CRYSTAL RIVER, Fla. — Scalloping is one of those time-honored traditions that every Floridian should do at least once, like trudging through the Everglades or throwing a hurricane party. But after spending more than half of my life in the Sunshine State, I’d never crossed it off my bucket list.
This summer would be different. Photographer Martha Asencio-Rhine and I booked an afternoon tour in Crystal River, one of the most popular scalloping spots along the Gulf Coast. We’d start at the Adventure Center of the hotel Plantation on Crystal River, boat over, splash around and hopefully find enough scallops to fill our dinner plates.
We met on the docks at 1 p.m. to get fitted for flippers and sign a waiver. There we met the crew: Professional swimmers and siblings Rachel and Lucas Ebert, who have scalloped since they were toddlers, and Paul Cross, a captain with two decades of experience. All three grew up in the area and knew their way around the Gulf of Mexico.
