This past 4th of July weekend Valentines Residences Resort and Marina featured a family favorite event, Crab Racing! This was a one-time event to celebrate the holiday but there is no reason the family or group can’t enjoy a little “Crabby” fun anytime.

Crab racing is a fun and safe activity, even for the crabs, which simply remain in their shells until it’s their turn for the big event. Crab racing can be set up wherever there is a beach and people wanting to have a little family or adult fun! Here’s how you can do your own crab-racing event:

Take the whole family, group or just the two of you down to the beach and hunt for the local participants. Crab species can vary but Soldier and Hermit crabs are the most popular and easiest to handle. Be gentle when trapping them, they are much more delicate than they look. They don’t survive being dropped very well and make sure you find enough variety to identify your particular racer.

Some racing groups actually have competition fields that consist of a square piece of plywood with the range circles painted on it. Island style can be as simple as drawing the circle in the sand with a stick. Once you have set up your racetrack the race can begin.

To start, place all the crabs under a bowl to contain them until you are ready to start the race. Then lift the bowl and they will begin to move about while you cheer and coach your racing crab. The first one that crosses the designated finish line wins!

When the race day and the celebration is over, return the crabs to the area where you found them and never keep them overnight for future races. They need to be kept in their natural environment to survive.

Just add this little activity to the long list of activities available at Valentine’s Residences Resort and Marina and on Harbour Island.