S24 Campaign

If you ever visit the Florida Keys and found a shell with S24 on it, you’ve come to the right place. This year hermit crab owners created a campaign to help spread awareness of shell shortages for wild hermit crabs. This year the goal was to return Shells to the wild for hermit crabs to find, instead of taking shells from the beach for spring break.

Crustacean Plantation received over 2,000 shells to place out for our native hermit crabs!!! We are very thankful to our shell donors and I know our local hermits are very grateful too!!! ❤️

Let us know if you find a hermit crab walking around with writing on the shell.

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Learning the Lesson

Last week, we hosted two workshops with John Pennekamp and Windley Key State Parks, where we shared our captivating hermit crab stories with locals and visitors from around the world. The joy on their faces as we revealed the long lifespan of hermit crabs was incredibly rewarding. We're proud that our non-profit work at Crustacean Plantation is making a difference. Our mantra, "Leave the Shell, Take the Memory," resonated with everyone, emphasizing the importance of hermit crab habitat preservation.

Special thanks to park Rangers Drew and Hannah for hosting us.

If you would like us to come to your event, we’d love to share our stories.

How do you make a difference?

Great question!!! Community outreach is one way to start. This Saturday we spent the day at John Pennekamp State Park. We were able to share our wild and domesticated hermit crab stories with folks visiting our fabulous Florida Keys from all over the world. We had people, young and old visiting from the United States, Germany, India, Sweden, Canada, and France!! It was wonderful to see their faces when they learned that hermit crabs can live up to 45 years old. Can’t wait to do this again. Thank you Friends of John Pennekamp for inviting us to help share our stories. ❤️

Leave the Shell

Had the privilege to visit a local school here in the Keys, Ocean Studies Charter school. The children were a mix of 2nd, 3rd and 4th grades. At that age they were very eager to learn all about our crabby friends.

We covered all sorts of topics; their natural habitats, the need to find shells, how shells break down naturally and how they are modified by the hermits. Having recently completing a trash clean up derby, they were glad to know that they were also helping hermits out by removing trash from their habitats.

The biggest lesson learned was, if you are walking along and find an empty shell… “Leave the Shell, Take the Memory”

What in the wild wild world of sports is going on here?

I heard a bunch of commotion out by Transfer Station 1. Checking the cameras I didn’t see any shoppers. Odd, I thought. A little later I kept hearing it. Again, nothing on the camera.

Ok, guys what’s up? You are keeping me from enjoying the party 😞

I decided to walk into the hammock and found a small gathering around 2 very large hermit crabs. Of course everyone clams up when I arrive… so I snap a few pictures and retreat…

My nosey self just had to sneak back over… and when I did, I saw the above picture. Oh my! A land crab joined the 2 hermit crabs… we really are a Crustacean Plantation!!!

A passer-by

Walking in the back yard, Brian said, “oh, there’s one of your guys.” Sure enough, I’m pretty sure he wasn’t there a second ago… but there he was, looking up at me with one eye visible in his broken home. “Well, little buddy, you are in luck. You wondered into the right yard at the right time,” I told him.

You could see his little tail from the broken back end. The crazy thing is that this is not the first time I have seen this exact same pattern in a broken shell.

I took this little guy inside and gave him a personal home shopping spree. He switched in no time into a beautiful donated pearl shell. I gave him some water, a snack, and sent him on his way. If you’d like to see the video of his exchange please check out my facebook page.

Broken shell, poor guy…

Such a beautiful day…

Today was amazing outside, a breezy 75 degrees, and boy were the hermits active today! I wish I could share it with you all.

One of our goals as a non-profit is to set up a live camera feed. It’s going to take some research.

Today I got to watch a pretty large hermit switch shells off and on. He was pretty picky, but eventually settled on a beautiful green shell donated by Amber from Crabitude. Other hermits were lining up waiting to take his left over shell, yes they really do that!!!

Let’s be a BIG voice for the little guys!

This past week we have been sharing our story with a local school, the folks at Radio Ocean City and also the Islamorada Chamber of Commerce members. Bit by bit we are getting the word out about the Hermit Crabs of the Florida Keys

Spending time with the children was extra special. To hear them say, “Noooooo that’s not a good home for a Hermit Crab”, lit up my heart. They quickly grasped the message to “Leave the Shell”. Our local hermits need to be able to find shells to continue to grow and thrive!!!!

I brought 30 donated shells for each child to place their initials on the shells and set up their own little “Transfer Station”. I can’t wait to hear from them as a passing Hermit comes upon their shells and switch in to new homes.

Not your average Tuesday.

I woke up excited to see if our “sunroof” visitor had moved in to his new home. To my surprise, he DID!

To back up a day, I found a hermit crab sporting a funny little broken shell. Thier shells are designed to completely encase and protect their fragile bodies; however in this case, his eyes had a front door view to the world!

So what did I do with my find? I placed him in a container with a few snazzy options. I gave him water, a little hermie snack and left him to do some house shopping.

This morning, I went to check and he moved into a new home!!! The special shell he chose came from a shell donor, Terri. After ensuring he was happy in his new house. I placed him back outside so he can go on his merry way.