Review of the Book Beautiful Swimmers by William Warner

Beautiful Swimmers provides an in-depth view into the plight of the Chesapeake Bay, including its watermen and wildlife. As years passed, the surroundings of the bay have declined gradually into what we see today. Watermen that rely on the crabs, fish, and oysters of the bay struggle to meet the demands needed to survive in this profession. In the past there was ample wildlife available to the watermen but in the recent years the numbers of wildlife have declined as noted in William Warner's book. The watermen spend much time in preparation for the crab harvest. Using their knowledge about the environment and the habits of the crabs, they can attempt to be ready for the harvest much ahead of time.

Come winter, the watermen prepare for the arduous task of oyster tonging and crab dredging in order to make ends meet. As the crabs bury themselves deeper into the ground in the cold weather, it becomes much harder for the watermen to catch them and make a living. During the spring and summer months, as the demand for crabs increases throughout the country, the watermen find much competition on the bay. Many watermen stay home and find other work during the winter but in the warmer months make their way back out onto the water in the hopes of making good money from crabbing. Many of the watermen spend their slower months developing new and improved ways to conduct their work. By creating new tools to use on the bay, the watermen are becoming more efficient in order to improve their catches and live easier lives.

It is my opinion that William Warner wrote this book in order to show the world the trouble and effort watermen and wildlife must go through in order to supply us with a commodity that we think so easily supplied. Citizens of Maryland and other areas with numerous communities based around the water take for granted what happens in order to provide us with crabs, oysters, and other marine life. The constant change in weather and environment provides for many hardships for those who dare to work on the bay in order to make a living. Not to mention the many laws and regulations in place that also requires an upkeep and updated knowledge of the rules of the bay. As demand increases in certain times for crabs or other wildlife, the environment suffers greatly in that it must replenish its reserves or die out altogether.

Warner also warns that the bay has suffered over the years from increased pilferage and other environmental issues. Without concern and protection for the bay, it may soon be barren and water based communities may crumble. Through his interviews and participant observations, Warner learned much from the watermen that most people would never be able to comprehend. He was able to assimilate into their lifestyle and learn about the way that they live and work. By working along side the watermen, they allowed him to acquire knowledge so vastly used on the bay and to the advantage of both the watermen and the wildlife. By knowing what areas of the bay to work in and when to allow the crabs to increase their numbers, the bay can gradually improve itself and have a better future.

Throughout the book, Warner gives the impression that the human condition of the watermen is fairly positive with only slight negativities throughout life. Most of the watermen that work and live on the bay are happy with their lives and the work they do. They are successful at what they do and feel that the bay will always provide for them assuming no major changes to the bay. The only negative notions from the watermen come from the fact that more and more of the younger generation want a life away from the bay and the occupation of a crabber. The older watermen feel that their occupation is dying out and that their communities will become desolate as people move on to more rewarding professions. It is noted that several of the communities are still thriving as referenced by the community of Crisfield and its National Hard Crab Derby and Fair. Overall, this book does a great job at explaining the workings of the watermen and the bay in a way that educates and influences readers into being more environmentally friendly for the future of the bay and its inhabitants.

Since the writing of Beautiful Swimmers, life has changed greatly for the watermen and the wildlife of the Chesapeake Bay. There are numerous programs in place now that are working towards improving the life of the bay and those that work or live on it. A current research program, Crab Restoration and the Bay or C.R.A.B., has been funded by the The University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute's Center of Marine Biology, Phillips Foods and Seafood Restaurants, and the Maryland Watermen's Association in order to learn more about the lifecycle of the Chesapeake blue crab. Through this program, these groups have learned more about the lifecycle and habitat needs of the blue crab. These groups have created a hatchery, located in Baltimore's Columbus Center, in order to observe the spawning of fertilized female crabs. "Researchers hope this hatchery effort will answer questions about the blue crab's environment, physiology and molecular structure that will enable managers to make better choices about how we can promote and protect a sustainable fishery (MWA)."

Another program, funded by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR), was Operation Oyster Long Line. This program was an experimental project designed to grow out oysters that were hatched at the piney point hatchery. The reason for this project was to determine how much faster you could get an oyster to grow by suspending them in water columns. Should the research be successful, it may provide an economically feasible way for watermen to grow living oysters at a faster rate. "The results of the research have shown that legal size oysters were grown by this method in 18 months versus 36 months on the bottom of the Chesapeake Bay (Operation Oyster)." Watermen will now be able to grow oysters in half the time that it previously took through natural methods. Through these programs, watermen can increase their oyster supplies and the rate at which they are able to sell them to buyers.

It appears from these programs that agencies in charge of protecting and sustaining the Bay have been doing their jobs. They are developing new ways to increase the amount of wildlife within the Bay while in turn also making the work of the watermen much easier. Watermen will now be able to hang oysters in columns to grow them rather than search the entire Bay while digging them up out of the ground. The only issue that these agencies have not addressed is the sustainment of the watermen's communities. While it is very important to deal with the reproduction and preservation of the Bay's wildlife, the communities of the Bay also need to be tended to. Even with new knowledge about the lifecycle and habits of the blue crab and oyster, small water based communities may see a slow disappearance in the numbers of watermen as younger generations move inland. What is necessary is a program that entices or promotes the life of watermen so that more people come into this lifestyle. If the environmental agencies are able to sustain the environment and improve it vastly, they must also help to sustain those that live and work within it.

Maryland Watermens Association, C.R.A.B. Hatchery Program
Maryland Watermens Association, Operation Oyster Long Line