St. Joseph Bay has
been teeming with treasure hunters from as far away as Michigan
searching for the lost golden scallop treasure. Over two thousand
scallopers registered for the first ever Gulf County Tourist Development
Council sponsored underwater treasure hunt and enjoyed the last two
weeks of the season with bountiful harvests and if lucky, a golden
scallop. Of the 100 golden scallops, seventeen were discovered and
redeemed for fabulous prizes up to $500. Although there were two
valiant efforts at winning the $20,000 grand prize, the lucky treasure
hunters will have to return next year for another shot at the fortune.
Susan
Tew, of Panama City, just recently discovered the recreational pastime
of scalloping and is hooked. Spending every spare second of the last
month in St. Joseph Bay finally paid off with less than an hour of
treasure hunting remaining. At 4:10 pm on Saturday, September 24th,
Susan and her husband, Hal, swam upon a golden scallop. They jumped in
their boat, called Bluewater Outriggers to see if they still had time
to make it to claim their prize, and sped towards the Port St. Joe city
boat ramp. After a quick stop by Florida Fish and Wildlife and the
standard check to verify they were in compliance with rules and
regulations, The Tew’s docked their boat and ran all the way to City
Commons, making it to the Gazebo with their gold scallop with just
seconds to spare.
The
new scallopers were handsomely rewarded for their treasure with a $250
gift certificate to put towards their next overnight vacation in Gulf
County. On the eve of the sunset of the 2011 scallop season, the quest
for treasure came to an end, but the excitement and spirit will remain
strong until next year when the masses descend once again upon the
beautiful, bountiful waters of St. Joseph Bay.
For more information about Gulf County, please go to www.visitgulf.com. http://www.oysterradio.com e-mail manager@oysterradio.com with comments
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