Careful Management Ensures the Delaware Bay Remains a Horseshoe Crab Haven

Every spring, millions of living fossils make their way to the beaches along the Delaware Bay, continuing a cycle that’s been underway for thousands of years. Creepy-crawlies more than a foot long clad in carapaces and trailing a tail-like spike emerge from the waves to gather along the shoreline en masse in hopes of finding a mate. These are horseshoe crabs, and the body of water dividing Delaware from New Jersey is home to their largest spawning grounds in the world.

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Showcasing Delawareans’ Horseshoe Crab Art

We requested Delawareans send us their horseshoe crab art and they did so! Check out a stunning display of tattoos, clothing, paintings and more that demonstrate the connection Delawareans have to our state marine animal.

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Horseshoe Crab Education Resources for Teachers

Each spring during May and June, the ancient, amazing and globally significant ritual of horseshoe crab spawning and mass shorebird migration brings visitors from around the world to our Delaware Bayshore backyards. The Division of Fish and Wildlife offers a variety of resources to support teachers who are educating about this phenomenon.

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