Chesapeake Bay Magazine

06/24/2026

A reader spotted this tall ship in the Bay this afternoon. She is heading to Sail250 Maryland in Baltimore. Anyone recognize her? Hint: There's an online arrival schedule for the event.

Thank you to Brad Wagner for the submission

06/24/2026

New Visitor To The Bay: Skate Spotted In The Choptank

A ShoreRivers team monitoring underwater grass beds in the Lower Choptank River in Maryland spotted something unusual in the water recently: a juvenile Skate.

Cownose Rays are common in the Choptank—a major tributary of the Chesapeake Bay—but other Rays and Skates are not.

“It’s unusual because they are a high-salinity animal, so prefer other spots,” says Matt Pluta, Choptank Riverkeeper. “We are more mid-salinity, in the 12-15 ppt (parts per thousand) range.”

By comparison, the Atlantic Ocean—the saltiest major ocean— is 33 – 37 ppt.

The fish was located close to Irish Bay, although it hasn’t been seen since. But it’s presence—and an increase in the number of Cownose Rays—tells us something may be changing in local waters. “It tells us we are saltier than normal,” Pluta says.

In case you spot a Ray—or Skate— look but don’t touch. “When it comes to wildlife, keep your distance and just observe,” Pluta recommends.

Photo courtesy of ShoreRivers

06/22/2026

Here's a list of the tall ships that will be arriving in Baltimore this week for Sail250:

See the international tall ships, historic barques & Navy vessels heading to Baltimore Harbor for Sail250 Maryland 2026. View the growing ship list.

06/19/2026

The Art Of The Raft Up (by Joan Wenner)

After participating in many raft-ups—and gathering tips from other rafters— here are the ones to follow this summer:

🛥️ Have an entry plan for your next tie up
🛥️ Have a plan for exiting (and a backup plan!)
🛥️ Pick a well-known or well-scouted site (taking into consideration the draft of all boats)
🛥️ Pick an anchoring spot far enough from a shoreline that is also deep and large enough
🛥️ Use caution around areas with sandy shoals
🛥️ The host boat is positioned at the center of the raft up
🛥️ The largest and heaviest boat drops anchor first, and all boats will swing as one
🛥️ Aligning stern to stern is best to avoid climbing over gunwales and handrails
🛥️ Be aware of your surroundings; go slow and be extra alert to spot people on water boards, mats or toys
🛥️ Deploy fenders on approach, adjusting height to match the height of the
rubrails of the boat next to you
🛥️ Tie bows and sterns to ideally create an “X” shape
🛥️ It’s best if boats of similar freeboard are tied next to each other
🛥️ Keep lines tied to the ‘raft’ as tight as possible (for example, in a wake scenario all the crafts would rise and fall together)
🛥️ Exit the raft-up in reverse order of entry
🛥️ For breaking up the raft-up, the last boat in should be the first one off, and it is best to back down from the raft-up
🛥️ As the Brits say, “Mind the tides!”

Photo courtesy of Shore Rivers

06/18/2026

https://www.chesapeakebaymagazine.com/vas-sweet-south-anna-river-flexes-new-mussels/

By John Page WilliamsPhotos by Sue Mangan Photography Folksinger Alice Gerrard must have known something when she wrote Sweet South Anna River, a long,

06/17/2026

Fleet Week Festivities in DC begin tomorrow (June 18)

Events run through June 20 from 12:00 - 8:00 PM daily, with public yacht tours, opportunities to meet the international crews, interactive STEM programming, and Clipper Connect, an evening networking event celebrating maritime innovation and global connections.

Experience the Clipper Round the World Race up close while enjoying one of DC's waterfront destinations.

https://eventsdc.com/fleet-week-events

Courtesy of Clipper Round the World Race and Events DC

06/15/2026

AMERICA MADE IN VIRGINIA: 250 YEARS TOGETHER will broadcast live on PBS July 4th, 8-10 p.m. EST.

While the event itself is taking place in Williamsburg, the program will be available to viewers all across the U.S.

On July 4, 2026 at 8:00 pm, the special will bring Virginians of all ages to Williamsburg, the capital city of revolutionary Virginia, and be broadcast live on PBS. In the spirit of VA250’s mission to educate, engage, and inspire, tens of thousands will gather where America’s story was shaped to reflect on the nation’s past and celebrate the promise of our shared future.

06/12/2026

The Blue Angels will be back i a couple of weeks, reserve your dockside seat 's Landing

06/12/2026

A Closer Look at Invasive Species Around the Bay

John Page Williams delves into the plan for Phragmites, and how conventional wisdom dictates removal. He points out that doing so turns out to be a difficult, expensive challenge. Plus, studies show some benefits to keeping them in place.

By John Page Williams You’ve seen plenty of it along Chesapeake waterfronts: the common reed, with its tall, feathery seed heads. You probably even call

06/10/2026

Help Track Movements of Bay Creatures

Small towns along the Bay have been teaming up with the College of Southern Maryland and a horseshoe crab rescue group to track the movements of horseshoe crabs.

By reporting sightings of tagged horseshoe crabs, the location details help U.S. Fish and Wildlife follow the movements and habits of a species that plays a vital role in the Bay ecosystem.

You too can help U.S. Fish and Wildlife track horseshoe crabs. If you spot a tagged horseshoe crab, go to https://www.fws.gov/crabtag/ or call 1-800-448-8322 and provide information such as the tag number location and condition of the crab (they also would like you to report if you find the tag without the crab).

Horseshoe crabs aren’t the only Bay inhabitants being tracked that you can report.

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources would like you to report sightings of dolphins, manatees, sea turtles and whales by calling 1-800-628-9944. Since 1990, Maryland has answered more than 1,400 reports of strandings.

If you happen to spot a Right Whale from Virginia to Maine, NOAA wants you to call them at 877-942-5343 and let them know.

Fossil hunters can also get in on the tracking action. The Calvert Marine Museum in Solomons, Maryland is asking fossil finders to report findings to a global site guide, gofossilhunting.com.

Photos by U.S. Fish and Wildlife