Dying Crabs that Seabirds Will Not Eat
@DeborahDiane (40843)
Laguna Woods, California
May 28, 2016 5:58pm CST
My MyLot friend, @ElizabethWallace, and I have had a discussion recently about some photos I took of hundreds of thousands of dying crabs on the Southern California beaches. I posted almost identical photos of the same event last year.
These crabs looks like little lobsters and, in fact, are often sold as "langostinos" ... delicious little bits of seafood that taste very much like lobster.
The official explanation is that the warm El Nino water has caused these crabs, which normally hang out off the shore of Baja California, to move further north.
Even if that is true, it doesn't answer a few questions:
1. Why have they died in such huge numbers, two years in a row?
2. Why aren't there large fish, like dolphins or sharks, hanging out off-shore, eating all these crabs as they swim north?
3. Why have I never seen a single sea bird (either last year or this year) eat one of these crabs, when our beach is covered by seabirds, including gulls and pelicans, that swoop into the ocean to eat other fish?
I honestly feel as if there is something seriously wrong, and no one is paying any attention. Is it all the sewage that gets dumped in the ocean, run-off from our streets, fertilizer from our gardens, or radiation from Fukushima, the Japanese nuclear reactor that was damaged in the tsunami and continues to leak radiation and will for decades to come? (cnbc.com/2016/03/10/us-watches-as-fukushima-continues-to-leak-radiation.html)
Whatever is happening, I think we need to pay attention. It can't be good. 
11 people like this
10 responses
@IvySaysHi (4603)
• United States
29 May 16
More proof of how we are destroying the world
2 people like this
@DeborahDiane (40843)
• Laguna Woods, California
29 May 16
I agree that this is more proof that we are destroying the world. Here is another photo:
1 person likes this
@ElizabethWallace (12069)
• United States
29 May 16
I think this is a pattern. But we are making the patterns last longer, with more damaging affects.
1 person likes this

@crazyhorseladycx (39503)
• United States
29 May 16
a most sad event, i've wonders why they've not done testin''n these to see 'xactly what's a miss. my thoughts're possible with the warmer waters they've developed some sorta disease 'n the birds/sharks/other critters know such'n thus don't dine 'pon 'em.
tragically, not 'nough folks tend to pay much mind to mother nature's critters demise, e'en do what they can to aid'n such. jest look't our bee populations :(
2 people like this

@crazyhorseladycx (39503)
• United States
29 May 16
@DeborahDiane yes ma'am, such all works together - somethin' that many wish to ignore :(
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40843)
• Laguna Woods, California
30 May 16
@crazyhorseladycx - Yes, it all works together ... whether people like to admit that or not.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40843)
• Laguna Woods, California
29 May 16
Yes, the problem with the bee population is another concern. I think we need to understand these fish kills better, if only to protect future food sources. Even if we don't eat these crabs, they are part of the food chain for larger creatures that we do eat.
1 person likes this

@DeborahDiane (40843)
• Laguna Woods, California
29 May 16
As far as I have been able to find out, all the officials believe this is "normal." It sure doesn't seem normal to me. I have discussed this with an NBC reporter and someone from the Dana Point Oceanography Institute. The reporter also talked to local lifeguard stations. No one seems to be sounding in alarms, so I keep writing about it on various sites.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40843)
• Laguna Woods, California
5 Jun 16
I agree that all these dying crabs worry me ... but I seem to be the only person in California worried about it!
@DeborahDiane (40843)
• Laguna Woods, California
30 May 16
I agree that these little crabs are probably not fit for human consumption. I find it scary that this has happened ... especially two years in a row.
1 person likes this
@just4him (323168)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
30 May 16
@DeborahDiane It is scary, and I agree, the government agencies should be doing something about it besides hiding their head in the sand and telling everyone there isn't a problem when it's obvious there is.
1 person likes this
@theBlock (2657)
• United States
29 May 16
@DeborahDiane
I'm with you. It's sure is strange and sad, too.
1 person likes this
@Teep11 (7673)
• United States
29 May 16
Can't figure why the crabs are dying but I do know one thing, there's a whole lot of materials and other objects dumped in the sea, ocean and even the beaches. With all the waste that's dumped all over. There will be some issues that will hurt our food supply. The crabs could be poisoned and are dying off. Ocean life knows what they should stay clear of. I hope the figure out the cause so that it can be stopped or at least decreased.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40843)
• Laguna Woods, California
29 May 16
I hope they figure out what is going on, too. It really bothers me that no one is studying these crabs.
@PainsOnSlate (21845)
• Canada
29 May 16
It certainly sounds like something is terribly wrong. I hope they figure it out soon.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40843)
• Laguna Woods, California
30 May 16
I hope they figure out what caused the crabs to die, too.
1 person likes this
@ElizabethWallace (12069)
• United States
29 May 16
I agree with your last statement completely. But I think that we do have more sharks closer to shore these past few years. They are following the larger fish who are following the smaller critters north and towards the coastline, as they follow the warmer ocean temperatures.
These water temperatures were caused by El Nino. I think I remember the same type of thing back in 1998 or so. But, I have no clue why the sea birds are not gobbling up these little yummy crabs along the sand.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40843)
• Laguna Woods, California
29 May 16
I have no clue why the sea birds are not eating them, either. We also have about 200 dolphins that live near the Laguna Beach shore. Often you can see them in the water. They were nowhere near these crabs, which you could easily see in the water.
@DeborahDiane (40843)
• Laguna Woods, California
29 May 16
Yes, we all need to pay more attention to nature. It speaks to us ... but far too often we ignore what it says.
1 person likes this













