Back to basics: A view to a kill

Every once in a while you feel the need to get away from the sprawling urban jungle that is Dubai and return to your primitive roots. Wading, spear in hand, through the mangrove swamps of Umm Al Quwain in search of dinner is one way to do it.

Very popular with the punters, crab hunting expeditions have been running from Flamingo Beach Resort for over 10 years, attracting around 15,000 crab- hungry hunters each year. And surprisingly there are still plenty of crabs to be had.

The hunt begins

The ‘hunt' began in quite a civilised manner with some light finger-food and refreshments as we watched the sun lower itself over the calm mangrove waters. As dusk began to set in, we donned our life jackets, slipped on our strainers and stepped aboard the hunting boat headed towards the distant mangrove islands.

We glided away from shore, the boat buzzing with excitement. After around an hour, our boat stuttered to a halt. Silence descended upon us as we scanned the mangrove bed. As we plopped in, we were handed pitchforks and lamps and headed out, scanning the bed for any sideways movement.

Ali Salamah, Sales Manager, Flamingo Beach Resort, explains that the trips can only be done during night. In daylight the crab would see people coming a mile off. The intensified light from our flashlights is enough to stun them, making them an easy catch.

As we spread out in pairs, screeches and yelps could be heard from other hunters as they tried and failed to take stabs at the crabs. Our first catch was celebrated as a fellow hunter waved his pitchfork, pointing at the panicking crab stuck at the end. Further catches followed and soon the bucket was filled to the brim.

My first catch was particularly hard, not because the crabs were moving but because I feared the crunch that would follow my plunge. After many hesitant stabs, I heard the fateful crack that meant the crab was mine. As the group became frenzied, the captain called us back. The hour-long wading through the water seemed to have passed by in a matter of minutes. Looking inside our boat, we saw the back filled with writhing crustaceans. “We've got too much already,'' the captain called out, beckoning us to the boat. By too much he meant over 100 crabs to share among the 14 of us.

Relishing the dish

Ravenous after the chase, we looked forward to a plateful of our work. The crabs came out steaming. Although the crabs were not big, the meat was juicy and tender and I managed to get through four crabs with relish. While the thrill of the chase was a great experience, the numerous crab nets that lined the roads leading into Umm Al Quwain seemed like a more economical catching contraption.

The lowdown

(Aya Lowe works for ANM magazines)