It’s very interactive,” she says.īud Ferris, a retired biology and science teacher, oversees the mudflat program and trains the volunteers. “The groups go out there with nets, pails, shovels – and their hands. “Mudflat Mania is a hands-on experience,” says Barbara Knoss, the museum’s education and volunteer director. This snail leaves a grooved trail behind it. The mud snail might be easier to find even though its shell is dark brown – a camouflage against the mud. They have gray and tan shells that appear purple when wet. The common periwinkle, for instance, is usually found in groups in the mud, or attached to blades of sea grass where they scrape off algae for food. Snails are abundant in the low-tide flats. These are the ones that, for self-protection, make their homes in the abandoned snail shells they carry on their backs. Pools left behind by the falling tide are the preferred hangout for hermit crabs. A finger-size hole surrounded by small sand balls reveals its hiding place. It burrows into sandy areas where sea grass grows. Twenty museum volunteers who know where and how to find marine wildlife lead group tours of the flats off Wing Island each summer.įrom Quivett Creek, near the western border of the museum property, to Paines Creek on the east, the Mudflat Mania experts show explorers of all ages where the action is.Įxpect to find a sand fiddler crab, named for its oversized claw that’s so big it looks like the crab is playing a fiddle. It isn’t always easy to find the crabs, jelly fish, clams and other marine creatures that flourish in the low-tide environment, and that’s one of the reasons why the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History offers Mudflat Mania, an interactive, guided exploration of the flats, sea grasses and marshes. But a closer look reveals a multitude of tiny squiggling, slimy, slippery creatures hard at work, foraging for food, avoiding predators and searching for the best spot to keep themselves safe until the tide turns and the water flows back. Rock Harbor was the site of a skirmish during the War of 1812 between British soldiers and local militia December 19, 1814.From a distance, the vast low-tide mudflats extending a mile from shore along Cape Cod Bay can appear deserted and serene. It hosts a small commercial and charter fishing fleet and is home to Young’s Fish Market, Cap’t Cass’ Seafood Restaurant, and the Coast Guard Vessel CG36500, famous for its role in the the rescue of the Pendleton. Rock Harbor is a man-made harbor on Cape Cod Bay located on the border between Orleans and Eastham. There are shower facilities, parking for 175 cars, and a bike rack. In the summer there are lifeguards on duty and a food shack offers burgers, fries, ice cream and such. The beach has tidal pools filled with small seashore critters at low tide. The fine sand beach offers warm water swimming and is great for long strolls on the flats at low tide. The calm, warm water makes it a great place for kids to swim.įacing west and with a large tidal flat, Skaket is a perfect place to capture beautiful sunset pictures. The soft sand stretches far towards to the ocean during low tide, revealing lots of tidal pools for children to explore. Located on the small bayside shores of Orleans, Skaket Beach is a large, popular beach. The two major public areas in Orleans on Cape Cod Bay are Skaket Beach and Rock Harbor. It is roughly 600 square miles of open water surrounded by Cape Cod and a line drawn between Plymouth and Provincetown. New Wastewater Treatment Plant Celebrated its Grand Opening May 4thĬape Cod Bay lies at the northeast corner of Orleans.2022 OPC Annual Meeting Recap and Thank You.2022 Celebrate Our Waters Event Locations.2022 Celebrate Our Waters Event Schedule.2022 Celebrate Our Waters Event Activities.2022 Celebrate Our Waters – A Look Back.The Orleans Blue Pages - A Guide to Protecting Cape Cod Waters.
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