How much do you know about Christmas Island?

Firstly, I hope you had a great Christmas Day and that you got all you wanted! I always find this particular period of the year a little depressing. Knowing we have 363 days left until it's all here again, but then time goes very fast in my experience. So, it shouldn't be that bad! (And if it isn't exactly 363, please just ignore it...it's Christmas and no time for complex arithmatic!)

So how much do you know about Christmas Island? I have here, beside the computer keyboard, the National Geographic Magazine from December 1987 and the last article is all about this island, lying in the Indian Ocean 360km south of Java. Most of the article, though, isn't about the actual island, interesting though it may be with its rugged limestone cliffs, rainforests and its own national park.

Indeed, the focus here is on the cascade of critters that migrate every year from the forest to the seaside breeding grounds. Reaching a population of 120 million, these "critters" that 'John W Hicks' describes them as, in the article, are actually land crabs.

I have had pleasure filming one or two crabs in Rhodes last year, but I could never imagine living on Christmas Island. 15 different species live literally everywhere; even in residents' lampshades, toilets and beds. However, in the dry season, they tend to dominate the burrows in the rainforest as the tree top canopy thins out offering less shade and a lower humidity. As the wet season emerges, this is the time when resident's have to keep their doors closed, as the red crab migration takes place, usually for 9-18 days. Unfortunately, the crabs do cause problems for the locals; some people avoid driving for fear of getting a puncture. Photos captured in the article demonstrate just how many there are, with hundreds climbing over railroad tracks and even half a dozen interrupting a golf match on the putting green.

What I didn't learn from the article is why it was called Christmas Island. After all, it is a tropical island, in the southern hemisphere. Not a Christmas tree in sight. There are no santas at all; in fact, it seems the only red on the island is the carpet of red that the migration of red crabs form in the wet season. It needed more research.

I will allow the Australia Government's 'Department for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities' explain:


"The first written record of the existence of the Island was made in 1615. Captain William Mynors of the Royal Mary passed the Island and named it on Christmas day 25 December 1643."