Tourists must have been surprised when thousands of spider crabs descended on Cornwall’s beaches in early August 2022.
Tourists to the seaside resort of Saint Ives, Cornwall, UK will surely remember this bath. When they took a dip, they found the seabed was littered with thousands of spider crabs, reports The Guardian.
Thousands of venomous Hyas araneus crabs have flocked to Cornwall’s beaches due to rising sea temperatures caused by the climate crisis. They fanned out in shallow water at St Ives and shed their shells before returning to depths of up to 300ft.https://t.co/XexBxQbW4g pic.twitter.com/8rhraEnQAC
“Alfons Lopez Tena?” (@alfonslopeztena) August 7, 2022
The marine animal is used to changing its environment from April to summer, towards flat areas such as beaches. A practice that allows them to protect themselves from their usual predators when they are vulnerable. This is known as “up migration”. The crabs detach from their shell, creating a new one. This allows them to grow 25-40% each time until they reach their adult size at two years old.
An impressive number
The migration of these spider crabs is therefore common. What is surprising, however, is the large number of people present. They would probably have come in large numbers to seek the freshness of the Cornouilles coast, given that the water is currently 16ºC. According to The Guardian newspaper, such mass gatherings could become more frequent in the summer due to climate change.
Kate Low, marine photographer for The Guardian, assured that “many tourists cried when they saw the crustaceans”.