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Scallops
In The Sun
A Full Day Of adventure And Fun |
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If you
like the idea of egg hunts or diving for sunken treasure, you will
love scalloping. With just a mask, snorkel and fins you, too, can jump
in and experience the adventure of diving for scallops. You will float
along the surface quietly, patiently, over a sand bar in the Gulf of
Mexico, off Florida’s beautiful Nature Coast, and take in the
wonderful world of various fishes, plants and coral. |
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Then
suddenly you will see one. A scallop! Take a deep breath, dive down
and grab it before someone else does! Be sure to look close around and
you just might see more. Remember, scallop beds are located mostly in
shallow water and may only be harvested by hand or net. |
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Scallop Facts |
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Scallops are hard to spot
because their natural coloring allows them to camouflage themselves on
the bottom among the tall grasses. Most of the time their shells are
open to feed and breath, but as soon as they sense an intruder they
slam their shells shut and hide. When threatened, the scallop can swim
backwards or up by clapping its shell halves together and rapidly
expelling water. |

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The bay scallop is a member
of the shellfish family. Spawning occurs at 1 year of age and in the
fall, when the weather is cool. Unfortunately, only 1 egg out of 12
million will survive to live a full life, and in Florida they usually
only live 1 year. |
In the past, Florida’s coasts
were brimming with scallops, but recently they have vanished in many
areas. Scientists believe this shortfall could be due to poor water
quality since scallops are highly sensitive to changes in water. One could
say scallops play an important part within the ecosystem, and observing
scallops is a good way to evaluate the quality of the marine environment.
In 1998, the Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC) teamed up with the
University of South Florida in an effort to enhance the population of the
scallops in certain areas, as well as eventually launching restrictions to
allow only recreational harvesting. This seems to have worked. From 2000
through 2001, the scallop population has increased significantly, after
harvesting was banned for several years. In 2002, scallop harvesting was
reopened in the Crystal River area, which has become one of the most
popular scallop harvesting destinations in Florida.
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Reservations
The season is open from, July 1st through September
10th, so book your trip as soon as possible so you don’t
miss the boat or the fun!
Our boats leave the dock at 7:00 am and return at 1:30 pm. Prices include snorkel,
mask, fins, and net and bag.
Cleaning is extra.
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$65.00 per person, 3 person minimum
- Group rates are available
- No fishing
license needed
Scallop limits are 2 gallons whole per person and
10 gallons whole per boat with 5 or more passengers.
If you clean
the scallops before returning to the dock, the limit is 1 pint
of scallop meat per person, with a maximum of 1/2 gallon per boat.
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Hope to see you soon!
Open 9-5 daily.
Closed for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, and New Year’s
Day
Manatee Tour & Dives, Corp.
267 N.W.3rd Street
Crystal River Florida
34428
Toll free 888-732-2692
Local 352-795-1333
Email
Links] [Photo Gallery] [Scalloping]
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