OBX Crab Legacy

by Jes Gray

Referring to oysters prior to 1604, Thomas Moffett mused, “… he was no Coward that first ventured on them,” and many others have enjoined in similar sentiments over at least the past 400 years, but no one seems to question when the first brave soul saw the spiny legs and pinching claws of a crab and decided to make dinner of it. So, when did people start eating these strange creatures?

According to a Smithsonian Magazine article “Neanderthals Dined on Crab 90,000 Years Ago” a study published in 2023 explained how archaeological evidence of crab shells in Portuguese caves show the people of that time were probably cooking and eating the shellfish.

Indigenous cultures of North America are also known to have incorporated all types of shellfish in their diet and thea East Coast near what is now called the Chesapeake Bay may have been the first region to harvest the Blue Crab. On the Outer Banks, it is estimated that ancestors of the Algonkian people lived on these barrier islands as early as 500 or even 1000 AD, so it would follow that they too were harvesting and consuming nearly the same “Callinectes Sapidus” that we enjoy today.

Jamie Parker Sr. with son, Jamie, Jr. of Parker Seafood, running for over 40 years, spanning several generations of crabbing on Colington Island. Photo courtesy of Kim Parker of Henry’s Restaurant.

From the Greek, the Blue Crab’s scientific name is said to mean “beautiful” and “swimmer,” a great example of beauty being in the eye of the beholder. However, a freshly pulled crab pot full of “jimmies” (mature male blue crabs) or “sooks” (their female counterparts) is a beautiful sight, of course. These names may sound funny, but knowing the differences between the life cycles of crabs and their sex is important if you want to join in the long-time tradition of harvesting these local delicacies sustainably.

Here’s a quick rundown from the NC Division of Marine Fisheries:

Recreational harvest limits**
• 5-inch minimum size limit for males and mature females
• Immature females are unlawful to possess
• Mature female hard crabs with a dark (brown or black) sponge are unlawful to possess from April 1–April 30
• 50 crabs per day per person, not to exceed 100 crabs per vessel per day
• Possession of blue crabs is prohibited north of the Highway 58 bridge to Emerald Isle January 1–January 30 & south of Highway 58 bridge March 1–March 15
• Size limit measured from tip-to-tip of the carapace

Sale of catch is prohibited

Walking along the Pamlico Sound in summer, you’ll see it’s literally “crawling” with these crabs, so why all the rules? It’s a bit complicated. Atlantic Blue Crabs have what scientists refer to as a “complex lifecycle,” the interruption of which extrapolates to a severe decrease in viable mature crabs available for harvest.

312 dozen Soft Shell Crabs, loaded up by Jamie Parker to take to market. Soft-Shells are a seasonal delicacy of blue crabs that have recently molted, making the entire body, including the shell, edible and tender. Photo courtesy of Kim Parker (Henry’s Restaurant).

Here’s a brief outline of that lifecycle:
The males and females meet in brackish bays and then mate in the muddy marshes of the bays and creeks and while the female moves to saltier sides of the bays towards the ocean with the growing “sponge” of roe, the male repeats the cycle. When mature the female releases the egg sac into the ocean and the zoea where they feed for 30-50 days and then are pushed into the marsh grasses of the estuaries with shifting seasonal winds as they mature into juvenile crabs, and the cycle begins again.

Most recently a devastating interruption in this cycle was seen in the 1990s-2000s by the “recruitment overfishing” of juvenile and mature female crabs which depleted the spawning population to the effect of a reduction of millions of pounds per year in the crab harvest. Conservationists, scientists and fishermen ultimately found a way to create this system which has led to continued revenue and employment in the crab industry but also protection for the vulnerable stages of development necessary for replenishment, so we can continue to enjoy these creatures humans and their ancestors have been consuming for tens of thousands of years.

And how do we prepare these “beautiful swimmers” for our dinner plates?
You can barbecue it, boil it, broil it, bake it, sauté it.
There’s uh, crab cakes, she crab soup, crab chowder.
There’s deep-fried crab balls, stir-fried crab, crab fried rice.
There’s deviled crab, Cajun seasoned crab, plain steamed crab.
There’s crab salad, crab cocktail, crab dip, crab stuffing, crab sushi …
There’s even soft-shell crabs, but that’s a whole different list.

(Pardon my “Bubba Blue from Forest Gump” impression.)

