Osprey and occasional bald eagles soar above the water. Fast-flying ducks move to and fro between feeding and resting areas. Muskrats and beavers occasionally make appearances. Several varieties of turtles and snakes may also reveal their presence to patient observers in wildlife observation blinds. In 1991, the sanctuary became part of the Chesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve.
Naturalists study water quality, rare plants, and plant succession at Jug Bay.
Amphibians, turtles, songbirds and fish populations are also subjects of interest. Nature tours, canoe trips, and winter bird walks give interpreters the opportunity to explain some of their research, ranging from the intricacies of tidal freshwater wetland plants to fluctuations in migratory bird populations. Jug Bay has given up evidence of continuous human habitation for the past 8,000 years. During colonial times, ships involved in the lucrative tobacco trade came up the Patuxent to Bristol Landing, just north of Jug Bay. Displayed at the visitor center are Indian projectile points, axe heads, and artifacts from colonial times that have been uncovered at the sanctuary.