CHRISTMAS ISLAND AND CRABS JOURNEY ( ക്രിസ്തുമസ് ദ്വീപും ഞണ്ടുയാത്രയും)

CHRISTMAS ISLAND AND CRABS JOURNEY

ക്രിസ്തുമസ് ദ്വീപും ഞണ്ടുയാത്രയും

The Territory of Christmas Island is an Australian external territory comprising the island of the same name. Christmas Island is located in the Indian Ocean, around 350 kilometres (220 mi) south of Java and Sumatra and around 1,550 kilometres (960 mi) north-west of the closest point on the Australian mainland. It has an area of 135 square kilometres (52 sq mi)

Christmas Island has a population of 1,843 residents as of 2016,the majority of whom live in settlements on the northern tip of the island. The main settlement is Flying Fish Cove. Around two-thirds of the island's population estimated to have Malaysian Chinese origin (though just 21.2% of the population declared a Chinese ancestry in 2016, with significant numbers of Malays and white Australians as well as smaller numbers of Malaysian Indians and Eurasians. 

Several languages are in use, including English, Malay, and various Chinese dialects. Islam and Buddhism are major religions on the island, though a vast majority of the population does not declare a formal religious affiliation and may be involved in ethnic Chinese religion.

The first European to sight the island was Richard Rowe of the Thomas in 1615. The island was later named on Christmas Day (25 December) 1643 by Captain William Mynors, but only settled in the late 19th century. Its geographic isolation and history of minimal human disturbance has led to a high level of endemism among its flora and fauna, which is of interest to scientists and naturalists.[3] The majority (63 percent) of the island is included in the Christmas Island National Park, which features several areas of primary monsoonal forest. Phosphate, deposited originally as guano, has been mined on the island since 1899.

British and Dutch navigators first included the island on their charts from the early seventeenth century, and Captain William Mynors of the East India Ship Company vessel, the Royal Mary, named the island when he arrived on Christmas Day, 25th December, 1643.

If you've heard of Christmas Island (an island in the Indian Ocean and part of Australia) then you've probably heard about the millions of land crabs that live there. The climate is tropical and seems like a rainforest - perfect living conditions for the red crab.

Of the 14 species of land crabs on Christmas Island, the most noticeable is the red crab. Not all red crabs are red. There are the occasional orange ones and the rare purple crabs. An adult shell can grow to 11.6 cm (4.5 inches) across. Their claws are usually about the same size, although females have smaller claws than males. From claw tip to claw tip, these guys are about the size of a dinner plate.

If you have a fear of being surrounded by small animals like spiders or rats, Christmas Island in December is the place to overcome this fear. At the first rains of the wet season (December) about 120 million crabs come out of hiding and start heading towards the ocean. That's right, 120 million. To get there, they have to pass through town, across roads, through jungles and down a cliff. People find crabs all over their lawns, on their driveways and even in their houses. Up to a million crabs don't make it across the roads. Because they completely cover the roads, locals just run over them. Remember those big claws? Well some crabs get back at the drivers by piercing the tire of the passing car with their large, sharp claws.

The crabs that survive the week long trip to the ocean dip themselves in the water and then head into the closest woods where they will mate with females. After mating, the females hang out in the woods for two weeks while the males make the same journey back to the forest. Two weeks later the females lay about 100,000 eggs each, in the water. After a month, baby crabs about the size of a fingernail come out of the water and start the same journey their parents made through town and into the forest. Pretty impressive considering they've never been there before and don't have road maps!

There are so many baby crabs making the trip back to the forest, they look like a giant red blanket, except the blanket is moving quickly. The crabs travel more than 300 feet an hour trying to prevent dehydration in the scorching sun. Locals help them out by scooping up buckets full of crabs from roads and blocked drains. By sundown most of the babies have completed the treacherous journey. Three to four years later the crabs join the mass migration and keep doing it for the rest of their lives, about 10 years.

