It’s Time Ocean City Hermit Crab Races Are Run by Robots, says PETA

For Immediate Release:
August 5, 2026

Contact:
Hannah Nelson 202-483-7382

Ahead of the Ocean City Miss Crustacean Beauty Pageant and Hermit Crab Races, PETA today sent a letter to Mayor Jay Gillian with a proposal that’s sure to make waves: Retire the crustacean contest and replace it with crab-friendly activities such as races featuring robot crabs—which PETA is happy to provide—and a pageant that promotes protecting coastal wildlife instead of exploiting it.

PETA points out that the “pet” hermit crab industry is much criticized for tearing these smart, adaptable wild animals from their homes and sentencing them to short, deprived lives in tiny tanks. Though hermit crabs can live over 40 years, and have things to do and see in nature, many “pet” hermit crabs die within a few weeks or months due to improper care.

“Hermit crabs are individuals with their own interests, and in this day and age, we know enough to respect them, rather than scoop them from their ocean homes and use them for our entertainment,” says PETA founder Ingrid Newkirk. “PETA urges Ocean City to shellebrate these clever crustaceans by leaving them in peace and letting robot crabs take the stage instead.”

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to use for entertainment”—points out that when it comes to the ability to feel pain, hunger, and fear, a crab is a dog is a boy. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.

PETA’s letter to Gillian follows.

August 5, 2026

The Honorable Jay A. Gillian

Mayor of Ocean City

Dear Mayor Gillian:

Greetings! I’m writing on behalf of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals—PETA entities have more than 10.4 million members and supporters globally, including over 175,000 in New Jersey—ahead of the annual Miss Crustacean Pageant and Hermit Crab Races with a suggestion: Please retire these events, which celebrate an industry that tears wild animals from their natural habitats and condemns them to short, deprived lives in captivity. Instead, Ocean City could host a crab-friendly pageant that recognizes participants for protecting coastal wildlife and features activities such as bobbing for crab apples and crab-walk relay races. Attendees could even race robotic or remote-controlled crabs—and to enshore you’re not left in a pinch, PETA would be happy to provide you with some. Please allow me to explain.

Hermit crabs are not toys, trinkets, props, or pets. If the purpose of the pageant is truly to promote responsible “pet ownership,” then the best way to support that goal would be to stop normalizing the purchase and confinement of hermit crabs altogether. Respecting crabs begins with recognizing that they are individuals with their own interests, not forcing them into pageants and races for human amusement.

In nature, hermit crabs thrive in large social colonies, avoid human contact, and can live for decades. Their need for proper humidity, space, and interaction with other crabs cannot be met in the small plastic containers in which they are commonly kept and sold. Furthermore, because painted shells sell better, wholesalers often force crabs out of their natural, protective shells using methods like heat or physical cracking, causing them pain or even killing them. The paint used can contain toxic chemicals that slowly poison them and prevent moisture control and air flow.

Times change, and traditions evolve. Just as New England no longer promotes whaling but sells everything that celebrates whales, Ocean City has a similar opportunity to transition toward compassion. Rather than holding events that encourage the capture and use of hermit crabs as entertainment, the city could preserve all the fun with remote-controlled crab races and other animal-friendly activities that leave real crabs in peace.

Thank you for your consideration. We look forward to hearing from you.

Very truly yours,

Ingrid Newkirk

Founder