An army of millions of crabs have marched on one Australian island
They look like hostile creatures from outer-space but the truth is almost as strange – this is the wild moment an army of scarlet crustaceans takes over an Aussie island, shutting down roads
READING LEVEL: GREEN
Wild footage has captured the moment millions of crabs invaded Christmas Island.
The bright red little creatures were caught making slow progress up one road and scaling a wall.
This incredible annual influx of clawed crustaceans* happens when millions of red crabs begin migration* season on the island, which is located about 1500km from Australia’s mainland.
A major spawning* event is expected on November 15 and 16, with a second spawning anticipated in December, before baby crabs head back to the shore just three to four weeks later, according to the Christmas Island National Park’s website.
“Red crabs all over the island leave their homes at the same time and start marching towards the ocean to mate and spawn. Male crabs lead the migration and are joined by females along the way,” the website states.
The exact timing of each stage of the migration depends on weather, tides and moon phases.
Locals could see as many as 100 crabs per square metre of beach or rock, with some sections of road closed for parts of the day during the migration’s peak.
Christmas Island National Park acting manager Alexia Jankowski told the ABC that locals really valued the crabs.
“We have to put rakes in our cars and leaf blowers … to ensure the crabs have a safe passage,” Ms Jankowski told the ABC.
Female crabs can produce up to 100,000 eggs each, releasing them into the ocean before returning to their homes in the forest.
The eggs take about a month to form into tiny crabs and emerge from the water; however, most of them will unfortunately experience a very short life. Fish, manta rays and whale sharks feast on them before they even get the chance to make it out of the water.
Few to zero baby crabs survive long enough to emerge from the ocean most years.
Flying Fish Cove and Ethel Beach were two of the best spots to sit back and watch this truly “cray-cray*” event unfold.
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GLOSSARY
- crustaceans: any of various types of animals that live in water and have a hard outer shell and many legs, including crabs, lobsters, yabbies and prawns
- migration: movement of people or animals from one place to another, often to find work, better living conditions or to breed
- spawning: the act or process of producing or depositing eggs
- cray-cray: slang for crazy but also a play on words here because crayfish are another type of crustacean
EXTRA READING
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Plastic waste found in seafood
QUICK QUIZ
- Which Australian island has been overrun by red crabs?
- How far is the island from the Australian mainland?
- How many crabs could locals expect to see per square metre of beach or rock?
- When are the major spawning events expected?
- How much eggs can each female crab produce?
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CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. What do you see?
Imagine that you are watching the amazing sight of the crab migration. Be inspired – write an incredibly detailed description or create an artwork based on what you see.
Time: allow at least 30 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Visual Arts
2. Extension
Do you think that we should find a way to make sure that the tiny baby crabs make their way through the water without being eaten by a predator? Write a list of reasons for and against.
Time: allow at least 15 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Science
VCOP ACTIVITY
Read this!
A headline on an article – or a title on your text – should capture the attention of the audience, telling them to read this now. So choosing the perfect words for a headline or title is very important.
Create three new headlines for the events that took place in this article. Remember, what you write and how you write it will set the pace for the whole text, so make sure it matches.
Read out your headlines to a partner and discuss what the article will be about based on the headline you created. Discuss the tone and mood you set in just your few, short words. Does it do the article justice? Will it capture the audience’s attention the way you hoped? Would you want to read more?
Consider how a headline or title is similar to using short, sharp sentences throughout your text. They can be just as important as complex ones. Go through the last text you wrote and highlight any short, sharp sentences that capture the audience.