Chapter 63

Su Jing picked up a large shell and examined it from all sides. It was about twenty-five centimeters long and weighed about five kilograms, which would require two hands for an average person to hold. The shell was thick and sturdy, with a disc-like shape. The left shell was slightly raised, while the right shell was flatter. The front ear was slightly protruding, and the back ear was rounded and blunt. The surface of the shell was brownish, with tightly layered scales at the top and more loosely layered scales at the back.

"This seems to be a White Butterfly Shell," Su Jing's eyes lit up as he examined it. The White Butterfly Shell, also known as the Giant Pearl Oyster or White Pearl Shell, belongs to the bivalve family of tropical and subtropical seas. In China, it is a unique pearl oyster species found in the South China Sea. Its pearl reserves account for about 90% of the total pearl oyster reserves in Hainan Province. The pearls it produces are large, with good color and high value, making them valuable as both jewelry and medicine. They are highly sought after in the international pearl market, with significant economic value.

However, due to their low numbers and high value, they are listed as a second-class protected animal in China, and their capture is prohibited.

"Xiao Hu, where did you find this White Butterfly Shell?" Su Jing asked. He didn't consider breaking open the shell to see if there were any pearls inside, as he didn't want to kill it, being a second-class protected animal. He had heard that some people could open the shell and remove the pearl without killing the oyster, but that technique was as difficult as performing surgery, and Su Jing didn't have that skill. Moreover, the chance of a wild oyster containing a pearl was less than one percent.

"Over there," Xiao Hu turned his head and called out to the open sea.

"Take me there," Su Jing grabbed a net bag and a diving mask, jumped onto Xiao Hu's back, and they sped off through the waves. After about twenty minutes, they were far from the coast of Su Family Village, approaching an uninhabited island. This area had many small islands, none of which had been developed.

When they were about three hundred meters from the uninhabited island, Xiao Hu called out to remind Su Jing, then dove into the sea, descending rapidly. Even with Su Jing's physical condition, he soon felt chest pressure and discomfort. Humans are not fish and cannot easily withstand rapid changes in water pressure.

"Slow down," Su Jing patted Xiao Hu and managed to say two words by exhaling. Xiao Hu then slowed down, descending gradually to ten meters, fifteen meters, twenty meters... Most people feel ear pain and breathing difficulties at ten meters, while some professional divers can reach fifteen or even twenty meters. The limit of diving is the limit of human resistance to water pressure and physiological functions.

In January 2000, Cuban Francisco Ferrera set a free-diving record of 162 meters in the Gulf of Mexico without an air tank, relying solely on his lung capacity.

Su Jing's current physical condition far exceeded that of an average person, so he felt little discomfort even at twenty meters. He continued to descend to about fifty meters, where he only felt a slight discomfort but no major issues.

Through his diving mask, Su Jing saw that the seabed was composed of rocky reefs and gravel, with a few underwater plants. There were many White Butterfly Shells, some crawling and others lying still on the seabed.

Su Jing directed Xiao Hu to move closer to the seabed, flipping open a large White Butterfly Shell. It was empty. He flipped several more, and finally, he found a pearl about ten millimeters in diameter. Unfortunately, it was not very round and had a mediocre color.

Su Jing continued searching, surfacing to breathe when he couldn't hold his breath any longer, then diving back down. He found one pearl after another, some of good quality and others of poor quality, with a few worth several thousand or even tens of thousands of yuan.

"Wow, that's big," Su Jing suddenly saw a shell over thirty centimeters long. Xiao Hu swam over, and when Su Jing opened it, his eyes widened. Inside was a white pearl over fifteen millimeters in diameter, perfectly round, lustrous, and flawless. Even though Su Jing wasn't an expert, he could tell that the pearl was extremely valuable.

Su Jing continued searching, flipping through almost all the nearby White Butterfly Shells. He found about fifty to sixty pearls, including the flawless one and a dozen others of good quality, with the rest being average.

"Let's explore a bit more,"

Su Jing didn't return immediately. He had Xiao Hu take him through the underwater world, enjoying the scenery through his diving mask. Although he lived by the sea, he had never dived this deep before. This was his first time freely exploring the deep sea.

Su Jing saw various corals, seaweeds, fish, shellfish, and crabs. The underwater world was truly bizarre and diverse. Once, he accidentally touched a coral, which suddenly moved and sprayed a cloud of black ink. It turned out to be a camouflaged octopus.

When he encountered unusual shells or blood corals, he put them in his net bag, not to sell but to keep as a collection.

Su Jing thought about the many ancient shipwrecks on the seabed. If he could find one filled with ceramics, gold, and jewels, he would be rich. Unfortunately, he didn't find any wreckage.

"Hmm? Is that fish...?"

Su Jing suddenly noticed a fish that looked like a valuable species. Before he could get a clear look, it darted into the coral reef.

Su Jing directed Xiao Hu to swim over quickly, squeezing through the coral. The fish continued to hide, but this time Su Jing got a clear view. It was indeed a Napoleon Wrasse, with its high, domed forehead resembling Napoleon's hat, hence its name.

The Napoleon Wrasse belongs to the wrasse family and is the largest and longest-living coral fish, typically living over thirty years. It has been traded as a commercial fish for a long time due to its tender meat, making it a famous delicacy. However, due to its low numbers, it is very expensive, with one kilogram selling for about 200 USD and a plate of its lips for 300 USD.

However, studies in most regions show that the Napoleon Wrasse population is declining due to commercial trade, with a reduction of up to 90%. Many young fish are caught before reaching breeding age, leading to fewer breeding adults. Improper fishing practices not only threaten the species' survival but also the fragile coral reef ecosystem.

The Napoleon Wrasse was listed as an endangered species in the 2004 IUCN Red List and was added to CITES Appendix II in October 2004, receiving strict protection under the convention.

"Ah, another endangered species,"

Su Jing wouldn't break the law for profit, but he could at least observe the Napoleon Wrasse. Many people only know that it is delicious but forget that it is also a beautiful fish.

Su Jing directed Xiao Hu to weave through the coral reefs, choosing larger gaps due to Xiao Hu's size. They found four or five Napoleon Wrasses of various sizes, ranging from a few kilograms to over ten kilograms.

"Wow, that's a Napoleon Wrasse too?"

Su Jing suddenly saw a massive figure, his eyes widening. He directed Xiao Hu to swim over quickly.