Stage Harbor Excursions & Launch

08/08/2025

07/25/2025

South Monomoy: on every birder's bucket list

Trained shorebird technicians survey the offshore islands of Monomoy NWR for nesting piping plovers and American oystercatchers. They collect data on the number of eggs that hatch and the number of chicks that fledge from each nest so that we can determine how productive the birds are each season. The following photos were taken by shorebird technician Joelle Marchiani during scheduled nest checks in areas closed to the public, following state and USFWS survey protocols.

07/11/2025

This weekend looking GREAT for the boat trip down to South Monomoy!
Walk over the Monomoy Point Lighthouse, see plenty of seals along the shore and explore the tidal inlets of thials magical spot.
Conditions like this don't always come together like this for two days straight, so take this opportunity and book for adventure now!
DM us here or check out stageharbor.com and look for "Monomoy Service".

Chatham

07/01/2025

Good to see a familiar friend back on the water!

06/30/2025

Our first ice cream giveaway went really great yesterday! Another gorgeous day on the water in Chatham, and we even got some treats back from the - nomz.
After our next insulin shots, we'll be back out on Thursday with launch duty and then running shuttles to downtown Chatham during the parade. Get in touch for Monomoy trips this week, too!
Info at stageharbor.com

06/28/2025

Cloudy but at least not hot or raining!

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06/24/2025

Today is our birthday!

We are grateful for the commitment and dedication of all auxiliarists to boating safety and assistance to the U.S. Coast Guard. Thank you for your dedication and for making a difference. May your continued service be filled with positive impact and meaningful experiences.

06/21/2025

A great weekend out on the water in Chatham! We'll get you out to your mooring or the beaches of Monomoy.
stageharbor.com

06/20/2025

International Horseshoe Crab Day is celebrated every year on June 20th to raise awareness about one of Earth’s most ancient and fascinating creatures—horseshoe crabs. These marine arthropods have been around for over 400 million years, earning them the nickname “living fossils”.

But this day isn’t just about marveling at their longevity. It’s a call to action. Horseshoe crabs are vital to both ecosystems and human health. Their eggs are a crucial food source for migratory birds, and their unique blue blood contains a compound called limulus amoebocyte lysate (LAL), which is used to test vaccines and medical equipment for bacterial contamination. In other words, if you've ever had a safe injection or surgery, you might have a horseshoe crab to thank.

The Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge and horseshoe crabs have a very special relationship. The Refuge is one of the few places in New England where large numbers of horseshoe crabs still spawn in significant numbers each spring.

This spawning event is critical not just for the crabs, but for migratory shorebirds—especially the Red Knot, a federally threatened species. These birds travel thousands of miles from South America to the Arctic, and they rely on the protein-rich eggs of horseshoe crabs to refuel during their journey. Monomoy serves as a vital stopover where Red Knots and other shorebirds like Ruddy Turnstones and Sanderlings feast on the eggs laid in the sand.

Without healthy horseshoe crab populations at Monomoy, these birds might not survive the rest of their migration. So, protecting the crabs here means protecting an entire migratory network that spans continents. It’s a quiet but powerful drama that plays out each spring on the refuge’s tidal flats and sandbars.

Unfortunately, these creatures face serious threats from overharvesting, habitat loss, and climate change. That’s why International Horseshoe Crab Day was established in 2020 by the IUCN’s Horseshoe Crab Specialist Group—to spotlight conservation efforts and encourage global cooperation to protect all four species of horseshoe crabs.

It’s a day to celebrate resilience, but also to reflect on how we can coexist with a species that’s survived mass extinctions, only to be endangered by modern human activity!

You can view a short video of our Horseshoe Crab friends on the Refuge's South Monomoy Island here...https://youtu.be/S8uMo4tiLvI

06/13/2025

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