Ocean City held its annual Miss Crustacean Beauty Pageant on the beach at Sixth Street on Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024. Families showcased their pet hermit crabs in elaborately themed dioramas, and the winner earned the coveted Cucumber Rind Cup. Owners of the winning entries were as follows:
Grand Champion: Julia Schneider, Warrington, N.J., “Barbie Sports Crab”
Second Place: Natalie LaFleur, Egg Harbor Township, N.J., “Banner Plane”
Third Place: Sienna Galbraith, Philadelphia, Pa., “Jilly’s Arcade”
Honorable Mention: Savannah Wagner, Ocean View, N.J., “Farm”
Honorable Mention: Lucas Logan and Landon Hall, Southampton, N.J., “Back of the Boat”
The event was followed by the Hermit Crab Races, and Shelly, owned by Sofie Kelly of Eagleville, Pa., won the championship heat in 20 seconds. Second place went to Callahan Fitzpatrick of Springfield, Pa. with Hermie (24 seconds), and third place was taken by Sebastian Hernandez from Bergenfield, N.J. with his crab Ember.