Traffic jams were caused by the millions of red crabs that make their annual migrations to Australia’s Christmas Island, where they breed.
Some locals were left with no other choice but to use a rake to sweep away the crabs as they swarmed the roads on their journey from the jungle to the coast of the National Park, in Western Australia’s far northwest this week.
Tourists and locals have raced for the rare phenomenon, which is known as one of the most important animal migrations in the world. This has caused the island to turn a dark red color.
About 50 million crustaceans are known to have crossed bridges and traveled over rocks, streams, and roads to get to the beach in time to reproduce.
Amazing photos taken Tuesday by staff of the Christmas Island National Parks Team show them setting up fencing to make sure the crabs can safely breed.
Meanwhile, locals are seen picking up the crabs with their rakes to clear the way for motorists to navigate the island.
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Traffic jams were caused by the millions of red crabs that make their annual migrations to Australia’s Christmas Island, where they breed.
Christmas Island residents were seen using rakes for clearing the path of cars and sweeping away crabs.
About 50 million crabs make their annual migration to Christmas Island, where they breed.
Locals and tourists have been racing to see the amazing phenomenon.
These amazing photos show the Christmas Island National Parks staff erecting fences Tuesday to protect the crabs from harm.
Tourists were stunned to see millions of Red Crabs making the annual migration to the sea to breed on Christmas Island (pictured).
As they travel over the cliffs or through townships, the crabs can turn up at some very unusual places.
The island’s staff spends several months prepping for migration, building temporary barriers and crab bridges.
Daily Mail Australia was earlier informed by Dr Tanya Detto who is the coordinator of Christmas Island’s invasive species programs that there haven’t been so many migrating crabs in this area since 2005.
Dr Detto stated that the team spent a lot time maintaining the barriers and bridges that kept the crabs safe as they traveled to Flying Fish Cove.
She stated, “It’s been very nice to watch them being funnelled away traffic and getting there safe.”
According to the specialist, while the experts could have predicted the route that the crustaceans would follow on the island, they were unable to predict how it would change each year.
While there were some unfortunate cases where crabs fell from limestone cliffs or got trapped on three-storey structures, the woman said that the majority of crustaceans will survive.
The first rains of the dry season in October and November usually trigger the highly anticipated migration.
A few days of steady rain in the beginning of the month caused male crabs, who were unable to stay at home and marched towards the shore, picking up their females along the way.
To ensure that the crabs migrate safely, bridges were built.
Christmas Island is home to hundreds of crabs that are seen on the roads this month as part of the remarkable mass migration.
Photo taken Tuesday showing the Christmas Island mass of crabs close to a road
Christmas Island boasts the highest number of red crabs worldwide. Visitors are warned to respect the species in this area.
The island’s staff spends several months prepping for migration. They build temporary barriers and crab bridges, as well as other special-constructed structures.
You can see the nature phenomenon as the crustaceans swarm across streams, roads, bridges and rocks to get there and then breed.
The moon phase determines when the crabs will spawn.
These clever crustaceans are able to precisely time their departures from burrows so that they reach the beach just in time to spawn.
Every female crab releases a remarkable 100,000 eggs to the Indian Ocean every night during migration.
The baby red crabs, one month later will make the return trip home through the tropical forest to land on shore.
The vast majority of larvae will be fed by manta Rays, fish and giant whale sharks, which wait around the area for their annual feast.
Smart crabs can time when they leave their burrows and reach the beach at the right time so that the best spawning time on this lunar date is achieved
The first fall of the rainy season in October or November usually triggers the much-anticipated migration.
Bianca Priest is the Christmas Island acting manager.
“Christmas Island National Park staff set up kilometers of temporary barriers and erect signs to close roads on the island in order to protect millions upon millions of crabs that have left their forests for the coast,” Ms Priest stated.
“Over time, people have come from every part of the globe to view this natural phenomenon.”
The island’s roads may be shut down unexpectedly in order to accommodate crab movements. There are public notice boards on the island and radio stations that provide information on updates regarding their movement.
It is a good idea to leave your car at home and walk carefully among brightly colored creatures as they make their way towards the beach.
The island’s roads may be temporarily closed to accommodate crab movements. Local radio and public notice boards provide regular updates.
Red Crab larvae in large numbers will be eaten by manta and fish as well as the whale sharks of the waters surrounding.
The public is encouraged to take a walk with the brightly colored crabs to the beach and to avoid parking their vehicles.
A second species of crustacean is found on the island, called the robber crab.
They are quite harmless, despite their intimidating appearance. Some have even been known to take items from camping sites. This is what earned them their name.
These crabs are up to 1 m long and can be found in many unlikely places.
Campers from the island snapped the moment last year when they were confronted by the giant robber crabs while trying to have a barbecue with their families.
Campers from the island snapped the moment last year when they were confronted by giant robber crabs while trying to have a family BBQ.
This series of photos shows more than 52 clawsome beasts eagerly waiting to eat leftovers.
Amazing photos captured more than 52 animals eagerly waiting to eat leftovers.
For the chance to get close to the tasty meal being cooked, crabs were seen climbing up tables and chairs.
Amy Luetich, her family and their belongings had been on Christmas Island for several years. Then they moved to Grants Well where they stayed with other families.
According to Mrs Luetich, she said that they have camped there a number of times but have not seen as many robbers.
According to her, there were twenty under one tree at the time they arrived. It had begun to sprout.
They were seen crawling over specially built bridges in order to reach the ocean at optimal time to spawn.
Red Crabs, which are considered delicacy and possess aphrodisiac characteristics in Pacific regions, are not allowed to be consumed in Australia.
“But they began to swarm around us as soon as I started to cook.” She recalled that her son had counted 52.
His job was to take them out of the way and get them back. This was something he loved.
“We kept our tents far from the places we had eaten but one family said that they could hear one tap on their tent every night.”
Christmas Island is home to the most red crabs anywhere in the world. Tourists are warned that the island’s crustaceans will be ‘protected’ and’respected’ by locals.
Robber crabs can be enjoyed as a delicious delicacy in the Pacific. However, they are protected in Australia so cannot be eaten.