Left: Worker at the Chief Wanchese Packing Company picking crabs. Images were commissioned by Wade Lucas of the State Department of Conservation and Development. Photo taken by Charles Brantley “Aycock” Brown (1904-1984). Middle: A woman goes crabbing in knee deep water off of Colington in 1956. Photo taken by Charles Brantley “Aycock” Brown (1904-1984). Right: Parker Seafood, known for soft shell crabbing also runs shrimp trawlers. Pictured: Jamie Parker with grandson, Parker. Photo courtesy of Kim Parker (Henry’s Restaurant).

Considering all of the ways to prepare blue crabs, there may be none more currently celebrated or mystical than the soft-shell crab. A phase of the complex life cycle of the Blue Crab is when, during it growing phases, the crab nestles into the protective grasses of the estuaries and sounds during its “peeler” phase and sheds its hard outer shell, remaining ensconced until the new “soft shell” has become durable enough to safely move. An article by Georgiann Eubanks titled “The Crabfather of Colington” goes into detail about the process and the fairly recent evolution of the soft shell industry and how the Sea Grant program introduced Murray Bridges, owner of Endurance Seafood to the lucrative soft-shell business. In short, techniques have improved since these delicacies were first marketed to Marylanders from inner banks processors, and Mr. Bridges and other local fishermen pioneered unique crab pots and “shedders”—elevated tables of crabs with moving water—that allow a more successful harvest.

Seen on menus up and down the east coast in the Spring, it has become one of the signals of changing seasons. Our Outer Banks area even hosts a “Soft Shell Week” where participating restaurants show off their best presentation for lucky diners. From Corolla to Ocracoke and everywhere in between, soft shells find a prominent place on specials boards throughout the spring. With preparation a bit more nuanced than the standard crab seafood boil and picking, there’s no shame in preferring professionals handle the cooking.

So, during spring, definitely keep your eye on restaurants participating in Soft Shell Week. But as crabs go through this phase all summer as well, you’ll still see them occasionally available post Memorial Day. As for the mature Blue Crabs, if you don’t feel like catching your own there are plenty of places that offer fresh and steamed, some even with dine in, where you can get your fill without the hassle.

Whether you catch them yourself and pick them on the picnic table or sit down to a perfectly prepared cornmeal crusted soft shell over local grits at an upscale restaurant, you’re taking part in an experience that stretches back millennia.

Places to Buy/Eat Crabs

Northern Beaches (Corolla & Duck)

Bluewater Seafood Market (Corolla)
501 Old Stoney Rd, Corolla, NC 27927

Dockside North Seafood Market (Corolla)
819 Ocean Trail, Corolla, NC 27927

Outer Banks Boil Company
785 Sunset Blvd D, Corolla, NC 27927

Seaside Farm Market (Corolla)
787 Sunset Blvd, Corolla, NC 27927

Dockside N’ Duck (Duck)
1216 Duck Rd, Duck, NC 27949

Central Beaches (Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills, & Nags Head)

Carawan Seafood Co Inc. (Kitty Hawk)
5424 N Croatan Hwy, Kitty Hawk, NC 27949

Billy’s Seafood (Kill Devil Hills)
1341 Colington Rd, Kill Devil Hills, NC 27948

Austin Fish Co. (Nags Head)
3711 S Croatan Hwy, Nags Head, NC 27959

Whalebone Seafood Market (Nags Head)
101 E Gray Eagle St, Nags Head, NC 27959

I Got Your Crabs Shellfish Market & Oyster Bar
3809 N Croatan Hwy, Kitty Hawk, NC 27949

Dirty Dick’s Crab House (Nags Head) 
2407 S Croatan Hwy, Nags Head, NC 27959

Sugar Shack Fish Market Oyster Bar & Grill
7344 S Virginia Dare Trail, Nags Head, NC 27959

Roanoke Island (Manteo, Wanchese)

O’Neals Sea Harvest (Wanchese)
622 Harbor Rd, Wanchese, NC 27981

Fresh Catch (Wanchese)
4331 Mill Landing Rd, Wanchese, NC 27981

Hatteras Island (Avon) 

Surf’s Up Seafood Market (Avon)
41838 North Carolina Hwy 12, Avon, NC 27915 

Sunrise Seafood Market (Avon)
40658 North Carolina Hwy 12, Avon, NC 27915 

Author: Jes Gray