A Puzzling Phenomenon Leads to Thousands of Crabs Stranded on Beaches

San Diego's shores, stretching from Ocean Beach to La Jolla, have been dyed red as countless small tuna crabs, scientifically known as Pleuroncodes planipes, have been washing up for weeks. The cause of this unusual event remains unknown.

These crabs, capable of living at any stage of their life cycle either on the ocean floor or in the water column up to the surface, are easily swept away by winds, tides, and currents. Linsey Sala, a museum scientist at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego, suggests that shifting currents caused by unusually warm waters from an emerging El Nino might be behind this mass stranding of crustaceans.

The vibrant hue of the crabs—some still alive when they reach the shore—has drawn large crowds of curious onlookers. However, this isn’t an opportunity for a seafood feast; experts warn against consuming the crabs, as the cause of their mass stranding remains unknown.