Did anyone notice what was missing from my blogs this past summer?

I am surprised no one commented on my several blog entries this past summer where I talk about the logistics of the night operations Tim, Ana, and I did. Didn't you wonder what we were doing motoring across the lagoon in the dark, trekking across the sand flats in waist deep water, and then pushing through the chest high ferns of the tropical rainforests covering the Palmyra islets?

It turns out Tim had received funding from National Geographic to support his research on coconut crabs. I had to sign a form acknowledging they had exclusive rights to the photos and story. So even when I accompanied Tim and Ana on their night field work, I didn't even bother taking a camera since I wouldn't be allowed to post them on this blog.

Tim's story is now out along with some great photos taken by Ana. Be sure to check it out by going to Tim's Young Explorer blog entry "Tracking the World’s Largest Land Crab". It is a great story.

Below is a relatively small coconut crab I photographed during my first summer on Palmyra back in 2013.

Coconut crab with flip-flop
Birgus latro