The Territory of Christmas Island (Chinese: 圣诞岛; Malay: Wilayah Pulau Krismas) 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).
Photo by: Kristy Faulkner
Among the many outdoor activities Christmas Island has to offer, scuba diving is one of them, and if you're lucky enough you may encounter the beautiful and majestic whale shark. Despite its size, the whale shark does not pose any danger to humans. Whale sharks are docile fish and sometimes allow swimmers to catch a ride,[46][47][48] although this practice is discouraged by shark scientists and conservationists because of the disturbance to the sharks.[49] Younger whale sharks are gentle and can play with divers. Underwater photographers such as Fiona Ayerst have photographed them swimming close to humans without any danger.[50]
Source: Wikipedia
(WaterFrame / Alamy Stock Photo)
Alongside a plethora of exotic tropical creatures and about 2,000 humans, Christmas Island is home to a whopping 50 million bright red land crabs — called the Gecarcoidea natalis — that exist nowhere else in the world.
These large arthropods live out most of their days in shady coves within the island's dense forests, but each year, they make one epic journey from the inner jungles to the coast. Because their larvae cannot survive outside water for the first few weeks after hatching, the terrestrial crabs must trek out to the ocean to breed and spawn. During this mass migration, the island's streets, sidewalks, and beaches are blanketed in crimson claws.
"They swarm over the island, across roads, through homes and schools, under every foot, every tire, inside unattended shoes and covering every surface available," Atlas Obscura reports.
Source: The Week
Photo by: Philip Cash
There's a plethora of different bird species to discover on Christmas Island. Click here to learn more.