(dramatic music)
(waves crashing)
- [Narrator] The Galician coast line in Northern Spain is
home to one of the most expensive delicacies in the world.
Percebes, or goose barnacles, grow on the sides of rocks
in the treacherous waters of the Atlantic ocean.
Barnacle hunting has long been considered a man's job
but in Baiona, a town along the coast where hundreds of families
make a living off the ocean,
some of the best barnacle hunters or percebeiros are women.
- [Narrator] Percebes hunting is not for the faint of heart.
Every year there are hundreds of accidents along the coast,
but, for the González sisters, the risk is worth it.
- [Narrator] Part of Xosé’s job is to keep watch over
the percebeiros while they are working.
There have been numerous fatal accidents in Baiona
over the past decade but Xosé has been able to save
the lives of 10 percebeiros.
- [Narrator] Three years ago, Belén González had a career
ending accident when she slipped on a patch of seaweed
and fell into the rocks.
And recently, Lala, the youngest, was forced to take a leave
from the sea after going through cancer treatments.
So for now, it's just Susana and Isabel who hunt together
keeping the family tradition alive.
- [Narrator] To keep the number of percebes at a healthy
level and to prevent over- fishing, quotas have been
imposed on the hunters.
- [Narrator] The sisters sell their haul at a seafood
auction that takes place at Baiona fish market every day.
- [Narrator] These market auctions have become a hot spot
for local chefs and restaurateurs
like Bernardo Alvarez Miniño who frequents the market
every week looking for perfect percebes.
- [Narrator] Despite the risks that come with their
profession, the González sisters take pride
in carrying on their family’s tradition
and commitment to working with the sea.
(dramatic music)