Spider crabs are seen near Porthgwidden beach in St Ives, Cornwall, Britain. Reuters

Gulf Today Report

Images of spider crabs amassing along the Cornish coastline in southwest England have gone viral on social media platforms.

The incident was first reported by the Cornwall Wildlife Trust, a charity dedicated to preserving wildlife and natural areas in the region, said that these animals "travel from deeper coastal waters to shallower sea areas each summer, following their life cycle.

They congregate in large numbers in shallow waters and shed their old shells, protecting themselves from potential predators as their new exoskeletons harden.

Such gatherings have been rare in UK waters so far, but marine experts from Cornwall describe this summer as "unusually spectacular" in this regard, as more and more such events are being reported.

This year spider crabs have been seen congregating in several coastal areas of Cornwall including Newquay, St Ives, Falmouth, St Austell Bay and the Lizard Peninsula.