Most of the time we were in Ocean City it was windy, which made the the temperatures cool on the beach. One day we headed out to enjoy the sunshine. Shirley was sitting in a chair reading, when I decided to take a walk along the shoreline, as it was low tide. I got about 100 yards away from her when I came upon two horseshoe crabs. Usually when I have seen them on the beach, they are dead. But these were very much alive. I ran back and got Shirley to show her my find. We watched them for about 30 minutes and chatted with another couple who stopped to watch. When we got back to the condo, Shirley looked up horseshoe crabs and said they were mating. I told her they have been around for years and she said said they were living fossils. The crabs have been here for over 450 million years. It is believed the crabs look for sand or mud like what they were hatched in. That means relatives of the crabs we saw had been coming to the area for a while. Unfortunately a day later while standing on the balcony, I saw a couple pick-up two crabs and throw them back in the ocean. I am sure they thought they were in trouble. Fishing for the crabs is starting to become restricted on the East Coast. They are used for bait for eels. Many of the eggs are eaten by birds. After that encounter I kept my eyes open for the crabs and was able to photograph a few more at the shoreline. Remember nature is fun to watch and photograph, but think before you touch.
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