I've recently been seeing a few mentions of this event, and it sounds incredible. When's the time to go see them, and can you do it on your own or do you need a tour group? How would one go about organising this? I know you can fly there, that's fine, it's the next stage that I need information on ;)
Image source: Wikipedia
The Australian Government has a useful page giving more information on the annual red crab migration, which happens around the start of wet season (October/November):
Most of Christmas Island's adult red crabs begin their breeding migration to the sea as soon as the wet season rains have established. But we can never be sure when the wet season is going to begin!
The crabs' breeding timetable is fixed around the phases of the moon. Spawning (the dropping of their eggs into the sea) must occur before sunrise on spring tides during the last quarter of the moon, regardless of any other factor. The timing of spawning is the only certain and predictable part of the whole migration; all other stages of the migration will vary with the prevailing weather.
The crabs will start their migration if there is enough time for them to complete their downward migration, mate and develop eggs before the next suitable spawning date.
