Lulu Lobster Boat

***Doodle stuck her finger on my lens last night and I forgot to clean it -- all my pictures of today have a smudge. Arrrgh!***

Crisp air, crystal blue skies, sparkling waters dotted with lobster traps and little white boats...this is the Maine I remember and this is what greeted us this morning!

We hustled out the door to catch the Lulu Lobster Boat Tour with Captain John (I think they're all named John or Jack) and in just over 2 hours we learned more about lobsters than I ever thought possible.

After taking us around to a lighthouse and a rock full of Harbor Seals (and pups!) we started checking traps.

Fisherman are assigned to zones (based on their address as well as seniority) and a particular color for their buoys. Little Man was enthralled with the buoys and the workings of a lobster trap. The first door is called the kitchen and the lobster can get out if it tries. But usually they aim for the larger opening, eh voila! They're in the parlor and trapped.

These traps are actually called "Parlor Traps." We struck out on the 1st two tries, but the 3rd trap had a rock with a huge piece of Kelp attached. Hiding in a corner was also a perfectly trapped lobster! Suddenly, it was show time for Peanut!

She knew every answer to Captain John's questions about kelp, plankton, krill, decapods, etc. She was so eloquent in her answers that he kept turning to her. Finally, he asked the difference between prey and predator. She put her hands out like she was about to explain the universe to everyone. She said, "Prey is what the lobster wants to eat. A predator is something that wants to eat the lobster. So, the lobster is...a predator's prey!" The entire boat applauded her as Captain John's eyebrow went Pirate. He looked at her and goes, "You don't sit around watching Sponge Bob do you?" It was really awesome.

Here are some cool things about Harbor Seals:

1. They can dive up to 1500 feet and need those big pretty eyes to see down in the deep.

2. Their heart rate can go from 75 beats/pm to 4 beats/pm in the deep. And they hunt down there with that slow metabolism!

3. When a pup is 15 minutes old it can already dive for up to 2 minutes. At 4-6 weeks old, it's weaned and deserted by its mama.

4. Our captain got really mad when a tiny boat spooked the seals. We watched them slide off their rocks into the water and then struggle to get back up. Usually they stay put until high tide because it's really hard for them to climb back on the rocks! Like us, when they suffer from exhaustion, they become vulnerable.


Here are some cool things about Lobsters:

1. If they catch a female with her eggs attached to her abdomen, the fisherman will notch her tail and toss her back in -- she's free for at least 2 years. Jumbo lobsters also get tossed back in because they're the best breeders. The largest lobster caught out here was 2 or so years ago, and it weighed about 45 lbs.

2. When a lobster molts, it fills itself up with water to crack the shell, then climbs out. It only has about 30 minutes to get out and into hiding or it'll die of exhaustion. If it's claw gets stuck, it'll "drop a claw" and over the next few molts grow a new one. The lobster increases by 30% with each molt.

3. The usual 1 pounders we see on our plate for dinner are about 8 years old.

So, are you in the mood for lobster? We were and it was delish.