Snap, Crackle & Pop!

[ScottC]

In 2019, we spent a couple of nights at Puerto de Blanes, just south of the French border in the Mediterranean.


During the evening, I noticed rather rather loud "snap, crackle & pop" sounds seemingly coming from the bilge. After crawling around a bit and noting the sound seemed to be coming from everywhere, I gave up. Nevertheless, it had me a bit worried, as I thought the sound was coming from somewhere within our boat. Stepping outside on the pier, I could hear it as well, but somewhat less so...and it seemed to be coming from our boat. I asked the marina attendant about it and he said the sound came from a certain type of shrimp on the bottom, when clicking claws together. I'm not sure I believed him, but had no further explanation that was any better, so I stopped searching. After leaving the marina, we did not hear the sound again for the remainder of our 2019 voyage.



I "asked the internet" and, of course, the internet had a lot to say. Everything from bottom paint problems to my hull was de-laminating have the boat hauled immediately!



Fast-forward to 2022 and, in the marina we stayed at in Portoferraio (Island of Elba, Italy) we heard the same sounds again. I tried getting down on my knees on the pier next to ours to listen in order to see if the neighbor boat was experiencing the same thing. Embarrassingly, I heard some shuffling and closing of a porthole in the boat, as apparently somebody thought I was trying to look in. I didn't think anybody was aboard!!! Anyway, I heard the same sound. So, I think the shrimp story might be a little more believable.


Any opinions from TF members???

[HTurner]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_WJAsJUo70

[ScottC]

Thanks, HTurner!
I had somehow missed that one. The sound on his video is exactly the same as what I experienced.
I wonder how he knows it's shrimp??

[tiltrider1]

The shrimp story is real. We run into this all over Southern California

[hmason]

Prevalent in FL too. Can be quite loud.

[BandB]

Originally Posted by ScottC

Any opinions from TF members???

Wifey B: The shrimp are after you, Scott, and once they have you listed as a target on shrimpnet, there is no escaping.

[Giggitoni]

We hear night-time mating noises from a little fish called a "midshipmen" in San Francisco Bay every year. At times the sound can be quite disturbing to some.

[SailorGreg]

Originally Posted by Giggitoni

We hear night-time mating noises from a little fish called a "midshipmen" in San Francisco Bay every year. At times the sound can be quite disturbing to some.

A friend anchored near me a while back called because he was hearing those sounds. He had a balsa cored boat so I told him it was carpenter ants eating the balsa core. Told him the truth ( shrimp) in the morning.

[ScottC]

Originally Posted by SailorGreg

A friend anchored near me a while back called because he was hearing those sounds. He had a balsa cored boat so I told him it was carpenter ants eating the balsa core. Told him the truth ( shrimp) in the morning.

That was a mean joke ;-)

[hollywood8118]

Don't listen to anybody here.. Shrimp! ha.
You obviously have an infestation of fibermites. Or depending on the makeup of your hull possibly epoxiants.
HOLLYWOOD

[koliver]

Originally Posted by ScottC

I asked the marina attendant about it and he said the sound came from a certain type of shrimp on the bottom, when clicking claws together. I'm not sure I believed him,

Your shrimp have Claws?
As I hadn't heard of this, I went to the internet for an explanation and found this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alphei...tinguendus.jpg

Too much time on my hands on a rainy day.

[ScottC]

Originally Posted by koliver

Your shrimp have Claws?
As I hadn't heard of this, I went to the internet for an explanation and found this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alphei...tinguendus.jpg

Too much time on my hands on a rainy day.

Thank you, Keith!
I hadn't run across that article. Very interesting indeed -- and spot on for the answer, it seems!

[OldDan1943]

Originally Posted by ScottC

In 2019, we spent a couple of nights at Puerto de Blanes, just south of the French border in the Mediterranean.


During the evening, I noticed rather rather loud "snap, crackle & pop" sounds seemingly coming from the bilge. After crawling around a bit and noting the sound seemed to be coming from everywhere, I gave up. Nevertheless, it had me a bit worried, as I thought the sound was coming from somewhere within our boat. Stepping outside on the pier, I could hear it as well, but somewhat less so...and it seemed to be coming from our boat. I asked the marina attendant about it and he said the sound came from a certain type of shrimp on the bottom, when clicking claws together. I'm not sure I believed him, but had no further explanation that was any better, so I stopped searching. After leaving the marina, we did not hear the sound again for the remainder of our 2019 voyage.



I "asked the internet" and, of course, the internet had a lot to say. Everything from bottom paint problems to my hull was de-laminating have the boat hauled immediately!



Fast-forward to 2022 and, in the marina we stayed at in Portoferraio (Island of Elba, Italy) we heard the same sounds again. I tried getting down on my knees on the pier next to ours to listen in order to see if the neighbor boat was experiencing the same thing. Embarrassingly, I heard some shuffling and closing of a porthole in the boat, as apparently somebody thought I was trying to look in. I didn't think anybody was aboard!!! Anyway, I heard the same sound. So, I think the shrimp story might be a little more believable.


Any opinions from TF members???

It is the truth. Also a sign of healthy waters in that marina.

[Mr. Blu]

We had the same experience with two boats in the Adriatic. Didnot bother me as long as the boat was floating.
A brother in law thought our batteries had some kind of short circuit and he and his wife didnot sleep during their whole stay because they were afraid for an explosion.

I told him the sound was produced by little fish but I couldnot reassure them.
People suffer the most from what they fear.

[MOJO]

You hear that noise all up and down the ICW. Everybody says it's shrimp, but the old-timers say it's really tiny little polyester mites munching on your hull. Here's the proof - we heard them all the time in our fiberglass sailboat, but never once in the steel trawler!

[Beach House]

Brine Shrimp is my guess. I’ve heard that sound many times and it was tiny brine shrimp enjoying what miniature growth was on the hull.

[jgwinks]

In Muskegon we have a fish called the fresh water drum, aka "grunt" and that's exactly what they sound like. It's a big fish, up to 3' long and they're loud. When you get hundreds of them going it's darn near deafening, and of course they only make the noise at night when you're trying to sleep.

[captroger]

Mantis shrimp.the sound is their front
Claws breaking the sound barrier under the water to kill prey

[High Wire]

We’re used to the snap crackle pop of the shrimp in SWFL but last season we had an underwater woodpecker! A 2Hz tap, tap, tap… for hours.

[Capt Ray]

We experienced something similar in the western rivers where the Asian Carp are said to be feeding off the bottom of the boats and docks at night. Quite loud. Very odd. Can't remember the port.


Ray
Shellerina.com