Hello, Adventurers! Welcome to the Coastal Expeditions blog! If you love outdoor activities such as hiking and paddling, exploring nature and learning about wildlife, you’ve come to the right place! Here on the Coastal Expeditions blog we dive deep into different habitats, excursions, conservation efforts and nature programs. To our return readers, thank you for your support! We commend you for being committed to learning. Our site is filled with interactive maps, destination guides, and educational resources. If you haven’t already, we encourage you to take a look around!

Our previous posts about the benefits of spending time outdoors and the meaning of the fall harvest are currently available. Spending time in nature has more positive effects on the mind and body than we could possibly list in one article (but we certainly tried)! From boosting focus to improving physical health, there are few activities more effective at upgrading our quality of life than getting outside. Fall is a wonderful time in the Lowcountry and, in addition to offering perfect temperatures, represents natural abundance. Our most recent article is an exploration of autumn, what the harvest means for farmers, and fall festivals throughout various cultures. We hope you’ll give our latest articles a quick read!

Today’s blog is about crabbing—a vital industry in the south and a source for southern favorites like she-crab soup! Crabbing season spans from October through about January. As crabs have just undergone spawning, they are at their most numerous and active during these months. While crabs can be caught year-round, even in their dormant season, the winter offers a unique opportunity to capture crabs at their tastiest. In honor of the start of crab season, we’re kicking things off by discussing South Carolina’s main catch: the blue crab. We’ll share a few need-to-know facts about blue crabs, the crabbing industry in SC, and how crabbing works. For the curious (or those who enjoy crab), today’s article will teach you plenty!

About Blue Crab

Blue crab’s scientific name is callinectes sapidus and means: “savory, beautiful swimmer.” The savory part of their name comes from the blue crab’s unique taste. Often described as buttery, nutty, and salty, blue crab meat has a subtle sweetness. The beautiful part of their name comes from the blue crabs envious appearance. The males have vivid blue claws and legs, the color of the noon sky. The females have bright orange claws, the color of pumpkins. As for the swimmer part of their name—blue crabs have paddle-shaped back legs called swimmerettes. These swimmerettes rotate at about 20 to 40 rotations per minute, propelling the crab gracefully through the water.

Males, often called “Jimmies” by those in the crabbing industry, can grow to be up to ten inches across. While the females, called “sooks,” are only four to five inches across at maturity. All blue crabs have five pairs of legs. That’s a whopping ten legs, altogether! These creatures are beautiful to behold, but beware—their claws aren’t just for show.

Blue crabs, when successful at avoiding predators, typically live between one and three years. Some blue crabs have been known to live up to eight years. During this time they shed their exoskeleton numerous times. When they’re small and growing fast, they must shed as often as three to five days. During puberty, every ten days to two weeks. And, at maturity, every twenty to fifty days. Once shed, the soft crab is vulnerable and exposed. In two to three days, however, their skin has hardened into a new shell again.

Mating season for blue crabs happens a few times a year, usually from March to July (and also October and November). Of the nearly two million eggs female crabs produce, only one per million will survive to maturity. Female crabs carrying an egg sack are protected by law in South Carolina and, if caught, must be returned to sea. Baby crabs hatch in April and May, growing to be almost three inches wide by November of the same year. South Carolina law also stipulates crabs smaller than five inches be returned to sea. These protections ensure the crab population is able to adequately thrive and grow.

While susceptible to predators such as fish, birds, and other crabs, young blue crabs are especially vulnerable to shifts in water circulation, sudden wind, and drastic changes in temperature. If currents pull them out to sea or excess rain floors them out of their inland estuaries, young crabs will not be able to finish developing. As blue crabs mature, they are most vulnerable after they’ve molted and are in their soft form. Since female crabs must mate after molting, male crabs will protect them until they have reformed their hard exteriors. How romantic.

Blue crabs will eat just about anything, including: fish, oysters, clams, snails, shrimp, worms and other crabs.

About Crabbing in South Carolina

Blue crabs are the main type of crab caught on the South Carolina waters. Popular crabbing spots include: Kiawah Island, Seabrook Island, Folly Beach, Edisto, Shem Creek Park, Pitt Street Bridge, Mount Pleasant Pier, Waterfront Park, Brittlebank Park, and James Island County Park. For some, crabbing is a hobby. For many, crabbing is a lifestyle. South Carolina blue crabs, harvested by local crabbers, are sold and transported up the coast to places like Baltimore and New York. Springtime is a busy season for “peeler tanks,” which lure crabs in before their molting process in order to harvest soft-shell crabs.

When Jake Kritzer, an expert on fisheries science, accompanied local Charleston fisherman Fred Dockery to harvest blue crabs in 2010, he had this to say about his experience: “I saw first-hand the upstream shift from female- to male-dominated catch, and felt the sharp sting resulting from the inescapable reality that blue crabs are much faster than I am, even out of the water and on my turf.”

Truthfully, crabbing can be quite dangerous for those involved (not just the crabs). The Discovery Channel has an entire series dedicated to the dangers of crab fishing, titled ‘The Deadliest Catch.’ Now, keep in mind, this is in a commercial setting. While small-time crabbers do need to take precautions to protect their fingers and toes from claws, they don’t need to worry about many of the risks associated with commercial crabbing. Crabbers trapping in the icy waters of Alaska or Nova Scotia take care to stay as dry as possible and refrain from falling overboard, as even a few minutes in these waters are enough to cause hypothermia. Crabbers must also beware getting entangled in large nets, rough weather, heavy machinery, and exhaustion.

The most common crab trap used in South Carolina is the crab pot, or the box crab trap. This trap is cube-shaped, made of wire, and has two to four entrances. Crabbers place bait, usually some type of oily fish, inside the trap to attract crabs. Once a crab enters the trap, they will be unable to escape. This allows crabbers to leave traps unattended for extended periods of time and return to discover a catch (or no catch). Crabbers used the crab pot in South Carolina during the 1950s. Nets are also sometimes used to catch crabs.

Ethical standards concerning crabbing have been introduced in recent decades to combat overfishing and allow these crustaceans to repopulate. For this reason, South Carolina has many policies for returning crabs under a certain size and limiting total catches. As well, without a commercial fishing license, recreational crabbers cannot fish with more than two pots. As well, proceeds from Saltwater Recreational Fishing Licenses are put towards various programs which protect saltwater fish, shellfish, and local fishermen!

As always, we hope you’ve learned something new today! Read up on crabbing and you might be able to take advantage of crabbing season before it’s over. If you’re not quite ready to catch a blue crab, why not hang out with a few crabs instead? We have kayak and paddleboard tours of Shem Creek, Mount Pleasant, and Kiawah—a few of the homes of South Carolina’s blue crabs! Check out our various offerings on our website and find which one suits your adventurous spirit! Our tours are led by knowledgeable, approachable naturalists and sea captains who are eager to answer your questions! Read up new experiences being offered by Coastal Expeditions on this blog. Until next time, readers. Get out there and explore! Adventure awaits!