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The lobsters' popularity in Western cultures has grown enormously great in this century. According to the Encyclopaedia Britannica, lobsters or the family Homaridae all belong to the order of Decapoda and to the class of Crustacea. They use their first pair of legs, modified as pincers for grabbing food and fighting. Their other legs, called the swimming legs and a flipper-like tail are used for swimming backwards in the sea. Mainly nocturnal, lobsters scavenge for dead animals, but they also eat live fish, other animals, and seaweed. They may live up to fifty years. This essay aims to give information on travel with lobsters and show some of the researches made to lessen the difficulties of these activities.

Lobsters have been known, both artistically and scientifically, for their affection for travelling. In the field of the fine arts, many artists have dedicated their lives to show this special feature. One of the first descriptions of journeys made by a lobster, is Homar's Odyssey. The hero travels for ten years visiting the famous and infamous sights of the ancient underwater world. In its modern version called On the Road, by Jack Crabouac, the life of a young lobster is told, as he makes his way through the waters of the 20th century American Ocean. In the field of science, as well, many experts have sacrificed their time for studying this characteristic. Horvath Jozsef, a Hungarian aqua-scientist, conducted an experiment last year, with his colleagues at the Computer Assisted Lobster Locating Center in Pecs, Hungary. He implanted signalling devices in one hundred lobsters. Then he monitored them for six months. The record distance journey was 4230 km long, covered by a lobster tagged off at Calais, France and reached shore at Port Jefferson, Long Island, New York, USA. The animals travelled 1500 km on average. The most common destination among them was Canada.

The monotony of long-distance swimming however, has always been intolerable for the majority of lobsters. In the 18th century, Sir Edward Grimm made serious efforts to try to solve this problem and elevate the lobsters' mood, in vain. But in 1865, Lewis Carroll using Grimm's train of thought, invented the Lobster Quadrille, the ultimate solution. This is a dance performed by humans and lobsters. Having formed two lines along the sea-shore, the dancers advance twice, each with a lobster as a partner. They change lobsters and retire. Then they throw the lobsters with a bound into the air as far out to sea as they can. Swim after them, turn a somersault and change lobsters again. Having done this, they go back ashore and start again. During the journeys, it should be danced twice a day. If performed properly, it gives a sense of well-being and satisfaction for both parties.

Even with all the benevolent and soul-elevating features of the Lobster Quadrille, lobsters are prone to melancholy. Their psychological strength can not be compared to that of humans'. Thus lobsters must have the opportunity for solitude. This helps them sorting out their worries, repressed anger, and other negative feelings. Introducing different types of meditation techniques makes them able to overcome the obstacles they are confronted with. Generally, it takes them two to three hours a day to meditate, according to a study made by Dr John Crustace, at the Hydrophil University in Boston. He also asserts that lobsters need at least one six-hour-long sleep a day." Failing to provide this for them," he says " the animals undergo a serious psychological as well as morphological change. They transform into creatures resembling the mixture of a jar of mouldy jam and Johnny Rotten, the lead-singer of the former Sex Pistols band."

Appearance and physical well-being are important factors in a lobster's life. Julian Chelate, a French lobster expert has published an article on what toiletries these animals need for travelling. He states that during the journey, the animals are subjected to various diseases. He advises lobster enthusiasts to take extra precautions, such as coating the lobster skin with special ointment, to prevent the animals from contacting viruses. He suggests that the best product available is castor oil. People should apply this on the hard, rigid rostrum with a piece of loofah sponge. On the soft abdominal part however, it should be applied with soft cotton buds avoiding injuries to the sensitive parts. Pincers need special care to be kept looking and feeling good. To achieve this, Dr Barbara Deccapoda, an etologist from Rome, Italy, considers taking a pedicure set for the travel a very useful idea . She explains that the lobsters may develop allergic symptoms if their nails remain uncleaned for more than three days. For an overall body wash, any type of bath-cremes and salts are adequate, unless they have yarrow among their ingredients.(Yarrow is toxic for lobsters.)

Although there are still several psychological and physical difficulties in relating to lobsters, more and more people find solace in being and travelling with them. Learning to be conscious about their needs is an efficient way to avoid unnecessary irritations for both parties involved. By studying the latest information on lobster travelling and paying extra attention to the lobsters' necessities for frequent entertaining, occasional solitude, and special physical care, humans have all the opportunities for creating an even closer bond between the two species.