Watch: Australian diver shares surprise encounter with a swimming scallop
Diver spots swimming scallop
An Australian diver has recalled her first encounter with a swimming scallop, which caught her by surprise as it flapped away through the water. (Credit: Jules Casey via Storyful)
VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA - An Australian diver’s unforgettable encounter with a surprisingly agile sea creature is gaining attention on social media, years after it first happened.
Video of swimming scallop goes viral
Jules Casey, a diver and photographer, recently posted a video to Instagram showing a scallop swimming through the water by flapping its shell and swimming away – an ability that caught her completely off guard at the time.
What They’re Saying: "I will never forget the first time I saw a scallop swimming, many years ago… I had no idea they could do that," Casey wrote in her caption.
Video of a fleeing shellfish was captured by diver and photographer Jules Casey. (Credit: Jules Casey via Storyful)
The clip, captured near Blairgowrie Pier in Victoria, shows the shellfish propelling itself with quick, clapping motions – an unusual sight for many who associate scallops with being stationary on the seafloor.
Her video has sparked online discussion, sparking curiosity and fascination among viewers unfamiliar with the scallop’s unique mode of movement.
"Your first video on these swimming had me in hysterics. I had no idea they swam," one user wrote.
How do scallops swim?
Dig deeper:
According to a 2015 study published in the journal BioOne, scallops swim using jet propulsion produced by expulsion of water from between the valves by rapid contraction of the adductor muscle.
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The valves are subsequently opened by a ligament that acts like a spring mechanism.
The Source: The information from this story was provided by Storyful. This story was reported from Los Angeles.