Crystal River ‘s visitors can embark on a unique underwater scavenger hunt with the reward of meaty morsels of shellfish as scalloping season is well underway. Charters are ready to ferry seafaring gatherers to hotspots in the Gulf of Mexico, where bay scallops are plentiful — if one knows how to spot them properly. With a dark shell on top and a lighter side on the bottom, the mollusks blend in with the seagrass and make for a challenging treasure hunt for those who seek them out.
I joined Capt. Paul Cross and Lucas Ebert of Waterfront Adventures for a chartered trip out into the Gulf, where we stopped at a prime spot for collecting scallops. “We call it an underwater Easter egg hunt.
Any day on the boat is a great day. It’s fun, but it helps to have an activity to do. It just makes it that much better,” said Cross, who grew up in Crystal River.
“Kids can do this. People of all ages can do it. There’s crystal-clear water and you get beautiful days on the Gulf.
” Though the experience proved more tedious than anticipated, we ultimately headed back to shore with plenty to eat. Venturing out Just after 10 a.m.
, our small group climbed aboard Cross’s boat powered by a zippy 175-horsepower Yamaha motor, allowing us to breeze through mangrove tunnels with ease while classic rock blasted on the stereo. As we left the town behind and ventured into the Gulf, dozens of boats dotted the horizon with other families in search of those meaty morsels under the water. The bay scallop season is nearing its peak as harvesting is open through Sept.
24 in Levy, Citrus and Hernando counties with a daily limit of 2 gallons per person or 10 gallons per vessel. We got a little briefing from Ebert, who explained “the art of scalloping” — and perhaps tempered our expectations. “People find around 8-10 scallops, maybe 20 if they’re really good.
It’s a hunt. You have to keep swimming,” he explained. “Maybe every 30-40 yards, you find one, dive down and put it in your bag.
When you find one, you can’t look away because when you look back down, you won’t see them.” He also detailed the dozens of blue eyes that adorn the edge of their shells and let us know that though scallops have the capacity to pinch fingers slightly, they will not hurt you. Before we got started on our own hunt, Ebert dove down and immediately popped up with a pufferfish in hand, much to our delight.
After a quick round of show and tell, the fish swam away from the boat to carry on with its day. Searching for Easter eggs Outfitted with masks, snorkels, fins and mesh bags to collect our catch, we jumped in the water while Ebert snorkeled off on his own to ensure we had enough to enjoy a full dinner rather than a light snack. Cross swam with our group closer to the boat, pointing out scallops as we went.
The first three in my bag were caught with an assist from our captain, which almost felt like cheating — but the exercise did help in knowing what to look for. I ventured off on my own for what could have been half an hour or more, not having any luck despite my best efforts to look. Some aquatic plants bear the same shape as a scallop’s shell, playing tricks on my eyes.
The frustration was elevating as I began to question my hunter-gatherer instincts. If I was depending on this exercise as a matter of survival, I would have needed to catch many more scallops than the measly three in my bag. Even though I felt like throwing in the towel, I found a sandy spot where these underwater Easter eggs had less cover to hide.
I spotted one, grabbed it and popped up with glee. “Looks like we will be eating dinner after all!” exclaimed Cross from the boat with a hint of sarcasm. However, the comment did remind me of what was at stake: a nice, freshly caught meal straight from the sea.
While we were getting our feet wet with our beginners’ scalloping course, Ebert was doing the real work of foraging our aquatic meal. Ultimately, he managed to bag 96 in the same amount of time that I caught seven. After a few hours in the sun, we gathered back on the boat with slices of watermelon to help rehydrate us after the long immersion in saltwater.
“Good job, team,” Cross remarked before gunning it back toward shore, black storm clouds gathering around us. It was an exhilarating ride back and we all got to relish the day’s accomplishment — more than 100 freshly caught scallops. Catch of the day Our catch of the day was quickly put to use as Ebert got to work, shucking more than a dozen scallops right on the boat.
Freeing the white meat from the shells, he adorned them with lime juice, cilantro and his special seasoning. We took turns trying scallops on the half-shell, like miniature oysters. The garnishes helped bring out their delicate, slightly sweet and smooth taste, while the dash of lime provided a needed zest.
After swimming for hours, it felt like our hard work had paid off. Fortunately, this was just the beginning of our group’s culinary experience. After cleaning up back on shore, we met at Waterfront Social , a dining destination on the shores of Kings Bay.
Chef Olivia Plockelman took our pile of shucked scallops and made some magic happen with them in the kitchen, preparing them three ways. The blackened scallops gave the morsels some zing, packing them with a mild spice and plenty of flavor. The fried scallops were perfect for dipping in tartar sauce or melted butter.
In an exquisite and visually appealing preparation, the rest of the scallops were presented on the half shell, topped with marinated tomatoes, lemon garlic butter and bread crumbs. Hungry after diving down to catch the very sustenance we were about to enjoy, we eagerly devoured the scallops, making quick work of the full plates. It was the perfect reward for the most delicious scavenger hunt I have ever had the pleasure of participating in.
Find me @PConnPie on Instagram or send me an email: [email protected] . If you go Waterfront Adventures has scalloping charters daily starting at $375 for a five-hour excursion with three people.
The office is located at 525 NW 7th Ave. in Crystal River. For more information, call 352-651-5004 or visit swimmingwiththemanatees.
com . Restaurants that offer “catch and cook” specials include Plantation West 82, Peck’s Old Port Cove, Backwater Fins, Seafood Seller, Bayside Kraft Kitchen, Cracker’s Bar & Grill, The Boil Yard, Crab Plant, Shrimp Landing, Dan’s Clam Stand, Oysters of Crystal River, Wallace’s at the Greenhouse, Marguerita Grill, The Shed, Fish Tales and Nauti Time Seafood..
