By Dr. Lisa Rusczyk
Owner and Editor, Greater Than a Tourist
One of my favorite travel moments is never the one I plan. It is the quiet, sandy, slightly chaotic moment when my kids spot something alive that I did not put on the itinerary.
At Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve, that moment came in the form of hermit crabs. Lots of them. Small, fast, and very serious about their personal space.
Where to Find Hermit Crabs at Ocean Cay
If you are looking for hermit crabs, skip the lounge chairs and look down.
We found them in three main places:
- Along the rocky edges near the shoreline, especially where sand meets the rocks or on the rocks. Particularly on north beach.
How to Nicely Play With Hermit Crabs
This part matters.
Hermit crabs are not toys. They are small animals doing their best in a world full of giant humans with phones.
Here is what worked well for us:
- Watch first. Let them do their thing without interference
- If you gently pick one up, keep it low over the sand in case it decides to bail
- Never pull a crab out of its shell. That shell is its home, its safety, and its identity
- Always put them back exactly where you found them
Why These Moments Matter When You Travel With Kids
You do not need a big attraction or a scheduled excursion for a memory to stick. Sometimes you need a patch of sand, a handful of shells, and permission to slow down.
Ocean Cay gave us that.
We watched. We laughed. We learned. And then we put everything back where it belonged.
Which, frankly, is a pretty good travel philosophy.
If you are visiting Ocean Cay, take a walk away from the crowds, look down, and give yourself time to notice the small things.
