Can I Keep It?
“Mom, can I keep it?” I’ve heard that a billion times, and usually I say no. But when you are out on a lobster boat, and they pull in a whopper like this one that sternman Chris is holding, you assume it’s a keeper, right? Wrong. Maybe in another state, but in Maine, this is an over sized lobster and must be tossed back. Why? Because these “Grandes” of the deep only like to breed with other “Grandes” and they produce lots and lots of little lobster babies. Tossing the really big ones back along with the little tiny ones is one of the ways that the lobstermen of Maine protect their breeding stock and their future livelihood.
Foggy Morning
This quiet dawn scene was captured in June in Portland Harbor. All the traps stacked along the warf and all the boats tied in the harbor were ready and waiting for just one thing. The lobsters to come inshore. It is now July, the “shedders” are in, things are hopping – rather crawling into traps – all along the gulf of Maine. I’ll be there in a few days, and this harbor like most up and down the coast will be humming at dawn so stayed tuned for some very different photographs.
What are They?
Nope, these are not “Live Stong” bands or AIDS bands or any other kind of wrist wear. These colorful bands are the tags that must be affixed to each and every trap a lobsterman sets. The number on the tag identifies the lobster fisherman and the color denotes the year. If these tags are yours and you email me, I’ll buy you an ice cream cone next time I’m out that way….
The Colors of Lobstering
When I first started out as a Pro (or trying to earn money to be a Pro) I decided to concentrate my photography on three areas- wildflowers, forests and harbors. There wasn’t much fore thought into this decision, there was no market analysis or saleability review on my part nor did I look into the future and try to predict where these three areas of concentration might lead me. I just know I loved wildflowers, forests and harbors, it was that simple. Read more
What is a “shedder”?
“Shedder” is lobsterman speak for a lobster that has recently crawled out of it’s now too small shell. Read more