
Mood: Easy Does It
|
|
Shell's
Those Shells make a excellent road base or Shell Driveway. In Houston Tx. there was a Concrete co. Called Houston Shell and Concrete. that used
Shell Dredged out of the bay instead of rock .It was very good Concrete. The government shut the dredging down because they said it was destroying the
Oyster Beds. Concrete went from 55$ a yard to 90$ over night because they had to Ship Rock in by Train
|
|
|
motoged
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6481
Registered: 7-31-2006
Location: Kamloops, BC
Member Is Offline
Mood: Gettin' Better
|
|
Lotsa shell middens along the peninsula ....
It's a real nice drive going north along that peninsula.....with a few fishcamps, great views, some surprises, and some "excellent ubication" :
Don't believe everything you think....
|
|
|
willardguy
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6451
Registered: 9-19-2009
Member Is Offline
|
|
from chicken feed to dustless chalk to road bed material there's all sorts of stuff these shells can be turned into. wouldn't it be great if we could
convince the chinese they make a great soup thickener or an aphrodisiac!
the local fishermen could harvest scallop shells instead of totouava!
[Edited on 3-20-2015 by willardguy]
|
|
|
elgatoloco
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4332
Registered: 11-19-2002
Location: Yes
Member Is Offline
|
|
The yard at our NOB home is decorated with some of those shells.  Our first
trip out to San Ignacio lagoon took us right by mounds and mounds and mounds of shells. 
re: chinese aphrodisiac - be careful what you wish for. 
MAGA
Making Attorneys Get Attorneys
|
|
|
Udo
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6343
Registered: 4-26-2008
Location: Black Hills, SD/Ensenada/San Felipe
Member Is Offline
Mood: TEQUILA!
|
|
Thanks for the nice photos, motoged.
We probably see the same barber!
Udo
Youth is wasted on the young!
|
|
|
motoged
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6481
Registered: 7-31-2006
Location: Kamloops, BC
Member Is Offline
Mood: Gettin' Better
|
|
Udo,
That guy with the egghead is DT Bushpilot....we spent a week riding middle Baja together in 2011. Despite that time together, we still like each
other....
Here is my ride report for that trip:
http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=666961
Don't believe everything you think....
|
|
|
Whale-ista
Super Nomad
Posts: 2009
Registered: 2-18-2013
Location: San Diego
Member Is Offline
Mood: Sunny with chance of whales
|
|
san ignacio shell piles
Agree- Those piles of shells are a sad legacy of illegal fishing from decades ago.
Locals in San Ignacio described a story of similar "gypsy" poachers who descended there in the 70s, illegally harvested shellfish of all kind, and
dumped the shells where they can still be seen along the road as you head toward the whale camps. The locals were devastated by the illegal operation.
As another post noted: it was a quick, efficient "blitzkrieg" operation by many people using many boats, living at the lagoons for the time it took to
take all they could without permits. By the time the government responded, the damage was done.
I was told of this in the 90s, and hope it has not happened again since those days.
| Quote: Originally posted by elgatoloco | The yard at our NOB home is decorated with some of those shells. Our first
trip out to San Ignacio lagoon took us right by mounds and mounds and mounds of shells.
re: chinese aphrodisiac - be careful what you wish for.
|
\"Probably the airplanes will bring week-enders from Los Angeles before long, and the beautiful poor bedraggled old town will bloom with a
Floridian ugliness.\" (John Steinbeck, 1940, discussing the future of La Paz, BCS, Mexico)
|
|
|
motoged
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6481
Registered: 7-31-2006
Location: Kamloops, BC
Member Is Offline
Mood: Gettin' Better
|
|
So.......maybe some enterprising locals might "mine" this resource and recycle these middens for a better use ....such as those and other uses
suggested.....
Don't believe everything you think....
|
|
|
woody with a view
PITA Nomad
Posts: 15939
Registered: 11-8-2004
Location: Looking at the Coronado Islands
Member Is Offline
Mood: Everchangin'
|
|
we took the bypass at GN a couple of times. we drove thru the dump and filled up on dozens of the best examples to use on the risers of our steps,
front and back. i haven't found the time for the project yet, but the shells don't care!
|
|
|
Pompano
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8194
Registered: 11-14-2004
Location: Bay of Conception and Up North
Member Is Offline
Mood: Optimistic
|
|
Somebody thought of the shell pile 'recycling' business a long time ago, motoged.
It's been a very common practice for many years to have a few truckloads of the bay scallops shells hauled to homes or business places to use for
driveways and other projects.
It was a trifle smelly at first many years ago, because a lot of the shells had not completely dried out. Back in the day, you could always tell a
new driveway when you drove in and got that first whiff of the 'fresher' shells. Time and many passes with the tires helped matters.
All part of a Baja-living experience. Believe me, it was much more enjoyable eating them fresh from the seabeds. 
Like these that we could get by just a quick snorkle in front of mi casa at Coyote Bay. Yummy with any recipe, but my favorite was to shuck and eat
them right away...with a bit of fresh lime juice.
I do what the voices in my tackle box tell me.
|
|
|
motoged
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6481
Registered: 7-31-2006
Location: Kamloops, BC
Member Is Offline
Mood: Gettin' Better
|
|
Roger,
Yes, I have seen them all over for drives and walk-ways.....and know that locals have been using them functionally as well as artistically.
Just thought I might try and suggest using them rather than seeing another thread focus on the destruction of the planet.
And here is a handsome face.....taken when DT and I looked you up on the day of that ride when the pics above were taken:
Don't believe everything you think....
|
|
|
Pompano
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8194
Registered: 11-14-2004
Location: Bay of Conception and Up North
Member Is Offline
Mood: Optimistic
|
|
Ged, Indeed, my worker, Victor, and I hauled many trailer loads of shells for my long driveway. A labor of love it was not, but we got the job done
and got the reward of cold beers from Co-pilot. She was very emphatic about me taking a good long shower..uff da!
All I can add...You bet, it does seem the endless back and forth lectures on the destruction of Mother Nature are getting pretty old..especially to
those of us whose lives are actively in touch with and preserving said Mother Nature. Preaching to the choir..
And speaking of Mother...Looks like Mommy dressed me that day..ouch.
Hey, I got some great shots of you and dtbushpilot hot-rodding out of there that day, too. I think the life of a biker agrees with you guys.
[Edited on 3-21-2015 by Pompano]
I do what the voices in my tackle box tell me.
|
|
|
luv2fish
Nomad
Posts: 455
Registered: 5-8-2011
Member Is Offline
|
|
| Quote: Originally posted by motoged | Lotsa shell middens along the peninsula ....
It's a real nice drive going north along that peninsula.....with a few fishcamps, great views, some surprises, and some "excellent ubication" :
|
" WHO LOVES YOU BABY ? " Is that him ?? picture 11 Ole Telly Savalas 
|
|
|
durrelllrobert
Elite Nomad
Posts: 7393
Registered: 11-22-2007
Location: Punta Banda BC
Member Is Offline
Mood: thriving in Baja
|
|
Pacific and Atlantic sure look different
Pacific Scallop
Atlantic Scallop
Bob Durrell
|
|
|
| Pages:
1
2 |
![[*]](images/xmbforum/default_icon.gif){kind=icon}
