Diver has face to face encounter with giant crab in Belize

Scuba diving is a sport that allows people to explore a world that is unlike anything above the waves. The creatures in the ocean are unique and fascinating and come in forms that would make no sense on land. One of the best examples of this is the giant crab that hides among the coral by day and comes out to hunt at night. These crabs have eight long legs that help them move quickly across the sand, if needed, or allow them to cling to surfaces like the underside of caves and crevices.
Scuba divers rarely see crabs like this one because they usually remain hidden throughout daylight hours. But these lucky explorers have found one out in the open in a small canyon on a reef in Belize. The crab seems curious about the diver and his camera and he scurries over the sand to come closer. This allows a perfectly good close-up view the crabs body and face. The mouth parts continuously move, pushing water in and over the gills to provide the crab with oxygen. Like most sea creatures, he cannot breathe air and relies on a system of filtration to collect tiny oxygen particles from the ocean.
Life in the ocean can be harsh, and while he is looking for food to eat, the fish above are circling and looking for an opportunity to either pick up on his leftover scraps, or even to take a bite at him. Luckily, this fully grown crab's tough shell provides protection and his powerful claws allow him to fend off even a medium sized fish. But he will want to get back to his lair before some of the bigger ocean creatures find him. A predator can become the prey in an instant in this unforgiving world.