There, in the moonlight. Do you see it? A Northern Seaside Shambler!

Northern Seaside Shambler

Classification: B/1, B/21

Keep your eyes open and carefully search the shorelines and estuaries of the Pacific Northwest at this time of year. If you’re lucky, you may get to see the rare Northern Seaside Shambler, a marine shopping cart that emerges from the ocean during the long winter nights in early December to lay its eggs on the mucky shore. Artfully draped in grass and weeds, this species is very well camouflaged and a challenge to find.

While engaged in egg laying the Shambler can be approached quite closely as it is intent on its task but, as with all wild animals, use caution as it is a fairly large species.

This is the fifth species account of the Vancouver Island Shopping Carts series. Julian Montague at The Stray Shopping Cart Project has developed a method of classifying stray carts that might be of interest to those wanting to learn more about species of carts in their own area. Researchers should also consult Rock, Paper, Lizard for detailed species accounts of Lower Mainland/Vancouver carts.