Tiny

Tiny

This is a baby red crab from Christmas Island, sitting on a rock at dawn. The crab had just emerged from the ocean where he/she hatched from his/her egg. The babies are less than 3mm wide and long, and are almost transparent. They leave the ocean en-masse and make their way into the jungle.

Unfortunately the en-mass ocean departure only happens every 1-2 in 10 years, so instead of getting shots of millions of tiny red crabs, instead i took portrait pics of them with my 105mm macro lens. They were soooo tiny and had the exact same mannerisms as their larger red crab relations.

They were some of the cutest creatures i have ever had the joy to see!

The red crabs of Christmas Island are famous for their annual migration to the ocean to mate and spawn. Exactly one month later, the baby crabs emerge from the ocean. Many natural factors have to align for the migration to commence, such as the stage of the moon, recent rainfall, etc. The whole cycle is a miracle of nature.

Taken with a Canon 5D Camera, 105mm Sigma lens, at f2.8, ISO 320, 1/1000th sec, handheld. As is.

Featured in the following groups: A Photographers Craft, Minatures & Mammoths, & Image Writing.

Tiny belongs to the following groups:

! 100% !, All Things Poetic, Artistic, Philosophical, Animal Kingdom, Australian Travel Photography and Writing - 1 per 24hrs, Australian Wildlife, Canon DSLR (One Image Per Day & A Canon Camera Must Be In The Description Before It's Accepted), Cutest of the Cute, DSLR Users Only - 1/24 - Camera & Lens In Description Please., Freedom to Shine, Funny Kritters, High Quality Animal Images - 1 Submission a Week, ImageWriting (2/24), Miniatures and Mammoths, Shameless Self-Promotion, The true beauty, Top Shelf Wildlife & Nature Art, Untouchables, WA Red Bubbles and Who are YOU to Judge? Available for sale as

Greeting Cards, Matted Prints, Laminated Prints, Mounted Prints, Canvas Prints and Framed Prints