You are part of this
Send shells
Every shell you send helps a wild hermit crab find its next home, and we gladly take them all, marked or not. Marking is never required, but it is a huge help and greatly appreciated.
We receive a lot of shells, and marked boxes get sorted and logged faster. All it takes is a permanent marker.
What we accept
What to send
Yes, please
- Empty shells
- Outgrown pet shells
- Shells you already own
Never
- Shells collected from the wild. In hermit crab habitat, an empty shell is already in the right place. Leave it there.
Why we mark shells
So we can follow them.
When we, or anyone in the neighborhood, spot a marked shell on a hermit crab, a quick photo tells us where your shell ended up.
So they stay put.
A visitor who finds a marked shell can see it is part of a conservation program. That is often enough to make them think twice and leave it for the hermit crabs.
How to mark and pack
Four steps
Name your shells
Permanent marker only. Do not paint, coat, or dip your shells. Keep them natural.
Write your first initial, your last initial, and the month and year on the shell. October 2026 looks like this:
BS1026B is the first name. S is the last name. 10 is October. 26 is 2026. July 2026 would be BS726. January 2027 would be BS127. No slash and no space in the code.
Write it where it can still be read.
Mark every shell, then count
The same code goes on every shell in the box. Then count them. Your count helps us log the box.
Pack the box
Use a sturdy box. Wrap or cushion the shells with paper or bubble wrap, and fill the gaps so nothing shifts in transit.
Write it on the package
On the same side as the shipping label, write the code and the number, big enough to read in a photo.
BS1026 # 25That is 25 shells from B.S. in October 2026.
Sending more than one box in the same month? Thank you! Add a dash and the box number: BS1026-1 for the first box and BS1026-2 for the second. Every shell in a box gets that box's code.
Label, code, and count in one view. That is the picture we take when the box arrives.
Where to ship
Mail the box to:
When it gets here, we photograph that side. The picture gives us the place, the code, and the count. You already did the careful part.
Crustacean Plantation
200 Canal Street
Tavernier, FL 33070
After it arrives
Alliance members can follow each month's boxes in and shells opened in Shells In, Shells Out.
Leave the shell. Take the memory.