It wasn't until I was posting the camera data for this image that I realised all my shots this morning were taken at 22mm instead of the intended 11mm !!!!! No wonder the hyperfocal distance I'd worked out for 11mm didn't give me the results I expected!!!!! Grrr! John, this is a VERY busy shot, so I expect you to like it for that reason, if no other! :-)

Wow! I've never seen anything like this. Looks like there are millions of them - all over the place. *lol* I think I would have wanted a very long lens if I met a crowd like this (but you are right, of course, wide angles are better). :-)

There are absolute hordes of them. I have a nice shot taken with the 50-200 as well, which I can think of an amusing title for. Stay tuned. Thanks for viewing my crabs!

That's an amazing scene.

Well worth getting down into the mud for :-)

Actually, although this was shot at 22mm (not the 11mm I thought I was using) I'm quite happy with the DOF. The OOF crabs in FG and BG add to the depth and scale of the poppulation. Tomorrow, I'll get some at 11mm with the focus set to the hyperfocal distance. Regards.

I find it very difficult to keep a straight horizon with ultra wide angle lenses if my head isn't level. When I get on the ground and tilt my head to compose a low level shot (with camera almost on the ground) I invariably end up with a tilted horizon. The hot shoe spirit llevel assists me greatly. Only problem is, I'm composing with no eye to the viewfinder.

This is an occasion for the right-angle viewfinder attachment if ever I saw one!

what a scrabble. can't get the focus. i remember a tv-feature about an island which is once a year overflooded with red crabs.

Mamma mia! This one look like from horror movie...joking...They have wonderful colors...never see something like that...thanks fot sharing with us. Denis

Wow! Really mercenary question - can you eat soldier crabs?

Rob, amazing! I have never seen anything like it. A lot of potential crab cakes there. :-)

WILD photo!!!!!!!

It gives me the creeps to imagine all those little critters scrabbling around right in front of me...not even being able to walk without squishing some of the poor things...a comical image, Rob...:o)

Yes, Danny, it would be handy. But an expensive little gadget for what it is.

These crabs are not eaten at all by huams (unless some migrant people collect them). What I mean to say is they aren't harvested commercially. I don't think there's much meat on them. They are quite good bait for fish species that frequemt the shallow flats at high tide.

Michael, the place you are thinking of is Christmas island. Those red crabs can climb trees, I believe. Denis, Dennis, Frank, and Andre, thanks for your comments. They look better backlit with the sunlight coming through the translucent legs. Monica, I only squashed one. If you don't walk fast they can get out of the way.

No, this is a Crab Nation. Good find.

Interesting shot of a for me unknown species. The blue of the crabs works fine with the water in the background. Have no problem with the unsharp guys in the foreground.

I was just imagine how I would feel laying at the sunny beach, waking up and all these craps around me, uhhhh!

Yep. That was part of my intent when I coined the word. "Damnation, look at that crab nation!"

Jochen. Bit of a typo there! They don't make much mess, actually. :-)

Hey Rob!

Thank you for thinking of me here! This is a really cool image. 22mm is pretty good but I also look forward to seeing your images at 11mm. You got a lovely sense of depth and density here. The blue sheen off the crabs and the sand compliment each other really well. The sliver of sea in BG is also nice. Viva la spirit level. I'm sure you made a wise choice!

I missed the tide the next day! Damn. Looks like it won't be until 23rd July that conditions will again be suited for the images I have in mind at 11mm. I pray for bright overcast conditions. Yep, that little spirit level was a good buy, especially compared to an Olympus right angle finder!