Atlantic Mantis Shrimp roll in with the surf in Dewey Beach

Don Richard noticed dozens of shrimp-like critters, about 4 to 5 inches long, scattered on the beach the morning of Oct. 5, as the final remnants of Hurricane Ian moved out of the area.

Richard, the Town of Dewey Beach maintenance supervisor, told Town Clerk Ashleigh Sander about his find. Intrigued, Sander, who joked she was going to grab her net and go catch dinner, promptly crossed Coastal Highway to get a look at the little crustaceans herself.

“Every few feet I’d see them on the sand,” she reported as she snapped photos and tossed a few of the animals back into the sea.

When she returned to the office, she conferred with a friend, who told her they are Atlantic Mantis Shrimp and can be dangerous. 

Center for the Inland Bays Director of Conservation and Watershed Planning Michelle Schmidt confirmed the crustaceans were indeed mantis shrimp, which are native to the East Coast.

“They're nocturnal and burrow in soft sediment and soft mud,” Schmidt said by email Oct. 5. “I wonder if the storm stirred them up and brought them to shore.”

Schmidt said the animals feed on fish, crabs, worms and other shrimp, and can indeed be vicious.

“I saw a YouTube video once of a guy fishing who accidentally brought one onto his kayak,” she said. “Their claws [the part that makes them look like a mantis] are incredibly powerful and it slashed through his heavy water shoes and broke his skin!”

Sander issued a notice on the Town of Dewey Beach website warning beachgoers to use caution while walking on the beach because the shrimp have sharp appendages that can cause injury if picked up or stepped on. 

Dog owners are also advised to keep a close eye on their pets while enjoying the beach and the surf, the notice stated.  

Shown the photos of the shrimp, Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control Media Relations Manager Michael Globetti said in an email Oct. 5 that the DNREC Fisheries Section confirmed that mantis shrimp have landed on Delaware shores from the storm.

“These shrimp have powerful pincer claws that can inflict injury, so take care in handling them,” Globetti said.