Fun for Kids at Night | Ghost Crab Hunting

Ghost Crab

On the beaches of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, you might notice a lot of parents and delighted children with flashlights on the beach at night. They are hunting and catching ghost crabs. Named for their pale color that helps them blend seamlessly with the sand and their swift, disappearing acts, these creatures create small holes in the sand, which serve as their hideouts. The size of these holes can vary from that of a quarter to a golf ball, depending on the crab’s size. While young ghost crabs are tiny, adults can grow up to 3 inches in body size.

Spotting a ghost crab can be a fleeting experience; they often vanish before you can get a good look, thanks to their impressive speed of up to 10 mph. They tend to stay hidden during the day to avoid people and predators but are active at night.

While it is completely fine for your kids to have a blast hunting them, locals ask that you please do so responsibly. Ghost crabs are NOT good to eat, nor can they swim. So, please release them ON THE SAND after getting some pictures and certainly before you go back to your condo, beach house, or hotel rooms. Plus, during sea turtle nesting season, (May through October) PLEASE use a red flashlight instead of a white one. Because endangered sea turtles use moonlight to navigate, red flashlights are far less disruptive to them. And if you happen to come across a sea turtle trying to crawl up the beach to nest, or if you happen to see small sea turtle hatchlings scrambling toward the water, PLEASE leave them alone and stay away (it’s the law!)

What You Need to Hunt Ghost Crabs (and Where to Get It)

To take the kids ghost crab hunting, you’ll only need three inexpensive items:

1) A “Turtle-safe” Flashlight (red lens) which can be obtained through an online retailer such as Amazon or, if you are unable to find one locally in Gulf Shores, you can get regular flashlights and obtain free red sticker lenses from the Gulf Shores/Orange Beach Welcome Centers

2) A small net with a handle which also can be obtained through an online retailer such as Amazon and are also sold locally in Gulf Shores/Orange beach at stores like Walmart, souvenir shops, and beach supply stores

3) A bucket or small ice chest to put your crabs in for a little while (PLEASE release them ON THE SAND before going back to your condo, beach house, or hotel rooms)

Have fun and make some memories!