Visual journalist Justin Taylor was out last week working on another story when he got to witness an early morning sight few ever see — horseshoe crabs spawning on a sandbar in Ossabaw Sound. He brought back photos and video to share. The crabs spawn on quiet beaches during high tides brought by the new and full moons, leaving several clusters of 4,000 eggs buried in nests in the sand. Eggs generally hatch within two to four weeks. The adults can live more than 20 years.
By the way, horseshoe crabs aren’t really crabs — they are closer in species to scorpions and spiders. Here’s more from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Horseshoe crabs spawning at high tide on a sandbar in Ossabaw Sound, GA. May 8, 2024. Credit: Justin Taylor/The Current 
Horseshoe crabs buried in the sand to spawn on a sandbar during the hight of spawning season. May 8, 2024. Ossabaw Sound, GA. Credit: Justin Taylor/The Current 
Horseshoe crab tracks on a sandbar during the hight of spawning season. May 8, 2024. Ossabaw Sound, GA. Credit: Justin Taylor/The Current 
Red knots stop to feed on horseshoe crab eggs during their annual migration from southern South America to the Arctic. May 8, 2024. Ossabaw Sound, GA Credit: Justin Taylor/The Current 
Horseshoe crabs spawning at high tide on a sandbar in Ossabaw Sound, GA. May 8, 2024. Credit: Justin Taylor/The Current
