CAPE MAY — A wonderful opportunity exists for visitors and locals alike to encounter marine life in a learning facility unlike a traditional laboratory.
Nestled on the shore of Cape May Harbor, the Nature Center of Cape May, at 1600 Delaware Ave., offers free admission to its aquatic lab, nature nook, observation tower and nature trail.
The family-friendly center provides a variety of programs that explore the intricate ecosystems of Cape May.
For more than 30 years, children and adults alike have flocked to the facility to enjoy special programs, camps, seasonal marketplaces and community gatherings.
Director Emily Reed said the Aquatic Lab is a great place for visitors to learn about sea creatures through hands-on experiences. The lab features sensory sand bins and saltwater tanks filled with various marine species caught locally.
Many of the creatures are caught during the Harbor Safari, a weekly program offered from 10:30 a.m. to noon Tuesdays and Thursdays. Visitors join naturalists to uncover the flora and fauna of the harbor.
“We go out and do these programs because we’re getting a sample of who is living in the harbor,” Reed said. “A lot of people think the harbor is a dead zone, but it’s very biodiverse.”
A 20-foot seine net is dragged through the shallows of the harbor, so participants get to learn about the ecology and natural history of the area.
“We ask volunteers to put on waders, and they help drag the net through the waters and catch fish, crabs, jellyfish, seahorses, and that’s primarily how we populate the tanks,” Reed said. “They’re just visitors, these aren’t our pets; we’re not keeping them.”
While the marine life is eventually released back into its natural habitat, the lab is also home to resident animals, such as snakes and turtles.
“We always have horseshoe crabs [as] one of our primary species,” Reed said. “We focus a lot on them in the spring and summertime, because they’re so relevant to our area specifically.”
The Nature Center has the proper permits to care for marine animals. Center staff, interns and volunteers help maintain the saltwater tanks by conducting regular pH and salinity tests, monitoring temperatures and providing enrichment activities for the animals.
The tanks are currently home to various fish, seahorses and crabs. Sometimes, more unusual species appear in the harbor after weather storms or heavy surf. Occasionally, the center gets other critters from local boats.
“Sometimes we get mantis shrimp, and we don’t have a puffer fish right now, but we almost always catch them right here in the harbor,” Reed said. “The seahorses and sea stars are popular.”
A recent visitor to the aquatic lab is a common Atlantic octopus. Highly intelligent creatures, they have a large, bulbous head, eight arms and suckers, and can change their skin color to blend in with their surroundings.
“People are very into octopuses right now, because there’s been a lot of [them] in pop culture,” Reed said, adding that “My Octopus Teacher” on Netflix and the book-turned-film “Remarkably Bright Creatures” have sparked people’s interests.
Reed added that the octopus is given a variety of food, including silverside fish, mussels, clams and green crabs.
“We call the silversides the French fries of the harbor. There are tons of them out there,” she said. “We’ll put a [live] silverside in there, so she gets to actively hunt. She can crack open shellfish with her beak.”
As the summer season continues, thousands of visitors will walk through the Nature Center and see all it has to offer. Reed hopes that personal encounters with the animals will help people form a deeper connection and a stronger desire to protect them.
“We try to provide some stimulation for the animals, so we put puzzle-solving opportunities in there,” Reed said. “You can put a treat inside a jar and see if the octopus can figure out how to get it open.”
Reed added that the octopus often plays with a cleaning tool that staff use for the tank.
The Nature Center of Cape May hosts an annual fundraising, “Catch of Cape May,” featuring live music, an auction, light fare, local drinks and fresh oysters. This year it is scheduled for 5 to 9 p.m. July 11 at Harborview Park. Tickets and more information are available at njaudubon.org/cocm/. All funds raised support the Nature Center.
One item available for auction is an exclusive octopus encounter: Night Out with an Octopus. The winner and as many as 10 friends will have a private meet-and-greet with the octopus at the Nature Center, followed by a screening of “Remarkably Bright Creatures” with snacks and refreshments.
The Nature Center has a variety of unique monthly offerings, including fundraisers, beachcombing, nighttime beach activities and workshops.
Another popular offering is the summer nature camps, through which children can explore nature and spend time outdoors. The themed camps are offered weekly, have varied age ranges and require registration.
By RACHEL SHUBIN/Special to the Star and Wave
