Abulones Cultivados began operations in 1989 with a pilot project of red abalone barrel-culture in South Todos Santos Island (approximately 13 kilometers west of the Port of Ensenada, Baja California). Five thousand red abalone seed (Haliotis rufescens) averaging 10 mm in shell lenght were brought from Ablab Inc., Port Hueneme, California. Abulones Cultivados was incorporated in 1992 following encouraging results from the pilot-culture system.
Commercial operation began in January of 1993. During the year 500,000 abalone seed (15 to 20mm in shell lenght) were received from Ablab, Inc. and Bodega Farms in California. Concurrent with this activity, the Corporation invested in a hatchery and juvenile production facility in Erendira, Baja California (80 kilometers south of Ensenada, Baja California). The first larvae were produced in December of 1993, The fully integrated operation consists of two culture systems: a land-based juvenile production facility; and, an ocean cage system where juvenile abalone are grown to market size.