Scraping for soft crabs on Tylerton, Smith Island, Maryland

1989. Smith Island is an isolated community of watermen in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay. The blue crabs seek out the grasses around the islands' shallow waters. Here, they wait to shed their shells.

A Chesapeake Bay Foundation member shows young people how the watermen "Scrape" for "Peelers". If a crab's backfin shows a certain color, it is ready to shed. Those crabs are brought back and kept in a trough of bay water. When they shed their shells, they are put on ice to prevent the new shell from hardening.

The last scene shows a row of shanties where the crabs are kept.

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• Smith
• Island
• watermen
• soft
• crab
• crabs
• crabbing
• Tylerton
• Chesapeake
• Bay

[Tyler34234]

I went to fox island

[xfed17]

We went to Tylerton last year on vacation and stayed at the Inn of Silent Music. It was the most relaxing vacation ever!! Want to go back! The best Crab Cakes in the world!

[awootten]

My sister and brother-in-law lived in Tylerton until the state forced the school to move. An interesting place, pretty well isolated.

[jaktylr]

I remember my trip there in 2004. It was with my Science class in conjunction with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. We stayed for a week. I have a lot of good memories from that great trip. One interesting fact that I recall for some reason were the cars. We were on Tylerton and the mayflies were swarming, and I happened to see the only car on Tylerton, a Fire truck manned by the volunteer fire squad. The cars on the other islands rust very quickly due to their proximity to the salt water

[larkypoo]

Ah, brings me back home. I live in Southern Oregon, my Dad lives in Onancock, VA. I spent every summer on the bay.

[CookTea]

that was nice

[sapijelek]

Good try...just need better equipment