If you're a local, millions of crabs on your lawn, in your house and covering the roads wouldn't make you blink an eye. It's just something that happens every year. Surprisingly none of the Christmas Island residents want to get rid of the crabs. They actually consider it a privilege to witness or assist this great natural event. You might also think people would put a few in a pot for dinner. Not so. Red crabs aren't the kind of crabs you get at a seafood restaurant. They aren't edible.

Even if you can't eat them, it's definitely worth dropping by Christmas Island in December or January to watch a blanket of Red crabs migrate to the ocean and back - just be sure to wear boots.Have you been to Christmas Island? Does the thought of being surrounded by 120 million crabs send shivers down your spine?

ഇന്ത്യൻ മഹാസമുദ്രത്തിൽ സ്ഥിതി ചെയ്യുന്ന ഒരു ചെറു ദ്വീപാണ് ക്രിസ്തുമസ് ദ്വീപ്. ഓസ്ട്രേലിയയുടെ അധികാരപരിധിയിലാണ് ഈ ദ്വീപ് നിലകൊള്ളുന്നത്. ഫ്ലൈയിങ്ങ് ഫിഷ് കോവ് ആണ് തലസ്ഥാനം. ഇംഗ്ലീഷാണ് ഔദ്യോഗിക ഭാഷ.

ഓസ്ട്രേലിയയിലെ നഗരമായ പെർത്തിൽ നിന്നും 2600 കിലോമീറ്ററും, ഇന്തോനേഷ്യയിലെ ജക്കാർത്തയിൽ നിന്നും 360 കിലോമീറ്ററും, കൊക്കോസ് ദ്വീപിൽ നിന്നും 975 കിലോമീറ്ററും ദൂരത്തായാണ് ക്രിസ്തുമസ് ദ്വീപിന്റെ സ്ഥാനം. 1403 പേർ ആണ് ഈ ദ്വീപിലുള്ളത്. ഓസ്ട്രേലിയ അഭായർഥികൾക്കായി ദ്വീപിൽ ക്യാമ്പ് നടത്തുന്നുണ്ട്.

ഇതൊന്നുമല്ല അവിടത്തെ ആകര്ഷണം.ചുവപ്പ് പരവതാനി കണക്കെ നീങുന്ന ഞണ്ടുകള്..ആയിരകണക്കിനല്ല ലക്ഷകണക്കിന്..അവിടത്തെ കാടുകളില് നിന്നും ഇണ ചേരുന്നതിനായിട്ടുള്ള യാത്രയാണിത്.ഒക്റ്റോബര് നവംബര് മാസങളിലാണ് ഈ യാത്ര തുടങുന്നത്.

എല്ലാവരും ഒന്നിച്ചാണ് യാത്ര തുടങുന്നതെങ്കിലും ആണ് ഞണ്ടുകള് ആദ്യമേ കടല് തീരത്തെത്തും..മാളങള് ഉണ്ടാക്കലാണ് അടുത്ത ജോലി...ഇണചേര്ന്നു കഴിഞശേഷം ആണ് ഞണ്ടുകള് തിരിച്ച് കാടുകളിലേക്ക് പോരും.പെണ്ഞണ്ടുകള് മുട്ട വിരിയുന്നതു വരെ മാളങളില് തന്നെ ആയിരിക്കും.രാണ്ടാഴ്ച..അതിനുശേഷം മുട്ടകള് എല്ലാം കടലില് തള്ളിയട്ട് അവര് തിരിച്ചു പോരും...പിന്നേയും മൂന്നാഴ്ച വേണം കുഞുഞണ്ടുകള്ക്ക് തിരിചെത്താന്..മുന്നോ നാലോ ആഴ്ചക്കുള്ളില് കുഞി ഞണ്ടുകളും കാടുകളിലേക്ക് തിരിചെത്തും....

വളരെ അധികം ശ്രദ്ദയോടെ ആണ് ആളുകള് ഈ ഞണ്ടുകളെ സംരക്ഷിക്കുന്നത്..ഞണ്ടുകളുടെ യാത്രയില് റോടുകള് വരെ തടസ്സപ്പെടുത്തും..ചില സ്ഥലങളില് പ്രത്യേക നടപാത വരെ ഉണ്ട്.

Prof. John Kurakar