Weeks before Miss Crustacean Beauty Pageant and hermit crab races, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is calling on Ocean City to end its longtime summer tradition, arguing that the events exploit animals and should be replaced with cruelty-free alternatives.
On Aug. 5, Ingrid Newkirk, the animal rights group’s founder, sent a letter to Ocean City Mayor Jay Gillian, requesting an end to the events.
“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,” Newkirk wrote. “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.”
Reilly Park, assistant manager of Youth Campaigns at PETA, said the organization is particularly concerned about how hermit crabs are obtained and kept in captivity.
“In nature, hermit crabs avoid humans and live in groups of 100 or more, and can live up to 40 years,” Park said. “They enjoy climbing, foraging and exploring, and even collaborate in teams to find food.”
Park said PETA’s concerns extend beyond the city’s event to the broader hermit crab pet trade. She pointed to a PETA investigation into the industry, saying animals are “ripped from their homes, confined to tiny enclosures, fed improper diets, and die when they’re only between one and four years old.”
According to Park, the pageant and races require animals to perform for entertainment and can reinforce the idea that hermit crabs are disposable pets.
“The event itself is forcing animals who are either bred in captivity or stolen from the wild to perform for human entertainment,” Park said.
She said hermit crabs displayed during the pageant may also face harmful conditions before and after the event.
“They’re roughly handled and fed improper diets, and they’re forgotten when the novelty wears off, and they’re doomed from the moment they’re captured,” Park said.
Park also raised concerns about the shells used for hermit crabs in the pet trade, saying some animals are removed from their natural shells and placed into decorative ones.
PETA’s investigation, Park said, involved Brelean Corporation, which she described as a supplier of captive hermit crabs to retailers including PetSmart and Petco. She said investigators documented crowded conditions in which crabs were unable to access food or water.
“Workers were cracking open live crab shells, exposing their delicate bodies,” Park said. “And behind every hermit crab sold is a story of suffering.”
Rather than ending Ocean City’s crab-themed traditions altogether, PETA is proposing alternatives. The organization has suggested activities such as bobbing for crab apples, crab-walking races and the use of robotic hermit crabs, which Newkirk said PETA could provide.
“There are so many other ways to entertain ourselves,” Park said. “So we’re urging Ocean City residents and visitors to leave hermit crabs in nature, and instead support attractions that celebrate these animals without exploiting them.”
Park said PETA has not yet received a response to its letter from Mayor Gillian. Gillian also has not responded to Shore Local’s request for comment.
“We really urge Mayor Gillian to respond to our letter and to change this tradition to one that is compassionate and cruelty-free,” Park said, “because hermit crabs suffer in captivity, and Ocean City residents deserve better.”
The Miss Crustacean Beauty Pageant will take place Wednesday, Aug. 19, at the Sixth Street beach. Registration is free and begins at 5:30 p.m., followed by the competition at 6 p.m. Kids, families, businesses and organizations are all welcome to participate with their hermit crabs.
The event dates back to 1973, when Mark Soifer, Ocean City’s public relations director of 45 years, created the pageant as a playful spoof of the Miss America competition.
Participants bring their creativity to the contest, dressing their hermit crabs in costumes and decorating them with props as they compete for the title of Miss Crustacean and the coveted Cucumber Rind Cup.
The festivities culminate with the winning crab making its way along a miniature runway decorated with flowers as the event’s signature theme song, “Here it comes, Miss Crustacean,” plays.
Julia graduated from Rider University in 2024 with a BA in multiplatform journalism and minor in social media strategies. In addition to reporting on local news for Shore Local, she is a social media strategist for small businesses. Connect with her: shorelocaljulia@gmail.com or @juliatrain on Instagram.
