Google’s Street View cameras capture the annual Christmas Island red crab migration

Google’s Street View cameras have been to some amazing places and captured some amazing creatures, from herds of elephants in Kenya to penguins in the Arctic and frogs in the Amazon. 

This week, Google’s Street View camera has ventured to Christmas Island, a remote Australian territory in the Indian Ocean, to capture more than 45 million local residents for their annual trip from the forests to seas. Christmas Island’s famous, endemic red crabs have now begun their once-a-year migration.

For most of the year, these land crabs stay burrowed in Christmas Islands’ lush damp forests to preserve body moisture and protect themselves from harsh sunlight. But each year, they emerge from the forest shelter for approximately one week trip to the sea to spawn near the coastal waters. These bright red residents wait patiently for a precise alignment of the rains, moon cycle and tides to commence their journey.

They’re starting to paint the town red and Dr. Alasdair Grigg on behalf of Parks Australia, is carrying the Street View Trekker to collect imagery of this yearly miracle for all to see. The migration concludes on the ocean shores when the highest density of crabs spawn and lay their eggs in the sand—a finale forecasted for December 13.

Take a look at this video they’ve put together ahead of the event:

Google Australia invites you all to enjoy this marvelous journey so you can see for yourselves why Sir David Attenborough calls this phenomenon one of the “most astonishing and wonderful sights.”