Times of the Islands Fall 2023

them on the shoreline, in shallow
tide pools, or on reef dives.
All hermit crabs start life in the
sea. Land hermits will always
be close to the shoreline. They
need sea water to wet their gills
and the inside of their shells.
They will slip into a tide pool or
shallow water pockets to saturate
their gills and shell lining
before moseying back to the
sandy shore.
As with most wildlife, if
you approach them slowly and
have patience, you can observe
them digging in the sand and
shoveling it into their mouths
where they extract the nutrients
and excrete the remnants.
Their eyestalks are always
watching for danger and when
they feel threatened, they will
Giant hermit crabs often inhabit conch shells, and have been known to eat the conch inside.
very quickly retreat into their
shell and the opening will fall face down on the sand. claws) in the sand and lift their shell so they can peak out
Sometimes they will scuttle away quickly to avoid contact, and see if it’s safe to open the door again. If so, they will
but more often than not, they just slam the door in your prop the door open and continue their feeding. This is a
face. Don’t take this personally; they are merely protecting
themselves and waiting for any perceived danger to Hermit crabs are everywhere on the reef. You have
such a treat to witness.
pass. If you are very still, steady your breathing, and wait, probably swum over them and never noticed unless
they will usually slowly place their chelipeds (grasping they were out in the sand and obvious. If you slow down
Times of the Islands Fall 2023 31