Horseshoe Crabs Spawning at Sunset, Port Mahon, Delaware
Each year a major wildlife event occurs on the Delaware Bay beaches when the horseshoe crabs come ashore to spawn. Each May and June, during the full and new moons at high tide, thousands of horseshoe crabs come ashore to lay and fertilize their eggs. The females bury themselves in the sand where they deposit thousands of eggs, which multiple male horseshoe crabs then fertilize. This event is also important for many species of migratory birds, which feed on horseshoe crab eggs that are washed to the surface.