Crab harvesting

Boat glides

slow approach

A tight turn pirouette

Mate effortlessly hooks a float

Pulls up the trap

Empties the contents on a tray

The boat is 3/4 turned now

Rebaiting trap

Tossing it back into same spot

Boat completes 360 and speeds to the next marker

Crabs on the tray rapidly sorted

Undersize go back into the water

Keepers into a basket

Boat slows alongside next floating marker

Whole process repeats

A rhythmic dance on the water

No music but they talk to each other constantly

Harvesting a long line of baited traps

Then speeding off to the next area

Traps must be visited daily

In all weathers

Rain, wind or shine

The watermen keep working

A symbiotic relationship

Man, boat, water, crabs

Harvesting crabs

For your table

Next time you eat crabs

Give thanks to the watermen