The Abalone Ranger Rides Herd Over Watery Flock : Environment: The State Park System’s resident expert on the large marine snail keeps a watchful eye on rich breeding grounds.

They call this state park 90 miles northwest of San Francisco the “Abalone Park” and the park ranger here the last 11 years, Ashford (Woody) Wood, the “Abalone Ranger.”

“A 40-mile stretch of the Sonoma County coast including Salt Point Park is reputed to be one of the richest abalone grounds in the world,” said Wood, 40, one of the California State Park System’s dozen aquatic rangers.

His job is information, patrolling and law enforcement, primarily centered on the abalone. He received his degree in ichthyology, the study of fishes, at Humboldt State University in 1974.

“Many who visit the park and see divers in the surf below the cliffs ask what are they doing,” Wood said. “When I tell them diving for abalone, most people, especially if they’re not from California, have no idea what I’m talking about. They never heard of abalone. So, I tell them what abalone are.”

He explains that the abalone-- abalone is both singular and plural--is a large marine snail similar to garden snails. They are found on the coasts of the northern Pacific Ocean, Australia and South Africa. “Abalone have an ear-shaped shell with a row of holes. The shell has a brilliantly colored pearly interior. The largest abalone in the world are taken here, red abalone as big as 12 inches across,” the Abalone Ranger continued.

“Abalone feed on kelp. They have eyes. They have a row of teeth that are like files, to file off and eat kelp. We think abalone live as long as 75 years. A red abalone must be at least 7 inches across (about 12 years old) to be legally taken.”

Wood tells those unfamiliar with the marine snail that it is “some of the best eating you will ever experience.”

“It has a delicate flavor similar to calamari and scallops,” he said. “If properly prepared it melts in your mouth, a gourmet’s delight when fried with eggs and cracker crumbs in butter or hot oil.”

Properly prepared abalone is cut in thin slices, he said, then pounded vigorously with a wooden mallet to break muscle tissues down. Without the pounding it is like shoe leather.

Wood helps divers locate the best spots to take abalone. “You don’t have to go too far out in the water,” he told Julie Jackson, 20, a UC Berkeley student, and her friend Mike Gendreau, 20, who asked the ranger where to look for abalone.

“Dive on the south side of coves, under rocks, under eel grass, in the kelp for best results,” Wood told the two divers. He warned them to watch out for “sleeper” waves, formed when a wave from the north and a wave from the south join, resulting in 4-foot crests becoming 8-foot crests. People can be swept out to sea by such waves, he said, noting that half a dozen lives are lost each year because of sleeper waves along that part of the coast.

The limit for abalone north of Carmel is four a day in season, the season being April through June, August through November. The limit south of Carmel is two a day.

Until the 1960s, abalone were found in great numbers along Southern California beaches, but the marine snails disappeared because of pollution and overfishing. Abalone are taken out of Santa Barbara and Half Moon Bay in waters open to commercial harvesting by divers using scuba gear.

But here in the Salt Point State Park area, commercial diving is prohibited. Only free diving is allowed--no scuba diving by either sport or commercial divers.

“On busy weekends there will be 4,000 to 6,000 people diving for abalone in the 40-mile stretch from Jenner to Gualala,” Wood said.

“The abalone population here is healthy. If we detect abalone on the decline we will reduce the season, reduce the numbers taken.”

The Abalone Ranger talked about the law enforcement part of his job. “The 11 years I have been here,” he said, “I have cited over 600 divers for over-limit, undersize and out-of-season abalone.

“This job can be hairy at times. A couple of months ago I chased a guy 40 miles in high-speed pursuit on narrow, winding Highway 1 along the ocean after observing him taking way over his limit,” Wood recalled. The chase ended shortly after the diver tossed two sacks containing 211 abalone into the Russian River. Wood arrested him. The abalone were recovered. It turned out the man was on probation for taking large numbers of abalone in 1982.

The same judge sentenced the 32-year-old man to a year in jail and five years’ supervised probation upon his release, subject to search any time, anywhere by peace officers without a warrant.

“It’s a serious offense. Abalone retails for $45 a pound. An abalone dinner in a restaurant runs between $25 and $50,” Wood said.

He told of a Department of Fish and Game arrest of two men six months ago who were found on their boat with 600 abalone taken at night off Salt Point State Park. “The value of the 600 abalone was $25,000. The abalone and the divers’ $50,000 boat were seized. The case is pending,” Wood said.

Those big marine snails along the rugged Northern California coast keep the Abalone Ranger busy.