{"id":2207,"date":"2026-06-11T13:08:30","date_gmt":"2026-06-11T13:08:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/durhammovinghub.com\/?p=2207"},"modified":"2026-06-11T13:08:30","modified_gmt":"2026-06-11T13:08:30","slug":"swarm-of-creatures-made-it-seem-the-ground-was-moving-on-nc-island-see-video","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/durhammovinghub.com\/?p=2207","title":{"rendered":"Swarm of creatures made it seem \u2018the ground was moving\u2019 on NC island. See video"},"content":{"rendered":"

A rarely witnessed mass swarming of fiddler crabs<\/a> was recorded at North Carolina\u2019s Rachel Carson Reserve, according to the N.C. Maritime Museum in Beaufort.<\/p>\n

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It\u2019s estimated thousands of the tiny crustaceans participated in the parade, which erupted as Courtney Gerstenmaier Felton was leading a museum field program in May.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was awe inspiring to see all of those fiddler crabs out and moving at the same time. … You could hear their little feet scuttling along the sand,\u201d said Felton, who is the museum\u2019s Curator of Education.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we came across that space it looked as though the ground was moving for probably around 100 yards. All along the creek on both (sides) the crabs were moving. What was different than most times I\u2019ve witnessed the crabs is that they were not scuttling away to hide in their burrows.\u201d<\/p>\n

The 2,315-acre reserve<\/a> \u2013 about a 155-mile drive southeast from downtown Raleigh \u2013 is a remote complex of islands between the mouths of the Newport and North Rivers. The crab colony emerged on back side of the reserve\u2019s Town Marsh, where it connects to Bird Shoals, Felton said.<\/p>\n

It remains unclear where the colony was headed and why.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe see the fiddler crabs almost every tour I lead from April until September, but not normally that number or behaving in that way. I believe we must have found them at just the right time in their mating cycle, but I\u2019m not a fiddler crab biologist,\u201d Felton said.<\/p>\n

The largest of fiddler crabs have a shell about two inches wide, and the species gets its name from the \u201cmarked difference in size between the right and left claws of males<\/a>,\u201d according to the S.C. Department of Natural Resources.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThese tiny marsh residents love our salt marshes, mudflats, and tidal creeks. And if you spot a male, you\u2019ll know it \u2014 he\u2019s the one waving that oversized claw,\u201d the Maritime Museum in Beaufort said.<\/p>\n

Felton\u2019s video had been viewed 187,000 times on Facebook as of June 11, and had 1,500 reactions and comments. This includes one man who likened the frenzy to Spring Break at Daytona Beach, Florida.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo cool, yet so creepy,\u201d Deanna Dennis Kilgore<\/a> wrote on the museum\u2019s Facebook page.<\/p>\n

The field program \u201cExploring Coastal Habitats on the Rachel Carson Reserve\u201d will next be presented on June 24, from 8:30 am to 12 p.m. Tickets are $22.50 to $25. Pre-registration required by noon the day prior to the program. For information, call 252-504-7758 or visit https:\/\/ncmaritimemuseumbeaufort.com\/event\/exploring-coastal-habitats-2026-06-24\/<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cJoin a member of our education team to discover the various plants and animals of the salt marsh and tidal flats at the Rachel Carson Reserve. The guided hike will take you through the different habitats and the sandy, muddy, and wet terrain found on Town Marsh and Bird Shoal. The program is recommended for ages 12 and up. All participants under 18 must be accompanied by an adult,\u201d the museum says.<\/p>\n

This story was originally published June 11, 2026 at 8:54 AM<\/span> with the headline “Swarm of creatures made it seem \u2018the ground was moving\u2019 on NC island. See video.” <\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Read more State AG sues company over \u2018black water\u2019 near an East Durham elementary school<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Rarely witnessed mass swarming of fiddler crabs recorded at Rachel Carson Reserve on North Carolina coast. Thousands of crabs participated, experts say.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2206,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2207","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-read-todays-edition"],"yoast_head":"\nSwarm of creatures made it seem \u2018the ground was moving\u2019 on NC island. 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