Delaware Bays, Beaches, Nature and Wildlife

09/12/2026

Thoughts on this in Rehoboth Bay?

07/18/2026

This is beautiful!!

Golden Calm on the Broadkill

As the day’s final light settles over the Broadkill River, the marsh comes alive with rich golden reflections and peaceful stillness. Gentle waters wind through the coastal landscape while weathered docks, quiet boats, and distant shoreline homes evoke the timeless charm of Delaware’s treasured waterways. Every brushstroke captures the warmth, tranquility, and natural beauty that have made the Broadkill River a favorite destination for generations of boaters, birdwatchers, anglers, and nature lovers.

Printed on premium gallery-wrapped canvas with vibrant, fade-resistant inks, Golden Calm on the Broadkill brings the serenity of coastal Delaware into your home or office. Whether displayed in a beach house, living room, or professional space, this artwork serves as a lasting reminder of the peaceful moments found along one of Sussex County’s most scenic rivers.

07/14/2026

The Common Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) is one of the most intelligent and recognizable marine mammals in the world, and many people are surprised to learn that it is also native to Delaware’s coastal waters.

Every year, bottlenose dolphins migrate into the Atlantic waters off Delaware and the entrance to Delaware Bay, where they take advantage of abundant food sources including menhaden, mullet, croaker, and other schooling fish. They are most commonly observed from late spring through early fall, although their presence varies depending on water temperature and prey availability.

These remarkable animals can reach lengths of 8 to 13 feet and weigh between 300 and 1,400 pounds. Despite their size, they are agile swimmers capable of reaching speeds exceeding 20 miles per hour. Their streamlined bodies, powerful tails, and sophisticated echolocation system allow them to hunt efficiently even in murky coastal waters.

Bottlenose dolphins are highly social and typically travel in groups known as pods. These pods often consist of a few individuals but may temporarily combine into much larger groups when food is plentiful. Researchers have documented complex communication using whistles, clicks, and body language. Each dolphin develops a unique “signature whistle” that functions much like an individual name, allowing pod members to recognize one another over long distances.

One of the most fascinating aspects of bottlenose dolphins is their intelligence. Scientific studies have demonstrated advanced problem-solving abilities, self-awareness, cooperation, and long-term memory. They have been observed teaching hunting techniques to their young, using marine sponges as protective tools while foraging on the seafloor in some populations, and working together to herd schools of fish into tight groups before feeding.

Delaware’s coastal ecosystem plays an important role in supporting these animals. Healthy estuaries, bays, and nearshore waters provide critical habitat not only for dolphins but also for the fish populations they depend upon. Protecting water quality, reducing marine debris, and practicing responsible boating all contribute to preserving this incredible species for future generations.

If you spend time along Delaware’s beaches or travel aboard the Cape May-Lewes Ferry during the warmer months, keep an eye on the horizon. Seeing a pod of bottlenose dolphins surfacing alongside the waves is one of the most memorable wildlife experiences our state has to offer.

Have you ever spotted dolphins in Delaware waters? Share your photos and experiences in the comments.

07/05/2026

The Delaware Bay At Lewes Beach last night was beautiful!

07/04/2026

Happy 4th everyone!!! 🇺🇸🎆❤️

06/30/2026

The horseshoe crab is one of nature’s greatest success stories. Despite its name, it is not a true crab but is more closely related to spiders and scorpions. These remarkable animals have inhabited Earth’s coastal waters for more than 445 million years, surviving multiple mass extinctions that eliminated countless other species, including the dinosaurs. Because they have changed very little over hundreds of millions of years, horseshoe crabs are often referred to as “living fossils.”

Recognizable by their hard, horseshoe-shaped shell and long, pointed tail spine known as a telson, horseshoe crabs are perfectly adapted for life along sandy beaches, tidal flats, and shallow estuaries. The telson is not a weapon or a stinger; instead, it acts as a lever that allows the animal to right itself if overturned by waves. Beneath the protective shell are ten legs used for walking, digging, and feeding, along with specialized book gills that enable the horseshoe crab to breathe underwater and even survive for short periods out of the water when kept moist.

Every spring, particularly along the shores of Delaware Bay and nearby waterways such as the Broadkill River, thousands of horseshoe crabs emerge during the highest tides to spawn. Females lay clusters containing thousands of eggs in the sand while smaller males fertilize them externally. This annual spawning event is one of the most important ecological spectacles on the Atlantic coast. The nutrient-rich eggs provide a critical food source for millions of migrating shorebirds, including the endangered Red Knot, which depend on the eggs to replenish energy reserves before continuing their long journey to Arctic breeding grounds.

Beyond their ecological importance, horseshoe crabs have made an extraordinary contribution to modern medicine. Their unique blue blood contains specialized cells that clot instantly in the presence of harmful bacterial toxins. Scientists have harnessed this natural defense to produce a substance used worldwide to test vaccines, intravenous medications, implants, and other medical devices for bacterial contamination. As a result, horseshoe crabs have played a vital role in protecting public health while continuing a biological legacy that began hundreds of millions of years before humans appeared on Earth.

06/28/2026

The Diamondback terrapin is one of North America’s most distinctive turtles and the only turtle species that spends nearly its entire life in brackish water—the mix of fresh and salt water found in tidal marshes, estuaries, and coastal rivers. Along Delaware’s coast, they are a familiar but often overlooked resident of places like the Broadkill River, Delaware Bay, and the Inland Bays, where they quietly navigate winding tidal creeks and marsh channels in search of food.

Their shell is a work of natural art. Each terrapin has a unique pattern of concentric rings and subtle ridges, ranging in color from olive and brown to nearly black. Their skin is pale gray to silver and covered with distinctive black spots and streaks, giving them a speckled appearance unlike any other turtle in the region. Large, dark eyes and a slightly hooked beak complete their striking look. Females are considerably larger than males, with some growing to over 9 inches in shell length, while males typically remain about half that size.

Diamondback terrapins are opportunistic predators that feed on snails, small crabs, mussels, clams, worms, and other invertebrates. Their powerful jaws are specially adapted for crushing hard shells, making them an important part of the estuarine ecosystem by helping keep populations of shellfish and marsh invertebrates in balance. Although they spend much of their lives in the water, females leave the marsh each spring and summer to lay eggs in sandy, elevated areas above the high-tide line.

Seeing one in the wild is often a quiet, memorable experience. A terrapin may surface briefly for a breath, leaving only its head visible before slipping silently beneath the water again. At daybreak on the Broadkill River, when the marsh is still and the rising sun reflects off calm water, a diamondback terrapin embodies the peaceful rhythm of Delaware’s coastal wetlands. It is both a symbol of resilience and an enduring reminder of the unique wildlife that thrives where land and sea meet.

06/22/2026

One of Delaware’s most impressive birds of prey is the osprey, often called the “fish hawk.” Along the Broadkill River and Delaware’s coastal waterways, these remarkable birds can be seen soaring overhead in search of fish. With incredible eyesight and powerful talons, an osprey can spot a fish from high above the water, dive feet-first at high speed, and emerge with its catch secured for the trip back to its nest.

Ospreys are a true conservation success story. Once facing significant population declines, they have made a strong comeback throughout Delaware and are now a common sight along our rivers, bays, and marshes. Their large nests, often built on platforms near the water, can be used and expanded year after year.

If you spend time around the Broadkill River, keep an eye on the sky. Seeing an osprey carrying a freshly caught fish is one of the most memorable wildlife experiences Delaware has to offer and a reminder of the natural beauty that surrounds us right here at home.

06/11/2026

06/11/2026

Summertime in the RBD!