We are very happy that last night we ate Island Crabs and not Coconut Crabs because we learned Coconut Crabs have poison in the head, not that either of us ever intended to eat the head, but it’s good to know. This morning we had a few of the locals stop by to make sure we were okay because they knew of our anchoring challenges. They invited us to go hunting for Coconut Crab and we learned the crab we at last night was not a Coconut crab but an Island crab. They were so kind and taught us how to smoke out the Coconut Crab from underneath a coconut tree and tie the first two largest legs, not the claws, with palm leaves. The youngest son caught a crab larger than a basketball. They also gave us two small crabs to cook for ourselves as we learned catching Coconut Crab takes real skill.
Wade has become a bit of a pro at catching the Island Crab and continues to stick his hands in the holes to grab them; even after, the crab made a serious pinch to his finger last night.
We’ve only cooked them in boiling water, but Sara is itching to bring out some LA craw boil in the next couple nights if we forage again for either crab. The locals explained the best ways to catch Lobster that crawl out of the ocean onto the reef and shallows at night, so tomorrow we’ll give it a go.
Wade is starting to get an ear infection because of our deep water dive, so he’s begun cleaning his ear with hydrogen peroxide and we’re just hanging out foraging for our meals and enjoying the beautiful island with the nearest person 6 miles away.
The sunrises and sunsets are epic with great locals and wonderful wild life.
Hope all is well,
Wade and Sara
