Watching the locals diving for scallops in the channel just outside the bay, the sun and reports the water is 3°C warmer than usual gave us the courage to pile on the neoprene and go diving ourselves. Last year we successfully dived for scallops many times but not before mid January.
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| heaven in a shell |
The first impression of the water was 'bracing' but water inside our suits quickly warmed and it wasn't that cold - 19°C on my dive computer. We followed the anchor line down to 9m, good visibility and very little current. Unfortunately the only scallops we saw were empty shells. There were many, many octopuses sitting in their nests made from empty shells disdainfully watching our progress. After 25 minutes and only one live scallop I signalled to David I was going to surface to check the direction back to the dinghy and then we'd swim underwater back to it. A good plan with poor execution. I saw the dinghy a 150m down current but when I descended my buddy wasn't in sight. Each of you only has to drift 10m in different directions to loose sight.
I stopped, circled, looked and then followed the rule of each making your way back to the dinghy to wait for the other. Conditions were easy. We were shallow so no danger. I was first back with my four scallops. David came up in a different place to me clutching a bagful of big bivalves. On his way back he'd drifted into the good spot.
What else for lunch but sweet, succulent fresh scallops cooked in butter with garlic, a dash of white wine and french bread to mop up the juices? Worth all the effort it takes to get them. We kept some to take over to Paikea Mist for dinner in the evening. Gloria and Michael are divers too and we were encouraging them to brave the cool water. If we go tomorrow they might come with us.
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