Soldier Crabs Searching for Shelter in the Sand During Low Tide

Soldier crabs searching for shelter in the sand during low tide on Whitehaven Beach in the Whitsunday Islands off the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland, Australi...
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Soldier crabs searching for shelter in the sand during low tide on Whitehaven Beach in the Whitsunday Islands off the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland, Australia
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Oct, 2011

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Are these spiders or crabs - they look amazing!

They are soldier crabs. But when I first saw them, I thought they were big, blue spiders :) There were thousands of them - all around me! And for a split second, I was convinced that the sand on this beach was actually blue in color (naturally), and that the entire "blue sanded" beach was walking away from me for some reason :) Haha! Shortly thereafter, when I came to my senses, I realized what I was really witnessingâ€¦ a massive, seamless "troop" of these little critters scurrying towards the tide in perfect unison. It truly was an unforgettable sight!