Share this photo on Twitter Share this photo on Facebook

Camouflage

Posted by
L'explorateur (Vancouver, Canada) on 6 January 2011 in Animal & Insect and Portfolio.

Bora Bora. Smaller than a quarter (or than a 20 cent euro, if you want :P), this tiny creature is extremely fast! I didn’t have the time to estimate its speed, but it was definitely faster than my eyes! Add this to the fact that it’s very difficult to see him against the sand. Googling around, I found that it’s named “ghost crab” and that combats between males are highly ritualized and rarely ends with contact!

--
This image is a crop of the original. :)

NIKON D90 1/500 second F/11.0 ISO 200 157 mm (35mm equiv.)

Franz from Baden, Austria

i can see why it's easy to spot! like the crop and the lack of colour! also find the protruding eyes interesting!

6 Jan 2011 11:29am

@Franz: Thanks Franz! Without cropping it would have been difficult to spot! :) It was one of those white-sand beaches. Perfect for our friend :)

MARIANA from Waterloo, Canada

such a light and such a beautiful image !

6 Jan 2011 1:38pm

@MARIANA: Thanks a lot for this comment, Mariana! :D I am happy you like it!

Sonia Nansid from Barcelona Stockholm, Sweden

Impressive creature.

6 Jan 2011 4:17pm

@Sonia Nansid: Yes, quite impressive! I spent a lot of time chasing it along the beach. Thanks for passing by, Sonia. :)

marci from in, Morocco

such a light and airy feel to this shot! very beautiful - and a really curious creature!

6 Jan 2011 7:17pm

@marci: Yes! That's why it's called "ghost crab!" :D Thanks!

Demo from Villeneuve d, France

Wonderful capture! Really not easy to capture this kind of creature, speed, really little and it's colours look like the ground... 5*****

6 Jan 2011 7:31pm

@Demo: Thanks Demo! I have never seen a ghost crab before. Maybe I met one, but he was well hidden. :)

mimicy from Bordeaux, France

Ton sur ton ... il fallait la voir cette petite araignée sur le sable ... compliments pour cette très jolie photo

6 Jan 2011 10:39pm

@mimicy: Bonjour Mimicy! Merci beaucoup! It's actually a crab! A "ghost crab". :)

JCJ from Troyes, France

well seen : ) it was not easy ^^

6 Jan 2011 10:54pm

@JCJ: Not easy, right! I played with it for a while :)

GJC from Kyoto (京都), Japan

Amazing you could see this. Something I have never seen before, probably because I wasn't looking as carefully as you.

7 Jan 2011 12:11pm

@GJC: I think I noticed this "ghost crab" because I was walking very slowly, just looking at the sand, looking for some new encounter! Nature is open to those who want to welcome her.

Eric from Narbonne, France

almost invisible ;o)

10 Jan 2011 8:44pm

@Eric: You should see from one meter! The trick is to make him move. In that way you have a chance to spot him!

Veronique from Sarrouilles, France

excellent !!

21 Jan 2011 8:28am

@Veronique: Bonjour Veronique et merci bien! Thank you for adding me to your Blogwatch! :)

NIKON D90
1/500 second
F/11.0
ISO 200
157 mm (35mm equiv.)

crab
white
sand
beach
tahiti
pacific-ocean
summer