Visitors, especially children, never fail to be attracted to the little hermit crabs that continuously scurry across sand, rock and through tide pools. This semi-terrestrial hermit crab, Coenobita compressus was seen hurrying along the beach on Bartolomé's south side. A good example of a 'soft-bodied' invertebrate, hermit crabs utilize the empty shells of gastropods to protect their delicate abdomens. It is commonly known that when the crab becomes too large for it's shell, it has to search for a suitable replacement. Once found, the potential new shell has to be tried out before the old one is discarded. Vacant shells are crucial to the hermit crabs, hence the scarcity of suitable shells can result in a decrease in growth and reproduction in the local population. We sometimes see these crabs travelling quite far from the coast in what looks like a search for a new home. As they get bigger, it becomes more difficult to find one. Sometimes, after much fruitless searching, they will grow out of their big shell and die.
Hermit crabs are often seen picking at the flesh of decomposing matter in the intertidal zone; they are one of the few scavengers in Galapagos. These crabs are omnivorous, and will eat pretty much anything. It's been a terrific final day for all of us with a memorable last walk along the intertidal zone of Santiago Island. The overcast afternoon brought the fur seals out in record numbers, interacting with each other all around us, in a fitting farewell to this magical Archipelago!
