Soft Shelling Traditional Cache
honeychile: As there is no cache to find and no response from the owner in over a month, I'm archiving the cache.
With regret,
honeychile (honeychile@gmail.com)
Geocaching.com Volunteer Reviewer
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(regular)
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This cache is located in a waterfront park. It is a popular site for soft shelling. There is a nice boardwalk and interpretive signs about birding. This park is listed on the Alabama Birding Trail.
Molting cycle of the Blue Crab:
Crabs grow by molting or shedding their shell. Just prior to molting, the crab is encased in both the hard, old outer shell and a soft, new one just beneath it. The formation of a new shell is evident along the margins of the swimming paddles of a crab. The earliest indication of the new skeleton is the formation of a black line along the rim of the paddles. When this line turns pink or red, the crab is referred to as a "peeler" or "shedder". Immediately after the molt, the crab's new shell is pliable and easily stretched. In this condition, the crab is called a "soft crab" or a "soft shell crab". Large amounts of water are consumed prior to and shortly after the molt, causing the soft shell to expand and increase in size. This entire process takes 2-3 hours and within 2 hours after the shed, the new shell begins to harden. The "papershell" is formed within 12 hours and an additional 2-3 days are needed before the shell fully hardens. Unlike male crabs that continue to molt and grow throughout their entire lives, females stop growing when they reach sexual maturity, usually after 21 or 22 molts. During this final molt, mating takes place.
Cache contents:
cat toy
Sea Lab magnet
coastal cleanup stickers
Additional Hints
(No hints available.)