This is one of those photos that’s so unbelievably bizarre (emphasis on “unbelievably”) you scream, “HOAX!” On the other hand, it’s one of those photos that’s so unbelievably bizarre (emphasis on “bizarre”) that you whisper to yourself, “But wouldn’t it be cool if this was true?”
The aerial photo above was taken off the harbor at Whitstable, a seaside town on the north coast of Kent in England, and shows a giant 50-foot crab, dubbed “Crabzilla”, lurking at the bottom of the harbor near a pier. The photo first appeared on the website Weird Whitstablog (the website owner says a reader sent it to him).
The aerial image shows the outline of a crab at the mouth of Kent harbor that is so large it dwarfs fishing boats on the nearby pier. The mystery creature is shaped like a crab, which are only known to grow to about 10 inches across. There are other, much larger species of crustaceans which can grow to 12-feet or more (e.g., Japanese Spider Crab) but they typically have small bodies and long, spindly legs and none come close to the size of this monster.
Although the owner of Weird Whitstable, Quinton Winter, claims the photo was sent to him by a reader, he also claims that he’s seen the giant crab himself. In fact, Winter has posted photos of the giant crab on his website before including this one.
Winton explained the sighting, which occurred while he was on a fishing trip with his boys:
“This shocking image of a giant crab under a popular crabbing spot in Whitstable was taken last weekend. The boys were unaware of the danger, but as several passersby shouted to them, the crab slipped silently away under the water, into the dark, sideways.”
Good one, Whitstable. Now let’s pack our swimming trunks and head to the pier…
