Tag Archives: crustacean

Tiny Crabs in the Tidepool

I posted about a beach on Vancouver Island that we had scoped out as a possible spot for later. While looking around, I spent a bit of time checking out some of the tide pools on the shore. As is often the case, they initially look quiet but, if you spend a little time waiting, you start to notice movement. I found a crab scuttling around in one of the pools and grabbed some photos of it. What I didn’t realize was that there was a second one alongside that had obviously been less mobile while I was watching. Lots of barnacles in the water too and a ton of snail-like creatures. Don’t think they were hermit crabs but who knows?

Crabs Getting Feisty

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Nancy and I were walking along the shore on Lopez Island one Sunday on a trail alongside some marshy areas. We were discussing whether the water was connected to the sea all of the time or only at high tide when I noticed something moving in the shallow water. When I looked closer, I realized that, not only was it a crab, but that there were tons of them. The water was full of them, and they were pretty aggravated.

It didn’t seem to matter what size they were; they were all picking fights with each other. Some of these were brief hit and run type efforts but others seemed to be engaged in battles that were going on for a while. Most were in the water but occasionally they would come out onto the land. One walked right up to my shoe. Spaces under rocks or wood seemed like prime spots with smaller crabs trying to get under there while the larger inhabitants fended them off. It was hilarious to watch once you could see that they were there. I could have spent ages watching them but that wasn’t the purpose of visiting the island, so I left them to their battles.

Crabs Hunting in the Rocks at Edmonds

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Nancy and I were walking along the shore in Edmonds and decided to stroll out on the fishing pier. This follows the line of the breakwater for the marina and the large rocks that the breakwater is constructed from make for a good habitat for wildlife. We saw a starfish on one area but, since they don’t move too quickly, it was not much fun to watch. However, there were a couple of crabs lurking down there. One was just hanging in its little space waiting for something to come its way. Another was a lot more active and was making good progress across the rocks. I got a bunch of still shots but also played with a little video as you can see below.