Eel crawls out of water to gorge on crabs during Christmas Island migration

A hungry eel has been filmed crawling out of the water to feast on baby crabs as they try to reach shore during the annual Christmas Island red crab migration.

In a video filmed by a local woman kylie chatfieldthe eel leaps, with its mouth open, over the rocks and grabs as many unfortunate creatures as it can.

The crabs are the first babies this season to wash up on the Australian island 2,600 kilometers northwest of Perth.

They are easy prey for the large mouth and hunger pangs of the meter-long eel.

After a few more bites, and having filled its belly, the eel returned to the sea and the crab migration continued, heading for the island’s rainforests.

Eels, like crabs, can leave the water for several hours, moving from one body of water to another to grow or spawn.

Baby crabs are easy prey for the meter-long eel (pictured) as there are thousands of crabs and they are no match for their large mouths and hunger pangs.

Beginning in late October, more than 65 million red crabs made the annual journey across Christmas Island, from the rainforests to the coast, to breed.

The colorful spectacle is believed to be the biggest annual migration in years, meaning there are now plenty of baby crabs on the menu for eels and other predators.

Christmas Island native species manager Derek Ball said there were much higher numbers of crabs compared to previous years, estimating that the population had doubled in size since “five or six years ago.”

told the abc this was due to the ‘suppression’ of yellow crazy ants on the island. Ants routinely kill red crabs by spraying them with acid before eating them.

The ants were accidentally introduced to the island in the early 1990s and are destructive to the environment.

The annual migration of the red crab usually begins in October or November with the first rains of the wet season.

The male crabs will leave their homes and lead the way to the beach, picking up females along the way.

Mass migration often causes traffic jams on the island, and cars are often diverted as the creatures swarm the roads.

Some locals will use rakes to sweep crustaceans off the roads and paths.

Having filled its belly, the eel (pictured) returned to the sea, and the crab migration continued.

After reproducing, the male crabs dive into the ocean for moisture before returning to the jungle.

The female crabs remain in their burrows and release a staggering 100,000 eggs into the Indian Ocean for five to six consecutive nights during the migration period.

They then wait in their burrows for about two weeks while the eggs develop.

A month later, the baby red crabs return to shore for the journey back to the island’s rainforest.

But the vast majority of the larvae feed on fish, manta rays and giant whale sharks that wait in the surrounding waters for their annual feast.

And some of those that make it to shore are eaten by eels and other creatures grateful for food.

It is estimated that around 65 million crabs migrated to the coast this year to breed.

The annual migration begins around October or November after the first rain of the wet season.