Sally Lightfoot Ponderings

The Lord is my Rock

What is my obsession with the Sally Lightfoot Crab, you might ask? Why am I using them SO OFTEN and always posting them with a scripture or quote about “Trusting God?” Well, we have to go back a little in time… to January! (See? -not too far back, although March 2020 seems to have lasted at least 9 months!) I was blessed to go on the trip of a lifetime with my husband, father, older brother, and niece to the Galapagos islands with National Geographic and Lindblad Expeditions. It was a photo excursion trip, and the most memorable trip I have ever been on! I have never seen so much wildlife, closeup, and been able to be so very close to them! IT WAS AMAZING! The major rule was that we needed to stay back two meters (6 feet) from the wildlife.  (hmmmm…six foot rule…sound familiar?)

We saw so many sea lions, wild birds, iguanas, and Sally Lightfoot crabs on the islands (and in the water while snorkeling)! On about the fifth day, we had an early morning photo expedition on South Plaza. Emily Mount, the Lindblad photographer, gave us instruction about how to take a long exposure photograph, where the water is smooth instead of “frozen.”

Emily explained that I would only have a few photographs that would actually turn out due to the natural camera shake and the fact that the Sally Lightfoot crabs were moving, as well.

Well, I sat for a periods of about 30-40 minutes on two different occasions on South Plaza in Galápagos Islands observing them. Over and over, again, the waves would come crashing down on them, but they held on tight and never let the waves move them off their rocks!

I was HOOKED! I loved the beautiful coloring on these fascinating crustaceans… and loved the cool effect of long exposure! I was thrilled to have been able to stabilize my camera enough to get some fun shots! (um…enough to get a TON of them! haha)

Some crabs were closer to the water than others. The ones that were in the water would occasionally have waves crashing down upon them, due to the tide, but they held fast and were not moved off their various rocks.

I was fascinated by their ability to hang on and not be moved, even though the waves would douse them and, at times, completely cover them, sometimes for 30 seconds or longer…. When the waves would recede, the Sally Lightfoot would still be there, standing firm. 

During this morning deluge of the tide, the Sally Lightfoot crabs stayed unmoved and endured the beatings! I was fascinated by their ability to be unmoved!

Everything about these crabs struck me as such a poignant analogy for our spiritual journey here in life! The Sally Lightfoot crabs live near the water; it is essential for their survival. Waves are a part of living by the water.

They can either let the waves consume them and sweep them out to sea, or they can hold on to the rock and ride out the wave. They can let the wave fill them with water to help them grow (molt) then expel it to make them more comfortable. It is their life: hold on, and it all works out.

We live in the world, and trials are a part of life. If we hold on to the Rock of Christ, trust Him, and ride out the trial, we will be alright. -better than alright! Trials can actually help us grow! They can help us make room for better things. If we trust God, smile, and “enjoy the ride,” it will all work out! There are times in our lives when we have more trials than other times, much like the coming of the tide… however, it is not permanent; the tide does recede. We can move to a higher location, as well, where we won’t get beat on as much. hmmmm…. go higher! (That’s an analogy for another day!) 😉

On Being Still…

To capture the images below I ventured out off of the beach & onto the lava. There were several Sally Lightfoot crabs on a solitary rock. I really wanted the desired long exposure effect, I had to hold extremely still. The lava was cutting into my knee, & it was hard to maintain still in such an uncomfortable position. My National Geographic photo instructor Rich Reid informed me that I’d be lucky to even have one actually turn out, because the crabs were not holding still! The waves were few and far between at this location, as well.

However uncomfortable I was, I wanted this shot! We knelt so quietly for so long and moved so little out on the lava, that a nearby sea lion pup finally decided to come check us out. (We were an anomaly because the other humans were up on the beach and walking about while we held extremely still for about 15 minutes.) 

He eventually turned when he realized that we had company! Rich informed our new friend that he needed to stay back two meters! And that HE had approached us, rather than the other way around! That’s when I took this quick snapshot of the pup with my iPhone.

Had I not listened to my mentor, slowed down, been willing to wait (even though I was uncomfortable), and “been still,” I would’ve never gotten these amazing photographs, nor would I have been able to have such a sweet experience, being so close to the sea lion pup.

What a life lesson for me: slow down, listen, possibly endure some discomfort, be patient, and “Be still…” The blessings come!

This was a trip of a LIFETIME, & I am so grateful to my father for making this opportunity possible! These memories will last a lifetime!

Keep scrolling for more inspirational, Sally Lightfoot pics & memes!

Let me know in the comments if you have a favorite scripture or uplifting quote you’d like me to add to one of my photographs!