Keya's Day at the Beach
“Hello world!” Keya peeks out of her burrow for the first time ever. The sea is far away from her home.
“Ma, can we go play in the water?”
“No, no! We have lots of things to do today,” says Ma.
“Hurry up, Keya! It’s time to eat. Lots of yummy treats in the sand for us. Oii, don’t wander away!” says Ma.
“Who is that, Ma?” asks Keya. “That crab who is in such a hurry and knocking everyone over?”
“A Soldier Crab,” says Ma. “Didn’t you notice that she is just like you and I? We do enjoy marching. Left… right… left...”
“Who is that, Ma?” asks Keya. “HAWW! That crab was just here, and now it’s gone!”
“Ah! Look close enough. You will find many, many eyes staring back at you. That’s the Ghost Crab,” says Ma.
“Who is that, Ma?” whispers Keya. “Right there, that crab waving at us?”
“Hello, Fiddler Crab!” Ma waves back. “He likes to show off his big claw.”
“And who is that, Ma?” asks Keya. “Oh, did that crab just hide in the sand?”
“Aiii! Stay away from the Moon Crabs,” warns Ma. “They might just eat you for lunch!”
“It looks like we are closer to the water now, Ma,” says Keya.
“Eeeyyy! The sea is coming in and it will soon gobble up the beach,” says Ma. Keya is sad. It's time to go back to the burrow.
“It’s such a big, big world outside,” thinks Keya. “I can’t wait to go out again tomorrow!”
Keya slowly falls asleep, her ten legs tired from all the marching. She dreams of visiting the beach again. Left, right, left!
Left, right, left… on the sand.
Left, right, left… in the waves.
Left, right, left… Keya marches on in her sleep.
A Cast of Crabs
Let’s head to the beach and meet Keya and her crab friends. Most crabs walk and swim sideways. Did you know that a group of crabs is called a CAST?
Soldier Crabs: Thousands of Soldier Crabs live together at the edge of mangroves near beaches. They are small and are easy prey for shorebirds. They sift for food in the sand and whatever they don’t eat, they roll into tiny balls and throw away!
Ghost Crabs: Because their eyes are on stalks, Ghost Crabs can see all around. But they can’t see what’s on top of their heads! They are one of the fastest runners on the planet. They are the colour of the sand, and you can barely see them as they dart across the beach.
Fiddler Crabs: Male Fiddler Crabs have one large claw, and they use it to show how big and powerful they are. Because of the way they swing this claw, they are also called Dhobi Crabs. It looks as if they are washing clothes by swinging an arm.
Moon Crabs: Moon Crabs have flat, paddle-like legs that help them in swimming and digging. They feed on other crabs and smaller fish. When threatened, they draw their legs up under their hard shell and pretend to be dead.
Spot the Crab!
Hidden around Keya’s beach are many crabs. Can you find them all? 6 Soldier Crabs, 4 Ghost Crabs, 2 Fiddler Crabs, 3 Moon Crabs