Havsund
What’s your Sign? This is a crab called Cancer pagurus, so the answer may be obvious, but on the other hand, its common name is “edible crab,” so perhaps its sign should be ‘Dinner is Served’!
Today we dropped anchor in the lovely natural harbor of Havsund, near the southern tip of Norway. All around the shallow rocky bay, local fishermen were busy in small dories, checking their crab traps and bringing in fresh catch. Our hotel manager and head chef were quick to take the opportunity, heading ashore in a Zodiac and returning laden with monkfish, ling and plenty of these large hard-shelled crabs.
In true expedition style, following the example of Nansen, Amundsen and other great Norwegian explorers, we like to enjoy our seafood twice: once by carefully observing them, undisturbed in their natural habitat, and then again on our dinner plates, seasoned to perfection and presented with all our chef’s finest artistry. So, while the guests went ashore to visit the fish market, hike in the rugged hills around the harbor and enjoy a mid-morning coffee and snack in a local café, I put on my drysuit (the water was quite warm at the surface but only about 40°F [4°C] down at 80’), and took the video camera out to have a look at what the crabs were doing before they were caught.
We have observed a quite a number of different species of crabs and other crustaceans during our trip, some of them like the “edible crab” and the scary-looking “northern stone crab” have proven to be very delicious, while others are really too small to bother with eating, but very satisfying to our intellectual appetites. A few days ago, deep inside the beautiful valley of Nordfjord, we encountered numbers of small hermit crabs, scuttling over the bottom dressed in attractive pink-spotted shells. Normal enough, except that on closer examination the “shells” turned out to be anemones, formed into perfect mimics of small seashells. These amazing animals create a cavity within their body, which the crab occupies, and position their small tuft of tentacles just below the crab’s head so that they can feed on bits of food that the crab spills. The crab benefits as well, beyond the normal protection afforded by a shell the anemone can discharge defensive tendrils armed with powerful stinging cells if the pair is disturbed. This incredible example of mimicry and symbiosis is just one of the many wonders we have observed in Norway’s rich and beautiful seas during our journey through the fjords and islands.
And now, it’s time for dinner!
What’s your Sign? This is a crab called Cancer pagurus, so the answer may be obvious, but on the other hand, its common name is “edible crab,” so perhaps its sign should be ‘Dinner is Served’!
Today we dropped anchor in the lovely natural harbor of Havsund, near the southern tip of Norway. All around the shallow rocky bay, local fishermen were busy in small dories, checking their crab traps and bringing in fresh catch. Our hotel manager and head chef were quick to take the opportunity, heading ashore in a Zodiac and returning laden with monkfish, ling and plenty of these large hard-shelled crabs.
In true expedition style, following the example of Nansen, Amundsen and other great Norwegian explorers, we like to enjoy our seafood twice: once by carefully observing them, undisturbed in their natural habitat, and then again on our dinner plates, seasoned to perfection and presented with all our chef’s finest artistry. So, while the guests went ashore to visit the fish market, hike in the rugged hills around the harbor and enjoy a mid-morning coffee and snack in a local café, I put on my drysuit (the water was quite warm at the surface but only about 40°F [4°C] down at 80’), and took the video camera out to have a look at what the crabs were doing before they were caught.
We have observed a quite a number of different species of crabs and other crustaceans during our trip, some of them like the “edible crab” and the scary-looking “northern stone crab” have proven to be very delicious, while others are really too small to bother with eating, but very satisfying to our intellectual appetites. A few days ago, deep inside the beautiful valley of Nordfjord, we encountered numbers of small hermit crabs, scuttling over the bottom dressed in attractive pink-spotted shells. Normal enough, except that on closer examination the “shells” turned out to be anemones, formed into perfect mimics of small seashells. These amazing animals create a cavity within their body, which the crab occupies, and position their small tuft of tentacles just below the crab’s head so that they can feed on bits of food that the crab spills. The crab benefits as well, beyond the normal protection afforded by a shell the anemone can discharge defensive tendrils armed with powerful stinging cells if the pair is disturbed. This incredible example of mimicry and symbiosis is just one of the many wonders we have observed in Norway’s rich and beautiful seas during our journey through the fjords and islands.
And now, it’s time for dinner!
