Red-eyed Reef Crab (Eriphia smithii)

Red-eyed Reef Crab (Eriphia smithii)

The marine life around Socotra is rich and diverse, but I am focusing on the flora and fauna on land. However, I had a short window of opportunity during low…


Red Sea Ghost Crab (Ocypode saratan)

Red Sea Ghost Crab (Ocypode saratan)

Erissel is the easternmost point of Socotra. It is a windswept low-lying area governed by the elements. During cyclones the wind and sea wreak havoc on the…


Red Sea Ghost Crab (Ocypode saratan)

Red Sea Ghost Crab (Ocypode saratan)

Erissel is the easternmost point of Socotra. It is a windswept low-lying area governed by the elements. During cyclones the wind and sea wreak havoc on the…


Red Sea Ghost Crab (Ocypode saratan)

Red Sea Ghost Crab (Ocypode saratan)

The north-facing beach of the tip of Erissel is wide and deep, with a large part only tasting the waves during monsoons. This is perfect conditions for the…


Inversed Fiddler Crab (Cranuca inversa)

Inversed Fiddler Crab (Cranuca inversa)

I found plenty of this species at this location and no signs of competing species. They thrive here next to a large date grove, where I rested in their…


Spectacled Bear (Tremarctos ornatus)

Spectacled Bear (Tremarctos ornatus)

What an amazing experience it was to see this rare spectacled bear. I spotted it driving to the next destination on my schedule, and could not believe it when…


Indian Sloth Bear (Melursus ursinus ursinus)

Indian Sloth Bear (Melursus ursinus ursinus)

A brief encounter of the rare Indian Sloth Bear as it quenches its thirst. It's the height of the dry season, with temperature reaching 45 degrees Celsius it's…


Polar bear (Ursus maritimus)

Polar bear (Ursus maritimus)

A scruffy and lethargic polar bear resting on a shore on an islet that not long ago was under a glacier. While the polar bear struggles with less sea ice, the…