Coastal HarvestA distinct section of Charted Waters, for crabbing and shellfishing rather than rod-and-reel fishing. Looking for fishing instead? →

Health & safety

Clean-looking water is not the same claim as safe-to-harvest water. This section explains why, and separately covers the physical hazards (tides, currents, heat, cold) of being on the water at all. This guide does not give individualized medical advice — see the sections below for where to get that.

This guide does not display live shellfish health-closure status. Health classifications (approved / conditionally approved / restricted / prohibited) can change quickly — after rainfall, after a monitoring result, or without public notice in an emergency — and this project has no way to keep a cached status current or to guarantee it is accurate at the moment you read it.

Before harvesting anywhere, check VDH's own current interactive shellfish harvesting area map → directly. If you can't confirm current status with confidence, treat the area as closed and do not harvest there.

Health & closures

Vibrio and Raw Shellfish RiskA real, serious, and rising risk in warming Chesapeake Bay waters — not a rare theoretical concern.Higher-Risk Groups and Raw ShellfishSome people face meaningfully higher danger from raw shellfish specifically — this is medical guidance to follow, not a general caution to weigh casually.Harmful Algal Blooms & Marine BiotoxinsWhy a clean-looking, non-smelly shellfish can still be genuinely dangerous — a hazard cooking does not reliably remove.Sewage, Stormwater & Marina ContaminationThe real reasons a growing area gets closed — and why they can affect water that looks perfectly clean.Why Cooking and Freezing Have Real LimitsTwo genuinely different hazard categories, and why neither common preservation technique defeats both.Why Appearance, Smell, and Behavior Can't Prove SafetyThe single most important habit of mind this guide can teach — a shellfish that looks, smells, and tastes completely normal can still be dangerous.

Safety on the water

Tides, Currents & Wading SafetyMost Coastal Harvest activity happens standing in moving tidal water — a real, physical hazard distinct from anything about the animals themselves.Sun, Heat & Cold-Water ProtectionCrabbing and shellfishing seasons span the hottest and some of the coldest Hampton Roads weather — dress and hydrate for the actual conditions, not just the activity.

When uncertain — about an area's health status or an individual animal's freshness — do not harvest or consume. See Regulations → for licensing and season/limit rules.