Print

[Dave Patterson]

I did a search on "COCONUT CRABS" ,and from that it seems that the only people that were glad to know that there were coconut crabs on Gardner were the men of the Norwich City, so, did they eat them or has anybody on the recent trips there eaten them and if so, were they cooked or raw ?

[Matt Revington]

Bevington makes a couple comments about the Gilbertese natives he brought with him being thrilled to find the crabs and eating them but he doesn't mention how they were prepared

"There were few coconut trees, the vegetation being the valuable Kanoa tree almost entirely. We went up to a bunch of coconut trees to investigate their quality. Yells at once went up “Te ai” (the coconut crab). These are a great delicacy to them. I knew of them here from books but the natives didn’t. They are like huge spiders with vast pinchers with which they husk, and break open the coconuts. We caught three quickly then I insisted on continuing our trek. "

"On coming on my party in the bush, I found the blighters sitting down to another crab feast, so put them to work. "http://tighar.org/Projects/Earhart/Archives/Documents/Bevington_Diary.html

[Ric Gillespie]

Coconut Crabs are fabulous eating. That's why they're extinct on most populated islands. We ate them on our early expeditions but not since the establishment of the Phoenix Islands Protected Area (PIPA) - but stopping the Fijian crew from catching and eating them has proved to be next to impossible.
Coconut Crabs are usually cooked just like a lobster (boiled).  I've never heard of them being eaten raw.
There is a learning curve to catching Coconut Crabs. Kids - don't try this at home.

[Gloria Walker Burger]

Under: The Report of The Board of Trade's Inquiry Into the Wreck of the Norwich City: 

Report from J. Thomas, First Officer, S.S. Norwich City:

"The land crabs were of enormous size and of varieties such has none of us ever seen before, and they did not hesitate to come into camp during the night and make attempts to bite us. The claws or pinchers of these crabs were easily from 4 to 8 inches long with large teeth at top and bottom, and we have sat and watched them carry away our coconuts in their claws without the least trouble, and also to eat birds which were the size of a small duck. The natives who rescued us were simply delighted at seeing them and immediately caught several and threw them on to the fire until they became a cherry red, when they certainly made good eating to a hungry person; the natives informed us that these crabs were valued at 1$ each at Apia."

[Chris Johnson]

At least they wouldn't have needed a large pot to boil them in.

caught several and threw them on to the fire until they became a cherry red, when they certainly made good eating to a hungry person; the natives informed us that these crabs were valued at 1$ each at Apia."

[Monty Fowler]

Makes you wonder if Fred and Amelia tried - and gave up - on eating these critters simply because the learning curve was too steep?

LTM, who prefers PB&Js,
Monty Fowler, TIGHAR No. 2189 CER

[Ric Gillespie]

But it never occurred to the NC survivors that the crabs might be edible until they saw the natives' reaction to them.

[Chris Johnson]

It could have been a cultural thing, boil lobster\crab to cook it so without a suitable pot you don't do it?

Doh! Never thought to BBQ it

I have asked the question before, has anyone looked for evidence of crab remains in the fire features.

[Ric Gillespie]

I have asked the question before, has anyone looked for evidence of crab remains in the fire features.

Yes.  No Coconut Crab remains.  Some scattered Strawberry Hermit crab shell but no charring like we see on bird and fish bones. Could easily be from natural attrition.  In short, we've found no clear evidence the castaway was eating crabs.

[Monty Fowler]

In short, we've found no clear evidence the castaway was eating crabs.

That's because the coconut crabs crabs are all cannibals. Cannibals, I tell you!

LTM, who still has all of his fingers and toes,
Monty Fowler, TIGHAR No. 2189 CER

[Jon Romig]

I have asked the question before, has anyone looked for evidence of crab remains in the fire features.

Yes.  No Coconut Crab remains.  Some scattered Strawberry Hermit crab shell but no charring like we see on bird and fish bones. Could easily be from natural attrition.  In short, we've found no clear evidence the castaway was eating crabs.

The likely reason for no evidence of eating crab is that they had no critical shortage of more desirable food sources - birds, fish, shellfish, turtle, etc. If they were starving, crab would have gotten on the menu pretty quick.

[Howard Smith]

I recently watched one of those survival shows on TV. The guy was on some tropical island, where he found a coconut crab--my stars, that thing was huge and creepy looking! He cooked it by tossing it on the fire, just as the natives do, so even non-natives can figure out what to do with it.

[Monty Fowler]

I don't know, Howard ... the guys on those TV "reality" show are kind of "professional survivors," based on the few bits I've watched. By that I mean they have read a lot and tried a lot and done a lot to get their Survivor gig on TV.

Having seen photos of coconut crabs, I don't know if my first inclination would be to try and catch one. I'd probably move promptly in the other direction.

LTM, to whom "Run away! Run away" means something completely different,
Monty Fowler, TIGHAR No. 2189 CER.

[Friend Weller]

LTM, to whom "Run away! Run away" means something completely different,

Anyone for rabbit?   

[Greg Daspit]

Ed Stafford is an experienced adventurer and was fit when he landed and filmed Naked Castaway.  He still needed antibiotics and I think probably would have died without them. Here is a clip of him finding and cooking a coconut crab