A favorite summer pass-time of ours is walking down to the river to watch the blue crabs. We've been anxiously awaiting their arrival this summer and finally saw a few last week. In summer's past the kids have loved walking the few blocks to the water to watch the crabs and try to catch one. They are swift and remarkably smart considering their brains are contained in the tiny portion in front of their shells where their eyes are. My dear dare-devil 6 year old son likes to bring "bait" (a hot dog, piece of bread, or whatever he can steal from the kitchen) and his crab net on our outings. He has managed to entice a crab into his net on occasion. Then it is always very exciting (and comical) to watch mom try to free the buggar without getting pinched. (We don't need no stinking gloves!) We never keep them. I can't bear the screaming as they are plunged into the pot of boiling water. (Yes, I know, I'm a tree-hugging bleeding heart liberal. My husband tells me so frequently).
Blue crabs have fascinated us. We attended a blue crab class at the Mariner's Museum last spring and learned all sorts of fascinating facts as well as how to tell a male from a female...blue claws versus red, or capitol building versus empire state on the abdomen. Learn more about blue crabs here and here.
If you get the chance to go crab wrangling, give it a whirl! You and your kids won't be disappointed ;)
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