How to Catch Calico Scallops
Calico scallops are small mottled scallops of warm coastal bottoms - mostly an offshore, commercially dredged species, though where they come shallow enough they can be gathered like bay scallops by snorkelling and hand or dip net for the same sweet, tender meat.
Scalloping seasons, zones and licences are set locally and enforced - check before you go and observe daily limits. Snorkel with a dive flag and a buddy, and mind boat traffic. Shellfish is a serious allergen.
Calico scallops are the warm-water cousin of the celebrated bay scallop - a little smaller and more mottled. Unlike the bay scallop, though, the calico is mainly a deeper-water, offshore scallop, and most of the harvest comes from commercial dredging rather than snorkelling. Where they do come shallow enough to reach, you can gather them the same delightful way - drifting over clear water with a mask and fins and picking them off the bottom - and the sweet, tender meat is every bit as good, if a bit more patience to shuck.
Why go for them
Scalloping is one of the most fun ways to gather shellfish - snorkelling clear, warm, shallow water and plucking scallops off a sunlit grass flat feels more like an Easter-egg hunt than fishing. The calico's sweet, tender meat is the reward, and where seasons allow it extends that experience to more places and more of the year.
Where and when to find them
Calico scallops live on sandy and grassy bottoms in warm coastal water, but mostly in deeper water offshore rather than the shallow seagrass flats where bay scallops gather - which is why they are chiefly a commercial dredge species. In the spots where they do come shallow enough to reach, go in the warmer months during the local scallop season, on a calm, clear day when visibility is good and you can spot them from the surface as you drift.
How to catch them
Snorkel slowly over the flats and pick scallops up by hand into a mesh bag, or scoop them with a dip net when they clap their shells and swim off. Fly a dive flag, keep a buddy, and watch for boats. Count your catch to the daily limit and leave undersized or out-of-season scallops where they lie.
Handling, cleaning and cooking
Keep scallops cold and shuck them soon - slide a knife in, cut the muscle from the shell and trim to the sweet round adductor. Calicos are small, so shucking takes patience, but the meat sears beautifully in butter for just a minute a side, or goes into pasta and chowder. Do not overcook such delicate meat.
Safety and the law
Scallop seasons, zones, licences and daily limits are set locally and enforced, so check the rules before you go and keep to the limit. In the water, always use a dive flag, snorkel with a buddy, and stay alert to boat traffic. Harvest only from open, certified-safe water, and note shellfish is a serious allergen. Read our shellfish safety guide.