Sunrise Hermit Crab Crowd Spawning On North Ambergris Caye

There has been some pictures and speculation over the last few years about a strange phenomenon on Ambergris Caye.  Once a year (for a few days) hermit crabs emerge from jungle and…have a giant get-together.  (Here is last year’s…a bit earlier in July and some pictures by Correspondent Kardashian.)

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If you are looking for an official “Migration Month” on the caye – July is definitely it.  Over the past week, we’ve seen the butterfly migration.  Cloudless sulphur butterflies and a handful of orange and yellow ones heading south for…who knows what.  Watch the beautiful video here.

And now the crabs…last night was the first of their mating dance/social gathering and just a strip of beach at the south end of Rojo Beach Bar.

Here’s what I saw at about 5am this morning…

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This seems to be some sort of night time madness…they were all retreating as the sun was coming up.

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RETREAT!  THE SUN!  They will see us!  RETREAT!

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And clinging to the coconut tree.

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Some really couldn’t be bothered.IMG_2907

One in a glossy pink shell….perhaps a bit of nailpolish from last year Finn?  And why does no one want to go near her?

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And then the gorgeous sunrise…

IMG_2955Love.  And the clicking of shells.

IMG_2940This should be going on for the next few days…they all start emerging in the late afternoon and…Rojo is open today but closed Sunday and Monday.

Just saying 🙂

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