A Very Northern California Thing to Do
On this early holiday morning, even the Golden Gate Bridge is swept clean of traffic. I’m meeting the jeweler at his house at 5:30 a.m. to participate in an annual ritual: abalone diving on Thanksgiving day.
The jeweler, Jay Cresalia, is a fifth-generation San Franciscan and an avid abalone diver, having chased Haliotis rufescens for the past 36 years. The term “chasing abalone” is somewhat tongue-in-cheek, as this shellfish is not known for speed.


