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…


Southern Kori (Ardeotis kori ssp. kori)

Southern Kori (Ardeotis kori ssp. kori)

Bustards are very large birds, and the southern kori is the largest flying bird in Africa. They have a wingspan of up to 275 cm (9 ft) and up to 20 kg (44 lb)…


Kori bustard (Ardeotis kori)

Kori bustard (Ardeotis kori)

This is an amazing bird, one of the largest flying bird species on the planet. Yet you rarely see it fly, but when you do it's very clear how large this…


Rüppell's Korhaan (Eupodotis rueppellii)

Rüppell’s Korhaan (Eupodotis rueppellii)

Bustards blend in perfectly with the desert landscape and in withered vegetation, and often not seen unless they are moving. It sounds like this: