This year was a good year for horseshoe crabs. The weather was cooperative and the restrictions on horseshoe crab harvesting on the east coast the past few years has helped the repopulation of the species.
This is why you are seeing more horseshoe crabs stranded on the beach than in previous years. Most do not wash up on the beach, but come ashore to spawn and the waves turn them over stranding them on the beach making them vulnerable to predators. (shore birds, raccoons etc.)
horseshoe crabs coming to shore to spawn
This is the time of year when the weather gets nice and love is in the air in Delaware. At least for the horseshoe crabs.
From now until about the middle of June the Delaware bay area beaches will be covered with horseshoe crabs as they come to spawn as they have done for thousands of years.
Delaware bay area beaches have more horseshoe crabs by far then any other place on the east coast. The horseshoe crabs love Delaware’s quiet protected beaches to lay their eggs by the millions.