Transition back to normal. On our recent trip to the Cayman Islands, I found this hermit crab crawling along the sandy bottom. In order to photograph it, I picked it up and placed it on a coral head upside down so I could get a good shot of the critter as it came out of its shell to see what was going on.
It climbed out of its shell and proceeded to grab a piece of seaweed on the coral head…
Very quickly it righted itself. I picked it up and put back where I had found it. It was a very fun encounter!
The shell home for my new friend appears to have been used by many hermit crabs. It’s almost completely smooth with very little definition or detail except for some new sea life growing on its top. Even in the wilds of the underwater world, some sea creatures’ very existence depends on reuse!
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Cathy, I love this, especially the eyes in that first shot. 🙂 Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving.
janet
janet
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Thanks, Janet. I agree about the eyes on this crab. It was really fun to capture that face! I had a great Thanksgiving. Hope you did too!
Cathy
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We did, Cathy. Thanks.
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Such cool eyes! And they probably see better than my own. 😉
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Thanks, Carrie. Yes, this crab had very intense eyes! Hope you had a good Thanksgiving.
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I did, thank you. Hope you did as well. 🙂
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An amazing encounter. Cathy. 🙂
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Thanks so much! And thanks for the visit!
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[…] LargeSelf Weekly Photo Challenge – Transition […]
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Hermit crabs are such interesting little creatures! I used to love discovering them in tide pools along the California coast. I don’t recall ever seeing one here in Maine. Perhaps the water/climate is too cold for them, or maybe I’ve just never been in the right place at the right time.
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I love hermit crabs, Leon! We see them all over the Caribbean, but I had never photographed one until this trip. I did an afternoon of mentoring at an underwater photography school in Grand Cayman and when I went diving with my teacher, she picked up a different crab from the bottom so we could practice macros. It was so fun, that I decided to keep a lookout for others during the week. What I didn’t realize is how many different species there are. This fuzzy guy was quite different than the first one which was bright red and had green eyes.
And yes, I suspect it may be too cold for hermit crabs in Maine.
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Magical! I love how you tempted this little guy to behave for you, Cathy… The eyes, the claws, it’s just incredible! I love a classic, old home too… clearly he’s got good taste! 😉
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Thanks, Dawn. Yes, this was a classic old home and pretty well disguised as a rock!
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Such magic you get to enjoy, down in the deep. I am so envious, but so grateful I get your photos to bring it all to me!
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What a cute little guy he is. Nice shots, Cathy!
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Thanks, Amy. Yes, he really is cute with his furry claws and black eyes.
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Cool captures of the hermit crab, Cathy! They are just fascinating. 🙂
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Thanks, Amy. They really are fascinating.
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Who knew hermit crabs recycled??? Ha! Love your photos.
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Thanks, Susie! This one appears to have chosen a fixer-upper!
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Ha!
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