Walter Finch
THE arrival of terrifying giant crabs on Indonesian shores was deemed a dark omen that was sure to sow panic – apart from it didn’t actually happen.
A social media post that appeared to show a pair of enormous crustaceans emerging from the sea went viral in Kupang, the capital of Indonesia’s East Nusa Tenggara province.
“Kupang is shocked by the appearance of giant crabs that went viral. What omen is this?” read the Indonesian-language caption of the clip shared on Facebook on August 24, 2024.
The 17-second video – which has racked up more than 7,900 views – appears to show two giant crabs scuttling ashore near a concrete wall.
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Locals commenting on the video appeared to believe in the validity of the clip hook line and sinker.
“That’s not a good sign brother.. Stay alert and keep praying so we can be kept away from bad things,” one wrote.
“That’s terrifying,” another said.
However, all was not what it seemed.
Fact checker experts were called in to determine that the video was not taken on the topical shores of South East Asia whatsoever.
But in fact, it was taken on Spain’s Atlantic coast in Chipiona, Cadiz.
And the horrifying undiscovered species of crab? Massive metal sculptures crafted from recycled materials placed on the coastal town’s seafront near the famous lighthouse.
The ‘crabs on the coast’ – a male and a female – were created by local artist Alfredo Zarazaga, who set out to ‘raise awareness about the future of the marine environment.’
Their spooky lifelikeness has since become a beloved attraction that has captured the fascination of locals and visitors since they were installed in June this year.
