We all love the fun of dangling a line, with a bit of bacon tied on so on Saturday we headed off with the grandchildren in the direction of Sturt Pond Bridge to partake in a seaside classic - crabbing!
We arrived at the first 'crab bridge' armed with a net, bucket and crab lines. We weren't allowed on the bridge because of Covid but we tied on our bait (we used an old pair of tights to hold the bacon in) and found a suitable spot for the intrepid crabbers to cast their lines, and waited......patience is the secret ingredient.
A small crowd gathered and within seconds Chloe felt a pull on the line. Inch by inch she carefully raised her line and had scooped up a ten-legged crustacean. She popped him into the bucket with Grandad's help - he carefully held the shell behind the pincers with his fingers and thumb, to avoid a nasty nip. Jamie very quickly caught the second one.
They caught 21 crabs altogether!!
The children loved the idea of a race for putting their precious new pinchy pets back into the water. We didn't make the crabs run too far - I have no idea about crab stamina but I have in the past noticed people who started way back were losing their crabs to waiting seagulls! And that's never a great way to end your day at the coast with wailing children who have just seen their new friend smashed and eaten in front of them! We made sure our crabs were well submerged and the lurking gull did not eat them!
We then rewarded the Champion Crab Catcher efforts with a delicious pizza from the Fire Engine at The Smugglers.
When done responsibly, crabbing is an excellent way to introduce children to the marine ecology.
Some interesting crab facts:
1. To tell the difference between a male and female crab, carefully look at its underneath. A male will have more of a geometric triangle flap whilst the females is more rounded (and will often be covered with eggs).
2. The collective noun for crabs is a cast.
3. Crabs have blue blood because of the copper it contains.
4. Crabs are covered in lots of tiny little hairs called setae which help them detect chemicals, touch and movement.
5. Crabs belong to a group of creatures known as Decapods which means 10 legs. Lobsters, shrimps and prawns are also included in this group.
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