Question for S.E. saltwater members-nasty seafood medley

As most of you may know, we are looping, and my salt water experience is minimal, just since last November when hitting Mobile Bay. We are now heading up the east coast, currently in South Carolina. The weather is not cooperating today so I thought it would be a good day to do a few odd jobs onboard, one being to clean out the strainers. When I removed the covers I got a strong whiff of yuk! Last cleaning was In the keys and cleaned out the usual grass that floats around in the Gulf there. There is very little grass or vegetation floating on the ICW on the East coast so far, so I expected there wouldn't be much of anything in there, and there wasn't any grass, but first time I have seen this.

contents of one engine strainer.


Just wondering if this is common for the east coast ICW, or any one specific area of it?
The critters were in both engines and the a/c, meaning we pick them up while running and at the marinas as we do not run the a/c while underway or at anchor. Nothing in the genny, we only run it when anchored for about an hour or two per day.
The admiral is having second thoughts about any swimming along the way after seeing this, lol

Haven't seen that in four years slipped in Beaufort, SC. I'll be bringing the boat back from Ft Pierce next week. I'll check everyday to see what I pick up.


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Let me know what you find on the way back north. Never seen those in the Myrtle Beach area to Southport.


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Mark, I did not see any of these between Ft Pierce and Beaufort. After chatting with some locals, these are Charleston area critters.


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What kind of critters are those?

Hmmmm, fried up in butter with a little garlic?

I picked up a couple of decent size shrimp in the strainer while in Charleston but never that mess. Very nutrient rich waters in that area.

ZZ13 said:

Mark, I did not see any of these between Ft Pierce and Beaufort. After chatting with some locals, these are Charleston area critters.


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That could be so as we left the boat at St John's Yacht harbor for 10 days while we went home for Easter. Set the a/c humidity control so it ran twice per day.