The Towers of Love
We were on a road trip along the coastal line of Oman and in dire need of a suitable camping spot when, on a whim, we decided to venture towards Ras Markaz, near Ras Madrakah, and settle there for the night. The turn was adequately signposted, but our books and maps provided little additional information, so we did not know what we should expect at the end of the dirt road. Moreover, the sun was setting fast, the threat of darkness was imminent, and there was no spot in view to provide us with the protection that our tents, cars, and amateurs’ hearth required. Yet, when the bay was revealed at the last turn, its vastness and biblical beauty instilled such tranquillity in our hearts that, to this day, we consider this as one of the most stunning destinations in Oman.
In the morning, the rising sun bestowed light upon the details that we did not have the chance to explore after our urgent arrival. The evening tide had left a sizeable muddy zone where several fishermen’s boats had been trapped, their desolation mystical and, yet, peaceful.
Along the endless coastline, there were hundreds and hundreds of ghost crabs, moving in crowds in and out of the sea, their towering eyes observing like a submarine telescope their periphery, looking for their next loot or carcasses of sea creatures washed ashore. Indeed, we soon spotted the remains of a whale half-eaten by the crabs while melting away under the sun.
The most impressive sight, though, was a large colony of “towers of love”, created by the male crabs to gain the favour of the female representatives of their species. The ghost crabs usually live in burrows that they dig into the sand. However, when the beach conditions permit, the male ones create sand towers at the entrance of their tunnels, their presence and size signalling the owner’s availability, virility, and, hence, mating suitability. Additionally, the structure helps the male crab locate its burrow from afar, thus allowing it to traverse larger areas in search of food or mate, while, as expected, it also attracts adversaries, against whom the owner, in another expression of machismo, is called to defend the humble abode.
Sometimes – so many times – “love don’t come easy”, right?
Photo credits: © Konstantina Sakellariou
