Ghost crabs

Ghost crabs know they're cool.

While walking along the beaches in Cape May, keep your eyes focused about 10 yards ahead. You may see a quick movement, a flurry of photons fluttering against your retina.

You're not sure you saw anything at all.

You stumble upon a hole in the sand a few steps later.

Ah, the ghost crab.

***

The Victorian Cape May likes to celebrate ghost stories. You can hear the jingle of ghosts on MAC tours. Others heard the jingle of money, and the ghost tours can now be found in West Cape May as well.

If you want the spectral kind of ghosts, go spend a few bucks and enjoy the show.

If you want to see the true ghosts of Cape May, save your change and meander over to the beach.

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Some crabs earn the name "crabby"--a blue crab will take a nip out of your finger just for the sheer joy of it.

Ghost crabs have a less aggressive approach to life. They're more skittish than crabby, and I doubt there's any record of any human ever having been nipped by one. Like Greta Garbo, they "vant to be left alone."

They feast on sand crabs and other tiny critters, and despite their name, can be seen both day and night if you're looking for them.

If you want a picture of one, though, you're need to be quick. These li'l guys scoot up to 10 miles per hour, and quickly dive into their burrows when they see you coming. Sometime you can see their eyeballs peering over the edge of their hole while they ponder their next move. (Not sure why they ponder--inevitably, they dart into their hole.)

***

My nephew Keith is coming by next weekend. Maybe we'll stalk the wild ghost crab.

All you need is a flashlight.

Wander over to the bay as the sun sets. You might want to grab a bite at Harpoon Henry's beforehand to steel yourself for the expedition--they have Guinness there, too.

Walk along the water's edge with your flashlight, and shine your light at anything that moves. Chances are you'll spot a ghost crab before you get 20 yards.

Turns out ghost crabs freeze when the light hits them. Maybe it's stage fright, maybe they think you're an alien from Xenon, maybe it's a religious moment for them, but whatever the reason, this is a great opportunity to grab a photograph. I've never tried to pick one up, seems unsporting when they're paralyzed by the light, but if you do, let me know if you get nipped.

***

The "official" guidebooks will tell you ghost crabs are nocturnal, but that's only half the story. They are diurnal as well, just hard to see, especially if you're not looking for them.

It's a wonderful world out here--get off your duff and get outside!

(Both crab photos were lifted from gummint sites--the first one from the National Park Service, the second one from NOAA. Given the recent government giveaways while we nationalize our banks, seems only fair we can glom a few photons for our enjoyment.)