Surviving at 100°C? Yilan Has the Astonishing "Turtle-Strange Square Crab"

Tourism Center / Comprehensive Report

In the hot summer, a big plate of freshly boiled crabs is always on the table when traveling. But in the submarine hot springs of Guishan Island in Yilan, there lives a unique creature—the "Turtle-Strange Square Crab." It survives in hot springs filled with sulfur crystals and temperatures as high as 140°C. Locals also call it the "crab by the hot pot," making it an extremely rare ecosystem in the world.


▲The "Turtle-Strange Square Crab" is a unique species of Guishan Island in Yilan. (Photo / Provided by Eastar Marine Hot Spring Hotel)

The submarine volcano of Guishan Island is a relatively young active volcano, with hot springs still erupting to this day. The water temperature reaches up to 140°C, and the pH level ranges between 1 and 4, making it a highly acidic hot spring. Yet, thousands of Turtle-Strange Square Crabs live in caves and crevices with sulfur purity as high as 99.5%, surviving by feeding on plankton that gets boiled to death. It’s truly a remarkable wonder of nature’s ecosystem.

The strange square crabs mostly hide in underwater caves, making them difficult for the general public to see. However, there’s still a major highlight for visitors to Guishan Island: from June to November each year, it’s peak season for whales and dolphins to appear around the island. Visitors can take boat trips to catch breathtaking sightings of these marine creatures leaping out of the water. Hotels have also launched special travel packages that include whale and dolphin watching with accommodation. For less than NT$2,500 per person, Jiang Huiming, General Manager of Eastar Marine Hot Spring Hotel in Toucheng, Yilan, said that the unpredictable appearances of whales and dolphins, and the moment people see them breaching the surface, bring a sense of spiritual healing through the beauty of nature’s ecosystem—making it a must-do trip during the summer vacation.

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