Dillinger - Crabs In My Pants

April in the Everglades. The Bearded Pelicans return from their summer nesting habitats in the trailer parks of New Jersey. As these majestic birds touch down upon the water, another migration is beginning. The Hucknell Crabs are leaving in their hundreds of thousands. Their destination lies almost 3000 miles away in Jamaica. Between here and their spawning grounds in the underpants of the reggae artist, Dillinger, they face an arduous journey by road, sea, and on foot.

It is February. Richard Burrell - a ranger for the Everglades National Park - has come to the Jamaican embassy in Washington DC to organise a tourist visa for the crabs. He has spent the winter months painstakingly photographing each crustacean. Those crabs who have missed the application deadline and attempt to travel, risk being fed to Wendy the alligator if they are caught.

One month later the crabs board a Greyhound Express to Fort Lauderdale. They join a party of retired lobsters on their way to the coast. A hard life of lobstering has left many missing claws and antennae. This lobster had its tail shot off by a German sniper at Omaha Beach. The initial tension between the two species slowly evaporates and by the end of the journey they part as good friends.

As the spring rains kiss the eastern seaboard, the crabs begin their ocean crossing to Jamaica. Some are unused to the motion of the cruise ship and experience nausea and sickness. Others seek to alleviate their boredom by making use of the onboard amenities. This crab has staked itself on a hand of blackjack in the casino. It is a potentially lucrative activity but not without its dangers. This time the house wins. The crab is taken to the galley where it will be cooked and made into cakes.

In May, Dillinger notes the arrival of the first crabs. He has purchased an extra large pair of underpants to accommodate the many thousands that will soon cluster around his groin. It is a wise investment. By June his pants are bulging. Even in the company of Dillinger the crabs will not be safe from predators. This seagull has been following the reggae artist for two weeks.

July is carnival season. The Kingston Crab Grab Festival thins out the numbers of adult crabs. Some will be eaten. Others will be made into crab pot - a blend of cannabis, crab meat and tobacco. It can be chewed or smoked and produces a pleasant lightheaded feeling.

In August the young crabs board a taxi to the Norman Manley International Airport. On their flight back to the United States those occupying window seats may catch sight of flocks of Bearded Pelicans on their way to New Jersey. Next year these young crustaceans will make the same journey as their parents, as the Jamaican Crab Stroll marks their passage to adulthood and the arrival of a new generation of Hucknell Crabs.