The hermit crabs have found their new home on Green Island — every one now has a "house number" as a symbol of love.

Reporter Lin Yuling / Comprehensive Report

The "Hermit Crab Home Project," a collaboration between the Taitung County Nature and Humanities Society, relevant Green Island authorities, and I-Shou University, has been running smoothly for three years. Recently, another batch of seashells was cleaned in Taitung before being successfully transported to Green Island, where they underwent further cleaning, sun-drying, and were engraved with serial numbers before being returned to the shore.This ensures every hermit crab’s home has a “house number,” and each unique number represents a “bond of love.”

▲ Enthusiastic locals helped engrave each shell with its unique “house number” — each number is a symbol of love. (Photo / Fanpage “Reduce Carbon, Love Green Island” / Provided by Taitung County Nature and Humanities Society, the same below)

In the past, many tourists picked up shells from the beach as souvenirs, and food lovers enjoyed delicious shellfish, unaware that they were taking away homes belonging to hermit crabs. It wasn’t until 2012, when eco-worker Shan ZHU (real name Lü Jinyu) took a photo of a hermit crab using a water tap as its home on the beach in Nanliao, Green Island, that the image shocked many and quickly went viral online.In the photo, the hermit crab squeezed unhappily into the “heavy and ill-fitting” tap cover, looking just like a refugee or a homeless person, as if saying, “I have no home — please give me back my shell!”At the time, Shan Zhu said in an interviewwith ETtoday Ettoday News Cloudthat it wasn’t just bottle caps, empty bottles, or taps — he had also seen hermit crabs temporarily living in broken light bulbs. “It was truly heartbreaking to see.”

▲ Over three years ago, this heart-wrenching image of a hermit crab using a tap cover as its home sparked widespread attention, prompting people from all walks of life to help find homes for these crabs. (Photo / Provided by Shan Zhu)

Since then, various individuals concerned about the environment gradually came together, including the Taitung County Nature and Humanities Society, the Department of Leisure Industry Management at I-Shou University, and relevant Green Island organizations, to launchthe “Hermit Crab Home Project.”The goal is to encourage tourists to give the hermit crabs — and the ocean — their homes back. Whether it's shells previously collected or sea snail shells eaten at restaurants, people can clean and dry the shells and send them back. The collected shells from various locations are sorted by local authorities on Green Island. Those belonging to species native to the area are returned to the beach, while non-native shells are stored for future ecological displays or research.

Over the past three years, various individuals have sent shells and seashells to the Taitung County Nature and Humanities Society. These efforts have not only helped restore the hermit crab population on Green Island but have also benefited areas such as Kenting and Little Yehliu. Recently, another batch of shells underwent basic cleaning procedures and was safely delivered to Green Island. After soaking in seawater to remove odors for three months, they were transported to the “Green Island Cottage” for cleaning and sun-drying, then engraved with serial numbers.

▲ %A group of volunteers tirelessly worked to clean and transport the shells to Taitung County.

Staff members shared photos and text on the Facebook fan page “Reduce Carbon, Love Green Island,” stating“The hermit crabs that have moved into their new homes all have house numbers, and each unique number is a symbol of love.”It’s truly touching to see. The hope is that these shells will no longer be taken away, allowing hermit crabs along the coast to live in them for generations to come.

Additionally, visitors are reminded not only to avoid collecting shells on the beach but also to “never litter carelessly.” After all, waste doesn’t just harm the ecosystem — it could also injure hermit crabs or other marine life. In the past, there have even been instances of hermit crabs using heavy wine glasses as homes, which was truly heartbreaking. We hope both tourists and residents can work together to protect the ocean and our shared home.

▲ %Measures have been taken so these shells won't be taken again, ensuring the hermit crabs have a safe and cozy place to live.

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