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Two methods are legal for use by recreational harvesters in
northern California: wading and diving.
Harvesting while wading is known as shorepicking. Shorepickers are
severely restricted in terms of where they can harvest. Abalone are found in
rocky locations at subtidal depths and deeper. For someone wading in abalone
territory, that means slippery rocks in areas almost always covered by water.
There are few places that meet those requirements and only a fraction of those
are accessible by the public. Another limitation on shorepickers is the need to
wait until the lowest of low tides in order to get into areas usually
underwater. It is during the short period of those low tides that shorepickers
look and feel under algae covered rocks until they locate their quarry.
The alternative to shorepicking is to dive for abalone. With use
of SCUBA equipment not allowed when taking abalone north of Yankee Point,
Monterey County, diving for abalone is limited to breathhold freediving.
Freedivers are only limited by the distance they're willing to swim and the
depths they can comfortably work.
So, how is it done? The easiest way to answer that question is to
tag along with an experienced harvester. I'll try to convey just a few of the
basics and some of safety issues you'd need to be aware off. |
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The hardest thing the new abalone harvester has to face is
learning to relax; there are a lot of things conspiring to increase your
anxiety. For example, there's no resisting the push and shove of the ocean's
forces even on a very calm day; it's disorienting and unnerving to find
yourself unable to gain a footing or hold your position in the water. The ebb
and flow sets everything into constant motion and often results in the
disconcerting effects of vertigo.
That discomfort is heightened by underwater visibility usually
limited to a few feet or inches that robs you of most frames of reference. It
is possible to use the Bull Kelp stalks as reference points but Bull Kelp can
rob your ability to relax in other ways. For example, when the top of Bull Kelp
floats a few feet from the surface, a first glimpse in gloomy visibility looks
very much like an underwater floating head complete with dark, flowing hair.
It's hard to relax when you've just swallowed your snorkel.
Soooooo.... until there is some comfort that comes from entering
the ocean, take things slowly. Remember, it's supposed to be fun and, if it's
not, get out.
Gerald & Buff
Corsi
© California Academy of
Sciences |
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Another problem that has to be overcome is learning to see
abalone.  These animals have a shell that was
constructed using the surrounding algae growth. The matching color of the
shell, combined with a lot of algae growth on the shell itself, means that
abalone are well hidden in their world. The trick is to look for the black
colored edge of the abalone's foot rather than trying to find the complete
animal. With practice, it becomes second nature to recognize the whole animal
from seeing just a piece. |
Abalone are pretty good sized animals as far as snails go. This
means they have a very large foot area that's really useful for hunkering down
when conditions get rough. That large foot is good news when it comes to eating
time but presents more of a problem when trying to remove them from a rock.
Given a 3 second head start, most abalone can suck down hard enough that
removing them becomes nearly impossible. So don't give them that head start.
Slip at least 2" of the end of the ab iron between the rock and the abalone's
foot. This is pretty easy if the abalone isn't given the head start. Once done,
pry the abalone off the rock using the tip of the iron as the fulcrum point. If
you're pulling your end of the abalone iron away from the rock, you're doing
good. If you're pushing your end toward the rock trying for a teeter-totter
motion, you're doomed. By the time you realize your mistake, the animal will
probably be clamped down so hard a jackhammer couldn't get it off the rock.
Don't feel too bad, it's a common mistake. But don't try to push the issue by
continuing to work on the animal. It's very likely that further attempts to get
it off the rock will be no more successful though it becomes increasingly
likely you'll cut the abalone in your bumbling.
In addition to protecting the abalone, there are a few points
worth making on how to protect yourself. An obvious starting point is that the
inexperienced on this coast should ease their way into this activity. Here I'm
including folks who are new to the ocean as well as those who are new to the
local conditions. Find someone with experience who's willing to go with you.
Abalone harvesting is a popular activity and it's likely someone you know can
introduce you to the sport. If that's not the case or you're not comfortable
with that route, consider contacting one of the local dive clubs: Redwood
Empire Divers or Just Add Water, Sonoma. Both of these clubs have combined
abalone diving experience that is measured in decades, they're friendly people,
and they're always willing to share their experience and knowledge with new
divers.
Remember: according to California Fish and Game regulations,
removing or popping an abalone off its rock is "taking" an abalone. If that
abalone is legal in size, it counts against your daily bag limit whether you
keep it, put it back or give it to someone else. See the
Daily Take explanation of the regulations
if the preceding statement isn't crystal clear for you. |
