The Okinawa Sea Turtle Festival is on October 21st at Zanpa Beach. The Churamura Okinawa Sea-Turtle conservation organization hosts this fantastic event. Please join the fun. The event will start at 11:00 a.m.
All kinds of fun events for the kids to enjoy.
Give back to nature at the Hermit Crab Conservation Workshop, which starts at 16:00.
Shawn Miller created Make the Switch 4 Nature to spread joy + inspire change + save lives. His photography documenting hermit crabs adapting with plastics has been featured in National Geographic Magazine & inspired thousands to #TakeTrashNotHomes.
SHELL DONATION DRIVE: Do you have unwanted shells at home? Bring them to the Sea Turtle Festival and drop them off at Shawn’s MTS4N booth on October 21st from 1100-1700 on Zanpa Beach. The Okinawa Sea Turtle Festival is FREE, but donations to support Shawn’s work are appreciated.
Learn more about Churamuraand the fantastic work they are doing!
Join us at Camp Foster Education Center this Thursday to meet Shawn Miller. He will discuss Okinawa’s biodiversity, wildlife, and conservation photography.
Date: February 9th at 6:00 pm. All ages are welcome!
Meet Green Tea, A large Blueberry hermit crab found adapting with single-use plastic.
The hermit crab was offered an assortment of shells. Green tea made the switch into the donated seashell ” No More Plastic Caps ” MTS4N #383.
After I photograph the hermit crab within its new home, I release it back into the wild and keep the plastic cap. Happy crab – Happy Home!
In August I reached out to my friend Martin Bailey and asked him if he wanted to be part of the project: Trading plastic for shells. He agreed and I carved ” No more Plastic caps ” on an MTS4N shell for him.
Martin asked me if I would join him on his podcast to discuss the project. Trading plastic for shells. It was great catching up with him!
If you would like to listen to podcast 753, view some amazing nature photography, or take a nature tour in Mainland Japan check out his website. Martin Bailey Photography
As you can see our trash is a serious problem on our shorelines. Some organizations are doing great things making a difference but it’s not enough, We must all work together worldwide and attack this problem. We all have the ability to make a difference by reducing the amount of single-use items we use daily. Change can be difficult but I challenge you to make the switch 4 nature.
If you would like to make a contribution to support my mission in Hermit Crab Conservation please check out my Patreon page. MakeTheSwitch4Nature
Do you have any seashells collecting dust at home? if so, consider donating them to the #MTS4N Project, Have a great day!
One of my favorite things to do is to go beachcombing after typhoons. Over the years, I have seen a significant increase in the amount of marine debris washed ashore. The trash is from all over the world, but the majority of it washes up from Korea, China, and Japan
The resourceful hermit crabs take full advantage of plastic tubes and twist top caps. They move into this valuable real estate and use it as a protective mobile home until they find a better option.
Hermit Crabs prefer to live in a natural seashell. Due to a decline in the number of seashells, the hermit crabs have to adapt with our trash to survive. Below are photographs of hermit crabs found naturally adapting with the plastic tubing.
Lucky was the first hermit crab I photographed adapting with plastic tubing. (2014)
The long plastic tubing slows down their movement. Not the ideal mobile home for a hermit crab.
Sometimes I find them living in clear plastic. Over time the plastic turns yellow and becomes brittle. Eventually, it will break up into microplastic.
Every hermit crab found adapting with our waste receives a new home (seashell). I bring a bucket with an assortment of shells with me on my beach hikes. The hermit crabs are placed in the bucket and make the switch. They get a better home and I keep the plastic.
Make the switch for nature
I was surprised to find this small blueberry hermit crab using a jump rope handle as a mobile home. The crab switched into a tapestry turban shell (mts4n #29) immediately.
The hermit crab is one of the few animals that can successfully adapt with our waste. If you would like to learn more about hermit crabs adapting with our waste please check out my post on “Crabs With Beach Trash Homes” by Shawn M Miller.
This post is not to make people sad, guilty, or lose hope, It is to bring awareness to the ongoing trash problem in our oceans and on our shorelines. Hopefully, these images will inspire people to change.
Your donations will help worldwide conservation initiatives as well as bringing solutions to the worldwide pollution issues on our beautiful shorelines. Thank you for your support. Shawn M Miller.
The golden orb weaver (Nephila pilipes) is the largest spider found on Okinawa. They can be found in parks, forests and gardens. This massive spider is fairly common on Okinawa.
Always look up!
They usually make their web up high in trees. I have also seen their web in the middle of a trail at eye level.
Scientific name: Nephila pilipes
Common Name: Golden orb weaver / banana spider
Distribution: Ryukyu Islands
Habitat: Forests, gardens and parks
Diet: Insects
Average Size: Female 17-20cm
Their web is extremely strong. They have been know to catch small bats, cicadas and a variety of large insects
This species displays sexual dimorphism, The female is much larger than the male.
Nephila pilipes fluoresces under ultraviolet light. The fluorescence serves as a warning sign for large animals. Making a spider web this size takes a lot of time and effort.
This site is also designed to help people identify the beautiful animals of Okinawa, basically to serve as an online nature reference guide. If you would like to make a contribution to support my mission, please click on the donation link paypal.me/maketheswitch4nature
Your donations will help conservation initiatives as well as bring solutions to the worldwide pollution issues on our beautiful shorelines. Thank you for your support, Shawn M Miller.
The Sling-jaw wrasse is my favorite fish to observe underwater. The large wrasse is fairly common in the beautiful waters of Okinawa. It primarily swims using its pectoral fins, similar to the way a bird uses its wings. It can be seen at all of the popular snorkeling and diving locations on Okinawa.
Scientific name: Epibulus insidiator
Common Name: Sling-jaw wrasse
Distribution: Indo-Pacific
Habitat: Coral reefs
Diet: Small fish, crabs, and shrimp
Average Size: 29cm
Threats: Habitat loss and overfishing
The Sling-jaw wrasse looks very strange when viewed head-on. It has the ability to rotate its eyes 360 degrees.
The sling-jaw wrasse looks like a pretty average fish from its side but has a hidden ability. The Sling-jaw wrasse has the ability to protrude its jaw longer than any other fish in the ocean. Its jaw is used to extend its reach and suck in prey. The scientific term for this is known as jaw protusion. It uses suction feeding to catch small animals in tight cracks and crevices on the reef.
To increase its chances of catching prey the wrasse will team up with other fish and the octopus. It’s pretty amazing to watch this team hunting take place. The scientific term for this is known as nuclear hunting.
Sometimes a still photograph just can’t capture the behavior taking place. In order to really appreciate this animal behavior, it must be seen in the wild. Nuclear hunting at Maeda point.
Hundreds of fish washed ashore after Typhoon trami. This mature wrasse could not cope with the devastating power of Typhoon trami.
People often ask me what is the purpose of conservation photography?Having the ability to affect some form of positive change in the environment and make a global difference with the photographs. Hopefully, the images will inspire people to care more about nature and make a positive difference in the environment.
If you would like to use any of my photographs, please contact me directly.
Okinawa has some of the best diving in the world. The Ocean is filled with beautiful coral reefs and vast amounts of marine life only found here. The water is warm and the clarity is outstanding. If you ever get the chance to scuba dive in Okinawa, go for it and do not hesitate. Below are a few of my underwater photographs over the years. All the images were photographed on scuba in the beautiful waters of Okinawa-Japan.
This Lion-fish is one of the many venomous animals in the ocean.
