What are those things biting you in the water in the Outer Banks? They are tiny larvae known as megalops. These little biting critters are in the final larval stage of crabs and are only a millimeter wide. However, you aren’t feeling bites in your bathing suit, but the claws of the baby crabs instead!
Today there were a few hours of slightly warmer water temperatures in the Outer Banks. For weeks the Outer Banks water has fluctuated from somewhat warm to freezing due to a continued upwelling. So having the opportunity for a brief but warmer swim caused great excitement for me and the kids.
We ran to the water, shivered briefly and dove in. Cold! But beautiful! But cold! But… hey… ow! What was that? Ouch! Oh nooooo – crab larvae!
These little guys creeping around in our bathing suits added insult to injury. Running in to an ocean full of crab larvae brings a major dilemma to the swimmer. Do you act like you aren’t getting pinched over and over in your most private areas? After all, you just know all the beach goers are watching, waiting to see if you react to the crabs. Or do you frantically scratch despite a crowd of onlookers.
You have to make a decision. Walk casually out of the ocean, pretending that everything is fine while you fight a strong urge to peel your bathing suit off and scratch? Or do you fly out of the water, race up the stairway and charge back to your outdoor shower while shedding your suit as you go?
I’ve done both.
So there you have it. There are crab larvae in the waters of Corolla and the Outer Banks. You aren’t getting bitten, but pinched!
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I’ve heard of the jellyfish, but not crab bites, unreal! I feel so bad for you guys.
You would have laughed…. my mother and I were so hot… it was 105 degrees at its hottest. The water was calling our names…. as were the crab larvae and red jellyfish… AND 59 degree water. We finally decided we were “GOING IN.” So we packed up our stuff, put our chairs in their bags and got ready for a very VERY quick beach getaway. Then we marched down to the water, held our breathe and jumped in. It was FREEZING! We were dodging jellyfish and waiting. And then they hit. Within five minutes we had crab larvae filling our bathing suits and pinching EVERYWHERE possible. We knew it was coming, but it was worth it. The pinches feel as if pins are being repeatedly pushed in to you just the tiniest bit. Then you itch too. So we got out, walked QUICKLY back to the house…. I was almost running by the end, stripped down and showered. Even AFTER soap we got bit off and on for about 10 minutes. Again…. it was WORTH it!