Crabs scuttling across a moonlit street near Mosquito Creek caused a massive traffic pile up on the South Trunk Road on Saturday night.
Motorists who saw the crabs coming up from the mangroves by the dozen stopped to pick them up. Some of the amateur crab catchers, who had no flash lights, used the lights on their cell phones to locate the crabs and used plastic containers, bags and rubber boots to hold them.
Shivon Seepersad, 14, of Batchya Trace, Penal, who stopped at the Creek with his brother-in-law Steven Karpha said it was usual for the crabs to come out during full moon.
However, Karper said it was unusual for so many crabs to be seen crossing the road near the Mosquito Creek: “We have seen it in other areas like in Caroni and Manzanilla but never here. It was a good catch because we caught over 30 crabs.”
Fisherman Boysie Bissoon said the crab crossingcan occur during neap tides when the sun and moon are at right angles to the Earth.
Bissoon said he did not think the crabs were being displaced from the mangroves because ongoing construction of the Solomon Hochoy highway extension has not affected the mangroves.