I think they were shoveling clams. Boothbay Harbor is both a tourist destination and a real working fishing port. They have things laid out so that dumb tourists, like us, don't get in the way of the real fishermen. Later that evening when we were having dinner on a deck outside the restaurant, we watched a guy in a lobster boat cleaning up and counting his lobster. No pics, because I didn't bring my camera to dinner. I have some couth.