Summer Scallops

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Under the cool clear waters of Florida’s nature coast lies the ultimate Easter egg hunt. Calm seas welcome warm rays of sun to Illuminate a carpet of sea grass that sways rhythmically to the waves and tide. Small fish dart in and out of cover picking up debris that sweeps by. Their scales glittering while they work in and out of sunbeams. The common flounder shakes sand off its back as it darts away in a flurry of fluid motion. Underneath this forest of grass is home to many Florida species. But only one is the King of summer shellfish. The Florida Bay Scallop. It may be small in stature but is mighty in flavor. This savory sweet little morsel is the gem of the Nature coast.

Every summer, Scallop season begins ranging from Pasco County to Gulf County. Season dates and bag limits vary from county to county but generally run between the months of June to September. With the allotted limit being 1-2 gallons of whole bay scallops per person or a maximum of 10 gal per vessel of whole bay scallops depending on the county. Myfwc.com provides specific dates and information for each zone.

Scalloping is what I affectionately think of as lazy man’s lobstering. Like lobstering, you’ll be snorkeling and diving. But the FL bay scallop is most often in shallow depths and takes much less effort to catch. Once we’ve cleared the rivers and reached the heart of the bay we motor until we’re anywhere from 4 to 6 feet in depth. We watch the bottom until we find just the right mix of sandy shoals to turtle grass. Generally looking for grassy areas that run into patches of sand with a higher ratio of grass to sand. This has worked best for us over the years and seems to produce a higher number of scallops. Once we find a spot that looks right, we send one or two people in to scout and if we find scallops quickly, we know it’s time to set anchor and settle in.

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              There is something special about being encompassed by acres of spring fed sea grass so shallow that the sun dances off their blades. If you sit still and take it in, you will see an entire society living and working beneath the waves. We search out in grid patterns within 300ft of our dive flag. If you’ve never seen a scallop in its natural habitat, it can be tricky at times to find. They are typically around 2- 3inches in length, sport a gray camouflage pattern and very often have a dusting of sediment on them making them difficult to spot. Its hard jagged mouth is set off by a row of glowing blue “eyes”. As you approach it claps shut in an attempt to sink deeper into the grass, at times even lifting off and swimming backwards in a clapping motion. Inhaling, you hold your breath and drop down in a race to pull it off the bottom before it vanishes into the grass. Sometimes they look like a saucer sitting right on top of a grassy slope and other times it will be just an edge or flash of blue that catches your attention. By the end of the day your eyes become so accustomed to the glowing blue and zigzag hinged mouth you’ll see it in your sleep.

We fill our mesh laundry bags until they become too cumbersome to swim with and head back to add our catches to a 5-gallon bucket of water aboard the boat. Then it’s back to the water until we limit. Bay scallops are in the Bivalve family which means they have two shells joined with a hinge. They are an important member of the ecosystem and feed by cleansing and filtering the water ways. They most often live for only a year, so when we are harvesting it is near the end of their life cycle. Something that always adds a bit of competition to our boat is looking for a rare yellow or orange shelled individual which make up only 1-4% of the total population.

            

Once you’ve hit your limit and it comes to cleaning your shells there’s always plenty of floating cleaning stations for hire on the way into the marina. Or you can attempt the old-fashioned way with a flat thin knife and spoon. There are other more creative ways involving shop vacs, but we keep it simple. A handful of friends, family and cold beers make quick work of what could be a tedious job.

Using the knife in the corner of the shell we break the seal and open the shell. Then scooping or scraping down the side of the meat results in everything leaving the shell except for a bite sized piece of shellfish perfection. My favorite way to prepare them is baked and wrapped in small bacon strips with a side of aioli. Or a quick old fashioned pan sear in butter, salt and pepper.

Diving in these old Florida waters has become a highlight of my year and feels like a taking a step back into the past. My grandfather always spoke of growing up on Florida’s southwest Coast as a beautiful untamed wild place. His memories differed greatly from mine. He remembered creeks that were spring fed and poured into salty bays creating acres of grass beds full of scallops that they would harvest and eat fresh off the shell. Growing up on the same bay today is vastly different for my generation. Long have the springs dried up and the grass beds and scallops have gone with them. It is mostly muddy tea colored water. I thought his memory would be a Florida I would never experience. Florida’s nature coast is a place where Old Florida remains. A place where cabbage trees, marsh and grazing deer meet the water’s edge. Salt water that is clear, blue and unadulterated. Redfish, Snook, Otters, Manatees and Dolphins all still inhabit the same rivers. For me, it’s a sportsman’s paradise. I pray these places are preserved and that my grandchildren will be privileged to the resources that still reside there.