Sea Breeze/Delware Bay, NJ

[manumuskin]

Hey if you don't mind hopping through the meadows(a very delicate art to say the least)I can sling you some coords of very nice islands out in the marsh to visit.Their are also several towers for bird watchers in the marsh.Don't know how a tower helps when you already have unlimited visibility at ground level but the state loves to build em.Also if you like swamps theirs some doozies right along 553.Bear swamps east and west are awesome.east is a big beech swamp and west is like hip deep in water and has the only virgin patch of timber in nj and some of the oldest treeson the east coast estimated at 4 to 500 years old.Some areas are cellulose hell and others are quite open almost like a cypress swamp only gum and maple.Some of the biggest holly trees I've ever seen on very open islands too.
Redneck 350 is right about the crabbing but I think your a little late for that.Hollywood beach is the only place i know where you can go freshwater crabbing.Theirs a breach in the back of a blue hole there where tidal water invades the blue hole at high tide and while the ecosystem is still definitely freshwater(not for long with rising sea levels) the crabs get in and thrive.Theirs plenty to eat in way of dead fish and eggs and such and less predators and no crabbers.who would go crabbing in a blue hole????Shhh.Part of the area is private and part state.I'm sketchy on which is which i just stay away from the west end where the houses are
Al

 

[MikeNJ82]

Thompson's definitely looks like a hike, but could be worth that 'wading.' I've seen numerous Islands on Google Earth and it looks like I will need a few days planned out to hit a bunch of sights down that way. 553 does look like a great way to get to the bay towns. So, once I bullet-proof the Pontiac for the ride thru Bridgeton (joking), and I can get a few days off from the magical world of retail Grocery, I'm hoping to check everything out.

 

[amf]

A little historical tidbit on Moores Beach - I was working on what I believe was the last attempt to restore the main dike that kept the tide out around 1980, and had to get land rights. I recall one of the deeds described a property line that ran along a ditch that had been dug by slaves in the 1700's. One of the construction inspectors refused to work there - you had to walk in water much of the time, and he swore he saw sting rays. I suspect they may have been horseshoe crabs.

 

[46er]

Be careful out there, it can get a little sticky The video at the link is the second guy that got into troubles this year. A friend of mine pulled another guy out this past summer, fortunately he had his dog with him to take a line out to him, it was too far to throw. He tied the line to his bumper and pulled him out through the muck. He sent me pictures but I didn't save them. At places there is no bottom to the mud, both these guys were locals and fortunate someone found them.

http://www.abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news/local&id=6369212

 

[Teegate]

That is an interesting video. There are also places in the pines like that.

Guy

 

[46er]

There are also places in the pines like that.

Guy

Yep, but at least there is no incoming tide to worry about

 

[woodjin]

Wow. I hope if I ever find my self in a similar situation it doesn't end up on the news Actually I had an inncident in the great swamp a few years back, but it was not that intense. And like 46er noted, there was no incoming tide to worry about. I was careful to have resources about (logs) to haul myself out.

Jeff

 

[MikeNJ82]

That's rough. At least Sea Breeze's roads don't look as dangerous. Moore's/Thompson's Beach roads look like they can get pretty rugged if you don't know what you're doing, this guy is lucky to be alive.

 

[Ben Ruset]

http://www.abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news/local&id=6369212

Wow, looks like the same sort of comments you'd find on the APP.com site.

 

[46er]

Wow, looks like the same sort of comments you'd find on the APP.com site.

Yeah, you have to wonder where these kind of folks crawl out of each day.

 

[Frolickin]

The Press has a blurb about Seabreeze (there will be more tomorrow). It sounds like it will be the latest of towns to be abandoned; one-third of the residents are seeking state buyouts. It looks like the wall is damaged. I'll have to check it out this weekend.

 

[whippoorbill]

The Press has a blurb about Seabreeze (there will be more tomorrow). It sounds like it will be the latest of towns to be abandoned; one-third of the residents are seeking state buyouts. It looks like the wall is damaged. I'll have to check it out this weekend.

It's been a slow, steady deterioration that I've been able to watch throughout my many years; another bay-side town will bite the dust, I fear. When I was there along the wall late summer, I saw some minor wall wear. Seems like the wall is really taking a hit on the south end of Sea Breeze. I'll probably ride down there Sunday, too. I can see myself hap-wader'd & hiking out another pot-holed road to another abandoned bay-side community within the next several years. Sad.

The "state buyout" request by the residents seems to be getting a salty reaction from the public. Maybe "bail out" is a more appropriate way to spell it, considering the times.

Bill

 

[MikeNJ82]

I better get down there soon it looks like.