Tag Archives: Beach combing on Okinawa

I found a MTS4N seashell on Okinawa. What should I do?

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So far, I have placed over seven hundred marked turbo seashells in the coastal forest for hermit crabs in need. The shells are marked and numbered with the hashtag #mts4n ( Make The Switch For Nature ). Hopefully, labeling the surface of the seashells will prevent poachers, beachcombers, and anglers from taking them.

Hermit crabs are a national living monument species of Japan. Collecting them is against the law. Take photos only!

What to do if you find a #MTS4N or #MILLER shell:

  • Take a photograph of the Hermit crab in its natural habitat
  • Enjoy the moment and do not harass it
  • Share on social media and tag #mts4n
  • These occupied shells are not collectibles; do not take them

The Mission of the Make the Switch 4 Nature (MTS4N) Hermit Crab Conservation project is to spread joy, inspire change, and save lives

What to do if you find a hermit crab adapting with plastic

  • Take a photograph of the hermit crab in its original habitat
  • Leave the hermit crab alone and do not harass it
  • Send me a DM with the exact beach location
  • I will place empty shells in the coastal forest for the hermit crabs
Hermit crabs living in our trash

Have you ever taken an empty seashell from the beach? I am guilty. Most people don’t realize that they are taking the potential home of a hermit crab.

Did you know that hermit crabs are not born with shells?
As hermit crabs grow, they depend on various empty shells as their homes. Hermit crabs do not make their own shells; instead, they use discarded shells from marine snails that wash ashore. They also adapt by using land snail shells found in the coastal forest. If you are a shell collector, please return all unwanted shells to the coastline. #taketrashnothomes

It’s crucial to protect these beautiful creatures for future generations. Hermit crabs play an essential role in the coastal ecosystem. Hermit crabs do not belong in cages; please leave them in their natural habitat.

2024 has been a busy year for hermit crab poaching. In April and May, we found many traps in the coastal forest. If you see any suspicious activity, please call the local police.

Hermit crabs do not belong in a cage. Let’s keep wild crabs wild.


Please help me make a difference by supporting the #MST4N Hermit Crab Conservation Project. Please check out my Patreon page, MakeTheSwitch4Nature. I will collect a bucket full of marine debris for every supporting member. Our waste is a massive problem on our beautiful shorelines.

Do you have any seashells collecting dust at home? If so, consider giving them back to nature. #taktrashnothomes

  • The Mission of the #MTS4N conservation project is to spread joy, inspire change, and save lives.

Click on the donation link below to help fund Shawn’s conservation projects.

Interview On the Kelly Clarkson Show
Making the switch 4 nature
Featured On AFN Okinawa


Hermit Crabs Living In Glass Bottles By Shawn Miller

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Trash, treasure and the beautiful beaches of Okinawa.

One of my favorite things to do on the weekends is to go beach walking.  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 majority of it washes up from Korea, China and Japan

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Maeda flats

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.

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Iheya beach

Majority of the glass bottles that wash ashore will eventually break. The resourceful blueberry hermit crabs take full advantage of any broken bottles and twist top caps. They  eventually move into this valuable real estate and use it as a protective mobile home until they find a better option.

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Marine debris

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Broken glass Iheya Island

Hermit Crabs prefer to live in a natural seashell. The most durable home on Okinawa is the silver mouth turban shell.

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Hermit crabs feeding

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 metal twist caps and broken glass bottles.

Energy drink home- Trash homes

Energy drink home

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Energy drink home

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Glass top Crab

Hermit crabs - real-estate

Hermit crabs – real-estate

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Metal cap

Hermit crab in a glass bottle

Hermit crab in a glass

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.

Learn more about making a difference, TEDx talk | Adapting to or Changing Environment by Shawn M Miller

My Mission: To Document and Preserve the Wildlife of the Ryukyu Islands

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 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.

Light bulbs, Plastic Bottles and Hermit Crabs

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One of my favorite things to do on the weekends is to go beach walking.  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 majority of it washes up from Korea, China and Japan.

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The trash is overwhelming on our shorelines and will take a very long time to clean up. Its absolutely necessary that we work together to fix this worldwide issue.

When I look at the photograph below, I see the potential monetary value in these single use products. I think the only way to combat the problem is to reduce the use and to make the debris worth picking up by giving it a cash value. One solution for the plastic bottle problem would be to create a worldwide deposit-refund system. For example, If people were paid 5-10 cents per plastic bottle collected I guarantee our beaches and forest dumping grounds would be cleaner.

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Light bulbs are another form of debris that wash ashore. The light bulbs are transparent and blend in well with the surrounding beach litter. I have accidental stepped on light bulbs while beach combing after typhoons. It is important to wear protective footwear on majority of the beaches surrounding the Ryukyu Islands.

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Try and find the broken light bulb below, this is a common site on local beaches.

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Meet Edison,  A resourceful blueberry hermit crab (Coenobita purpureus ) found naturally using a incandescent light bulb screw end as a protective home. I usually find hermit crabs adapting with plastic tops and twist top caps. This was my first encounter with a hermit crab using a light bulb screw end as a mobile home.

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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.

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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. We all have the ability to make a difference by reducing the amount of single-use items we use daily.

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Learn more about making a difference, TEDx talk | Adapting to or Changing Environment by Shawn M Miller

My Mission: To Protect and Preserve the Wildlife of the Ryukyu Islands for Future Generations. – If you would like to join my journey, check out my Patreon https://www.patreon.com/MakeTheSwitch4Nature

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.