WBEZ’s Curious City answers questions from listeners about Chicago and the region. We include the public in our storytelling, making journalism more transparent and interconnected.
Editor’s Note: This story first published in 2023.
If you’ve ever kayaked down the Chicago River or relaxed along any of the waterways in the area, you may have encountered all sorts of creatures — an enormous snapping turtle, a stray alligator or maybe something that looks a lot like a lobster.
A lobster living in Chicago water would be impossible. After all, they thrive in salt water and would not be able to survive in fresh water. But a Curious City listener swears she’s seen something lobster-like swimming around the city. So if it wasn’t a lobster, what did the listener see?
To find out, Curious City got on a boat with some scientists in search of this mystery crustacean.
It turns out the creature the listener saw was a red swamp crayfish, and its presence in Chicago waterways is a warning sign. Read more about the red swamp crayfish here or press play to listen.