Nature

You’ve heard the phrase ‘the tip of the iceberg’, well Christmas Island is the tip of an ancient volcano, rising around 5000 metres from the bottom of the ocean. Known affectionately by locals as “the rock”, the island’s craggy limestone coastal cliffs and lush green rainforest give it a prehistoric feel akin to Jurassic Park.

An isolated oceanic island, all the species on Christmas Island have had to make their way here by wind or sea (except for those that hitchhiked on ships and planes with imported produce). It is this that has created the unique and complex ecosystem that is Christmas Island. With its own endemic species of flora and fauna, in over 63% National Park, Christmas Island is an intriguing place to explore.

To learn more about Christmas Island ecology see National Parks Website.

Red Crabs

Famous for our millions of red forest dwellers – the red crabs are the heart of Christmas Island. They are in our gardens, in the forest and, during the red crab migration, in our showers!
The annual migration is nothing short of amazing:

  1. The male crabs, sensing the onset of the wet season, start their march to the ocean in preparation of their breeding ritual.
  2. After a refreshing dip in the ocean, they prepare their burrows, while the females make the same treacherous journey to meet their mates.
  3. The females, having chosen her man on the strength of his real estate, settle in while their eggs develop and the males return to the forest.
  4. Two weeks later, timed perfectly to the last quarter moon (when there is least change between high and low tide), the female emerges with up to 100,000 eggs in a little trapdoor on her abdomen.
  5. In the middle of the night the girls do their dance: a disco shake to release their eggs into the receding tide, where they are instantly hatched and carried away.

For a more scientific or detailed explanation visit the National Parks Red Crab page.

Birds

Christmas Island is one of the world’s truly spectacular tropical seabird breeding stations.

It’s not just the number and variety of seabirds, or their magnificent splendour that make the island so remarkable, but also their sheer visibility. It is estimated that around 80,000 seabirds nest here annually.The rainforests of Christmas Island are also alive with unique species and subspecies of birds. Being laid-back islanders, all of these birds are very approachable, which makes a birding trip on Christmas Island an unforgettable experience.

Go to our BIRD WATCHING page for more!