Escapee from a Crab Boil?

This lively crab turned up in our yard this afternoon. Since we don’t live near the water I can only assume he was an escapee from a crab boil in the neighborhood (perhaps assisted by a sympathetic child?). When I tried to catch him he reared into a defensive posture and I could hear his claws snapping. This guy picked the right house to come to. My daughter and I decided to return him to the waters of the Bay. So at 4:30 on a Friday (heavy commute time!) we set out across the causeway with the crab in a bucket, on our way to Five Rivers. I figured if he had managed to escape the cooking pot then he deserved another chance; maybe he’s lucky enough to make it. He certainly seemed healthy. At Five Rivers a friendly employee guided us to a good spot by the docks to dump the crab back into the water. He drifted to the bottom and sent up a stream of little air bubbles while he busily worked his mouth parts, and then walked sideways into the shelter of the pier.

Although I admit that crabs are delicious eating, I have always had a soft spot for them. They get preyed upon by so many creatures, and do such good work as the little janitors of the ecosystem.

Who knows what his (or her) chances of success will be, but if his luck holds maybe he’ll live to produce future generations with the determination of “Tenacious C,” as we called him.