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Ikema Island

1 May 2016

Up to this point, I had only encountered one cav and the rest I believe were ruggies. Ruggies are cute, but I was desperate to find other species. I had previously seen online photographic evidence of hermit crabs in Ikema Island, which is connected to the main Miyako Island by a bridge. As I walked along the beaches, I noticed many hermit crab trails along the sand. Indeed, I was in for a surprise. This blueberry (Coenobita purpureus) was the biggest hermit crab I had encountered during my trip and he had immense leg and claw strength.
Hermit crab trails Coenobita purpureus Coenobita purpureus Coenobita purpureus
Coenobita purpureus Coenobita purpureus Coenobita purpureus Coenobita purpureus
The blueberry above wasn't alone though. There were a few more blueberries in the area too and these two were quite happy to keep still for the photoshoot.
Coenobita purpureus Coenobita purpureus Coenobita purpureus Coenobita purpureus
Of course, this island too has its fair share of the adorable ruggies too.
Coenobita rugosus Coenobita rugosus Coenobita rugosus Coenobita rugosus
I drove along Ikema Bridge back to the main Miyako Island and parked nearby to admire the dazzling turquoise ocean. It was almost hard to believe that the ocean was naturally that colour there. An underwater museum was along the way and I decided to visit. To my complete surprise, I was not expecting to see a tank with two Indonesian hermit crabs (Coenobita brevimanus) and a single coconut crab (Birgus latro), which is a close relative of the land hermit crabs. I never managed to encounter these two mostly terrestrial species in the wild, possibly due to me not thoroughly searching forest areas. After visiting the museum, I drove to Irabu Island in hope of finding more hermit crabs. Whilst driving, I watched a group of people climb into the bushes. I thought it was interesting, so I decided to follow in and found myself in a hidden beach. There weren't any hermit crabs there though.
Ikema Bridge Ocean Coenobita brevimanus Coenobita brevimanus
Coenobita brevimanus Birgus latro Hidden entrance Hidden beach
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