The Galapagos Islands have over 1,350 Km of shoreline, more than the coastline of mainland Ecuador. Though the intertidal zone is but a strip around all the islands, the total area has been estimated as about 40 square kilometers. There are many different types of intertidal habitat including rocky shores, sandy beaches and mangrove lagoons, each of them with its own characteristic flora and fauna.
Today, while walking on the beach at Bartolome Island, we had the chance to encounter one of the most common species of invertebrates: crabs. They are among the most active intertidal organism in the Galapagos. There are over a hundred species in the islands but one stands out from the rest. The Sally lightfoot or lava crab, Grapsus grapsus. Their name has been always a reason for curiosity. According to scientists, it comes from the habit of skipping across short stretches of water. The young of this species are black and even faster runners than the adults and they fall prey mainly to herons. They are all so beautiful and colorful that nobody who visits the islands can miss them. They are very often spotted on black basaltic rocky shores and they appear to be that little touch of color that nature gave to this little blessed piece of land called Galapagos.
