[1952 HOME MOVIE ABALONE DIVING AND HARVESTING IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA]

Shot by an unknown filmmaker, this 1952 home movie shows abalone harvesting off the coast of Southern California. In Southern California, wild abalone was historically harvested along the mainland coast—particularly around Point Conception, Palos Verdes, and San Diego—and at the Channel Islands National Park. Prized spots included Santa Catalina, San Clemente, Santa Cruz, and Santa Rosa islands.

00:00 Film starts

00:09 Abalone shells displayed on the dive boat

00:19 A marina with ships in their berths

00:29 An unknown man in a SCUBA diving suit preps for diving, dives into the water, and is shown coming back onto the boat.

01:10 Another diver is shown in the water with a long knife and a net used to harvest abalone

1:24 Shots from the dive boat as the vessel comes back into port

1:40 A man wearing a captain's hat sharpens a knife on a stone

2:09 A man writes in a ledger and then makes faces at the camera

2:20 A long pier is shown on the Pacific Ocean

3:25 Shots of two people sunbathing in the back of a family home

3:37 Shot of sunset on the Pacific Coast Highway

3:40 A marina at sunset, possibly San Pedro

4:01 Lifeguard training swim, or possibly a swim competition, possibly at Santa Catalina Island.

Related films

Sources

YouTube channel: PeriscopeFilm · video ↗ — year, video
16mm Filmography editors — title, description

Original permalink · Record added 2026-05-17 16:22:58