While vacationing in Cape May, New Jersey, a Pennsylvania woman--who claims to have once been the Vice President of the Hermit Crab Association--didn't let her 8-month pregnancy waddle slow her down from walking 15 total miles in search of the perfect pair of jumbo hermit crabs.
"My husband was golfing and gave me a free pass to go searching," Lisa Goddard admitted with a smile.
While baseball-sized hermit crabs were unfortunately absent in Cape May, a quick road trip to nearby Wildwood Boardwalk would prove to be very fruitful. It was her mother-in-law's suggestion.
"In Cape May, I had walked about 5 miles to encounter only two hermit crab cages. But on Wildwood's boardwalk, every few feet, there was another huge cage of hermit crabs to examine," Goddard explained. "Before I knew it, I was determined to walk whole 5-mile length of the boardwalk."
Most cages contained small- and medium-sized hermit crabs, but something motivated her to continue walking. Even when she completed 90% of the boardwalk, something summoned her to keep going to the very end.
Her competitors were young children between the ages of 6 and 8. But these were impulsive shoppers, Goddard explained, who probably hadn't premeditated the quest like she had. And, more reassuringly, they had parents who were likely to say no. So maybe they weren't really competition at all!
"We don't get many people shopping on this end of the boardwalk," admitted Terrance Patel, proprietor of St. George's Beach Shop, between 21st and 22nd Streets. "So I guess our hermit crab selection isn't well picked over."
This meant more selection for Goddard. She had her pick from dozens of jumbo crabs, all seemingly active and healthy. She felt like adopting the whole cage full. How was she to choose just two?
"I look for an active personality," Goddard explained. "I also look for all limbs to be present!"
After taking quite a lengthy time, according to the shop owner, Goddard finally settled on the selection of two handsome male hermit crabs which she promptly named Wilbur and Winfred.
"I just love them," she gushed. "This has been a great day!" And she found all the energy she needed to waddle the 5-mile boardwalk length back to her car.
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| Wilbur's sea shell is painted to look like a soccer ball. "It's humiliating," he admitted. "I can't wait to change." |
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| Winfred, unfortunately, has a very ugly shell painted like a football. "I can't wait to switch into one of the big, beautiful and naturally-colored shells that Lisa says she can offer me once we're home," he admitted. |
