Every year in Cuba, millions of crabs emerge from the forest at the beginning of the spring rains and head for the waters of the Bay of Pigs, crossing streets and highways on a perilous journey to mate and reproduce.
Now underway, the migration causes concern to drivers who try to swerve in an often futile attempt not to kill the crustaceans. The crabs are a nuisance to residents but the sight of their road-crossing is a wonder for tourists and other first-time onlookers.
“They got here before us,” said Amaury Urra, a 50-year-old hiking guide who spent his entire life in this part of the Ciénega de Zapata, the largest wetland in the Caribbean, particularly picturesque for the backdrop of turquoise sea waters and the coastal cliffs. ″We’re used to this.″
“Where I live, which is in the center of the town of Girón, the crabs don’t get there as much,″ though there are plenty on the outskirts, he said.
Located about 180 kilometers (110 miles) southeast of Havana, the area was the scene of a 1961 failed invasion by Cuban exiles who signed up for a covertly CIA-funded operation to overthrow Fidel Castro.
This year, the crabs started their journey early. At the end of March, the municipal authorities issued a warning to drivers to avoid traveling in the morning and evening hours - the favorite crossing times for the crabs. Environmentalists usually demand the closure of the main road, especially at key migration times.
The passage of the red crustaceans — the species is called gecarcinus ruricola — could last until July. The largest amount of traffic occurs between April and May. Residents have to be careful: When the crabs feel threatened, they can puncture car tires with their pincers.
Official figures estimate that some 3.5 million crabs die each season on the road, many crushed by passing vehicles. They take a minute and a half to cross.
This type of crab lives and migrates in the Bahamas, Nicaragua, Jamaica and Dominica. But only here, and perhaps in another sector of the coast towards the neighboring province of Cienfuegos, does its path collide so dramatically with human traffic.
Sophie Bushwick, senior editor for Popular Science, discusses the Trump administration's recent announcement to scale back the size of two national monuments in Utah, which are home to over 400 research sites employing 2,000 scientists.
"The Devil Wears Prada" and "Entourage" star is working with Dell to prevent plastic from entering the ocean.
Kimbal Musk is on a mission to base the American restaurant and food system on clean farming and eating. He is transforming food the same way his brother, Elon, is transforming electric cars and space travel.
Can you remember the last time you had a good night's sleep? Many people go weeks without sleeping through the entire night. Marina Khidekel, Senior Deputy Editor at Women's Health, joins Cheddar to talk about its latest sleep study in partnership with Thrive Global and the American Sleep Association.
Boeing's Chief Executive has once again told the public his company will beat Elon Musk's SpaceX in its mission to Mars. Will Goodman, Managing Editor at Rockets are Cool, joins Cheddar to discuss the competition between the two aviation companies.
Quanterix, a company developing technology designed to enable earlier disease detection, made its market debut on Thursday. Shares of the company surged after pricing at $15 a share, and opening at $16.25 a share. Kevin Hrusovsky, CEO of Quanterix, was with us to discuss how the company plans to revolutionize healthcare.
Woebot is an A.I. chat robot on Facebook that is increasing access to therapy. The new chatbot is a digital alternative to going to see a therapist, and is currently free.
Could a merger of SpaceX and Tesla be in Elon Musk's future?
An analyst at Morgan Stanley seems to think so, writing a note that lays out several reasons why, he thinks, a full partnership between the two companies could happen. Linda Lacina, Managing Editor at Entrepreneur joins Cheddar to discuss the news.
Kelly Noonan Gores takes viewers inside the connection between our bodies and minds with her new critically-acclaimed documentary “Heal.” She sits down with Alyssa Julya Smith at Cheddar’s WeWork studio in Los Angeles to discuss the spiritual journey people take to become healthy, and to rid the body of stressors that can cause illness.
Glassdoor Co-founder and CEO Robert Hohman tells Cheddar how the top employers made the cut.
