Profile: Blue-Colored Red King Crab


There’s a small tourist attraction going on at the Norton Sound Seafood Center.

Onlookers have called it “shockingly bright blue,” “almost unnatural,” and “like that can’t possibly be real.”

Causing the stir is a blue-colored red king crab. The rare crab was caught by commercial crabber Frank McFarland.

After a picture of the crab landed on the front page of the Nome Nugget last week, it has become a local curiosity. And the question everyone’s asking is, why is it blue?

To find out the answer and hear more about the rare king crab, listen to the audio link above.

Image at top: As seen in the Nome Nugget, crab fisherman Frank McFarland holds up a rare blue-colored red king crab that he caught in his commercial crabbing pots. Frank Kavairlook, Jr., looks on. Photo: Scott Kent, ADFG.

Did you enjoy this News story?

Consider supporting our work by becoming a one-time or recurring donor.

Scroll to Top