When we were travelling around the province of Romblon I was happy to see a hermit crab as big as my fist, but after walking 3 meters away from it I saw another one but this time it was housed inside a small blue plastic bottle.
It was alarming to see such a humble creature taking shelter on litter.
I have heard a lot of environmentalists say that you should not pick up shells and bring them home as souvenir because it disturbs the ecosystem. What they said did not appeal to me because it was too vague. There were no concrete examples on what may happen if I pick up a shell or not. Unfortunately, Mother Nature showed me a real, concrete and specific example of what will happen.
There are 3 things that are wrong with the above photo.
1. Plastic Shell
The hermit crab sheltered on a small plastic bottle because people (tourist or not) were picking up shells to the point of near depletion making the hermit crab look for an alternative shelter. Due to irresponsible people who throw their garbage everywhere, plastic bottles, glass jars and even deodorant caps were used as the hermit crab’s shelter.
The problem starts with people who innocently deprive the hermit crab of its shelter by picking shells up, bringing them home to be placed on a shelf only for it to collect dust and quickly be forgotten.
Somehow, thanks to the garbage the hermit crab still has an alternative. But still, be responsible on where you throw your garbage. Best if you don’t create garbage at all.
2. Size of natural shell
Do you think the hermit crab with the natural shell on the picture could get its whole body inside?
Whenever I see little hermit crabs they have shells that could fit their whole body inside protecting their whole body, especially the soft parts, from external elements. For bigger hermit crabs I have not seen lately one that could fit inside its shell.
Unfortunately, the bigger the shell the more attractive it is to people. The bigger the shells the higher price it sells too. The bigger the shell the more likely it would no longer be available for hermit crabs to take refuge on.
3. Touching the hermit crab
A simple approach to a small hermit crab would make it tuck itself inside its shell because it senses danger. Sensing danger stresses the hermit crab. How much more if you pick it up and move it around? It’s like you being approached by a ferocious big bear that picks you up and swings you around.
We held the hermit crab because I wanted to take its picture while showing its relative size but that is not a sufficient excuse for me to disturb it. I should have thought of other ways like putting a coin beside it. For this I am sorry.
Environmentalists warned us that throwing your garbage anywhere and picking up shells will disturb the ecosystem. I’m not telling you that it will disturb the ecosystem because it already has been disturbed.
Stop picking shells on the shore.
Stop throwing your garbage anywhere.
Stop buying from the girl who sells sea shells by the sea shore.
Unless…
Be responsible.
Stop depriving the hermit crabs of their natural homes.
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Stop buying from the girl who sells sea shells by the sea shore. http://t.co/kUpahiYT
— Lakas ng Trip (@LakasNgTrip) June 21, 2012
This is alarming!omg ive been touched by ur photographs
Thanks! It is alarming. How much more if you see it personally? I saw 4 hermit crabs who had plastic bottles and deodorant caps as their shelter and according to the locals there are many more.
Very educational post you have here Josiah. Because of people wanting to buy huge seashells as souvenirs, we’re taking away these crabs natural shelter.
I hope we all could stop from picking up those shells. It’s like we’re evicting people out of their homes and putting them inside a dog house.
Have you seen the stall selling live hermit crabs with decorated shells at the Mall of Asia? Can someone please stop them from selling these beautiful creatures and bring them to their respective habitat.
I didn’t know that there was such a store. In my observation since the hermit crabs have decorated shells it would attract the wrong types of people to pet the hermit crabs.
Tsk! I dont want a home of plastic.. though Hermit Crabs are known for “second hand” homes when they outgrow their shells to find bigger ones, this one is adaptation at it’s highest and lowest both at the same time — when the only resort is take on what is not natural in order to survive..
True! In short Tagalog words “Kapit sa patalim”.
i just stumbled on this blog… naiyak ako promise… coz i’m sooo guilty of this crime… coz i always buy seashell souvenirs in dozens, ung malalaki pa… it never crossed my mind that something like this is happening…i was robbing them of their homes na pala… thanks for this blog, now i’m aware… no more seashell souvenirs from now on… or anything else na galing sa nature.. pictures na lang… 😥
nakakalungkot isipin na ang munting kasiyahan dala ng konting perang napagbentahan ng sea shells, ganitong litrato ang ating masasaksihan. nkakaiyak makita ung hermit crab na dun tumitira sa plastic bottle.. 🙁
I went down to talk to a company that makes 3-D printed items out of calcium carbonate ester, which is very similar to natural sea shells, but more durable, and completely inert(non-toxic)
They can duplicate sea shells exactly, and can add printed designs with words on the outside(but perfectly identical to real shells on the inside) that distinguish them from real shells to make them unsaleable by collectors and undesirable by consumers, who consider them “fakes”.
Make thousands of them of different sizes, and throw them out for the hermit crabs to live in.
That’s my plan. For example, 1000 of the 4″ imitation shells will only cost me $18, USD.