Every year, Christmas Island lights up as millions of red crabs migrate towards the sea. The event is considered one of the greatest natural displays on Earth. But not all of these crustaceans will reach their destination, as they encounter dangers from ants to humans. Conservationist and photographer Chris Bray is championing not just the beauty of this phenomenon, but the efforts made by the community to preserve it.
Bray grew up sailing around the world with his parents, and was seven years old when he first encountered a red crab. He never imagined that he would one day settle down on the island to build a space that would protect and exhibit its marvels. “I wanted others to witness this incredible spectacle without causing harm,” Bray says. “I developed Swell Lodge, which is the only eco lodge in an Australian national park.” Come the time of the migration, people from all over the world travel to Christmas Island to watch its streets and shores turn scarlet.
The red crabs’ journey is intricately linked to the lunar cycle, which impacts the moment and rate at which it happens. Following the first rainfall of the wet season between October and November, the crustaceans emerge from their burrows in the forest. They are hellbent on getting to the ocean, where they will breed and spawn before returning inland. Along their march they risk becoming a meal for rats and yellow crazy ants, or being run over by humans. Road traffic is one of their main threats, but the national park rangers of Christmas Island National Park have given them right of way by ensuring that most roads are closed during the migration.
Specially-erected barriers prevent the crabs from getting on the streets and direct them to bridges with grid surfaces that allow them to grip and easily crawl across. During the migration, local residents brave the roads with rakes and leaf blowers to nudge the crabs to safety. “You get to see the whole community come together and look after the crabs,” Bray says. He has even invented an ingenious accessory for his car that allows him to drive without crushing the crustaceans. With U-shaped attachments at the front of each wheel, Bray can slowly move across crab-covered roads and gently push them out of danger.
It takes a community to safeguard a species. The people of Christmas Island embody the meaning of coexistence, allowing the red crab migration to flourish for years to come. “Some of the most recent figures put the population now at almost 200 million crabs,” Bray says. “This is truly spectacular, and we need to protect it.”
Footage and photos by Chris Bray were used in the creation of this film.
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