While walking along the lush coastline of Islote, Arecibo, Puerto Rico, Krys Amill noticed something strange in the sand. A small piece of discarded PVC pipe — shaped like an asthma inhaler — appeared to be moving.
Then she saw it.
Tiny orange legs peeked out from the opening, and her heart dropped. A hermit crab had made the plastic trash his home.
“This is the saddest thing on the planet,” Amill said in an Instagram video. “This hermit crab is in his home. You can see he doesn’t have space.”
The pipe was far too small, offering little room for the crab to grow or protect himself. Without hesitation, Amill gently scooped him into an empty container and hurried to the beach, determined to find him a proper shell.
She searched and searched — but nothing fit.
Unwilling to give up, Amill reached out to a neighbor who happened to have a large, natural shell.
“[A] neighbor had this,” Amill said. “We’re going to see if it fits him. I’m not sure if it’ll be too big.”
Carefully, she placed the shell next to the crab and waited. Seconds passed. Then minutes. The hermit crab stayed motionless, still tucked inside the plastic inhaler, seemingly uninterested in his potential upgrade.
Hope began to fade — until her neighbor offered one simple suggestion: give him some space.
They stepped away.
When they returned moments later, Amill gasped.
“Look at him!” she said. “He needed space. Now, he has his house!”
You can watch footage from the rescue here:
The hermit crab had finally emerged, settling into his spacious new shell. He even appeared to wave at Amill before retreating inside, clearly relieved and ready for a well-earned rest.
With smiles all around, Amill and her neighbor returned the crab to the coastline. Before leaving, Amill handed her neighbor an extra shell.
“Here, take this shell so that you can save another [hermit crab],” she said.
Free at last, the little crab scuttled away, searching for a quiet place to nestle into his new home for the night.
What started as an ordinary beach walk turned into an unforgettable rescue — one that reminded Amill how much difference a single act of kindness can make.
“Mission accomplished!” she said. “This is a happy hermit crab.” 🐚💙
