Find endangered coconut crabs on Ishigaki Island!

See the endangered coconut crab on Ishigaki Island!

After fireflies, coconut crabs are the second most popular creature on night tours in Ishigaki Island. Many people must have an image of coconut crab as an endangered species. In many night tours and night safari tours in Ishigaki Island,Tours to see coconut crabs while exploring the jungle at night are popular.This time we will introduce the coconut crab that lives in such a subtropical virgin forest on Ishigaki Island!

What is the endangered coconut crab?

The coconut crab is a nocturnal creature that appears at night around mangrove swamps and caves. They are listed as an endangered species, and there are not many of them, but since they live under certain conditions, it is easy to know where they live, and you can usually find them on Ishigaki Island. Also, Hermit crabs are classified as hermit crabs even though their name contains the word "crab" in it.

It is said that coconut crabs have no concept of life span, and as they age, they molt and are reborn as new cells.This is why they are the subject of medical research. If they can figure out how it is structured in the future and if it can be adapted to humans, we may be able to stay young too (laughs). I am looking forward to it!

Why are coconut crabs endangered when they have no life span? Because, although it appears to have a hard shell, it is very vulnerable to impact.Therefore, they often fall out of trees or eat poisonous food for the rest of their lives.They are often in accidents, especially on Iriomote Island and other roads at night... so please be careful while driving at night!

Ishigaki Island/Night] Same-day reservation OK! Starry sky & subtropical jungle night tour♪ Recommended for families with children and group tours (No.316)開始時間7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.所要時間Approx. 2 hours7,900 yen →4,900yen

Enjoy a comfortable trip with a rental car!

We'll also make reservations in advance for car rentals, which fill up quickly!
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Ishigaki Island Car Rental Ishigaki Island Tours offers easy comparison and reservation of rental car plans for Ishigaki Island! It takes about 3 hours to go around Ishigaki Island by car. If you want to visit all the sightseeing spots efficiently, you need to rent a car! There are plans that include free pick-up from Shin-Ishigaki Airport, car navigation system, no need to return a full tank of gas, and even child seats. We also introduce other means of transportation other than rental cars! (30 total) アクティビティの詳細を見る

Favorite food of coconut crabs

Coconut crabs love adan nuts, which are shaped like pineapples. So much so that it is said that where there are adan nuts, there are coconut crabs. As its name suggests, the coconut crab also eats coconuts, but it is an omnivore and will eat anything. Therefore, they will even eat poisonous things if they think they can (laugh).

Size of coconut crab

Even though they are shaped like crabs, they look like they belong in the tropics. The size of a large coconut crab can be as large as 40 cm in length, and some coconut crabs exceed 1 m when their legs are included. Some crabs are over 1 meter long, including their legs, making them one of the largest crabs in Japan. Let's take a look at the powerful coconut crabs.

The power of coconut crab scissors

Palm crabs are also known for their very strong scissors.The large size weighs about 4 kg, but its grip strength is said to exceed 300-400 kg.It is amazing that they can lift 100 times their own weight. Coconut crabs basically don't attack you, so you don't have to worry about getting caught if you don't mess with them. They are fine to play with scissors on a branch or something, but don't make the mistake of playing with your fingers!

There is a culture of eating coconut crab on Ishigaki Island.

Although it is an endangered species, there is a culture of eating coconut crabs in Ishigaki and Iriomote Islands as in the past. However, it is not so common now. It is eaten the same way as crabs, boiled or in a soup with coconut crab extract.

Let's go look for coconut crabs!

You can almost certainly see them on a jungle night tour on Ishigaki Island.They can often be seen in mangrove swamps and caves along the beach. Especially during the warmer months, you may see not one or two, but five or six coconut crabs in a cave. You may also see coconut crabs when walking through mangrove jungles.

On the night tour of Ishigaki Island, you can see not only coconut crabs, but also nocturnal animals such as flying foxes, huge rocks washed away by the tsunami that is said to have existed in the past, fireflies that light up the ground depending on the season, and stars in the sky and shooting stars when the weather is fine. Please join the night tour and enjoy the great nature of Ishigaki Island at night!

For details and a list of Ishigaki Island Night Tour plans, click here↓.

Ishigaki Island Stargazing & Night Safari Tour You will experience beautiful starry skies and subtropical flora and fauna that you will never experience anywhere else. A night tour is the best way to end the day! (10 total) アクティビティの詳細を見る

Ishigaki Island/Night] Same-day reservation OK! Starry sky & subtropical jungle night tour♪ Recommended for families with children and group tours (No.316)開始時間7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.所要時間Approx. 2 hours7,900 yen →4,900yen

6 palm crab spots on Ishigaki Island

(1) Vanna Park

Banna Park has the ocean nearby, and even though it is a park, it has lush forests on a vast site that extends 8 km in circumference. As a result, the park is home to many creatures, including the coconut crab.

At this spot, you can encounter not only coconut crabs, but also Okinawa's native creatures such as the red kingfisher and the cuina family. When you go looking for nocturnal coconut crabs, why not also go to see Yaeyama fireflies, which can be seen during the spring season? The Yaeyama fireflies are known as a carpet of light, and their flashes are very impressive.

Ishigaki Island-Banna Park   About Banna Park Banna Park is a nature-rich park located in the center of Ishigaki Island at an elevation of about 230 meters. It is the widest park in Ishigaki Island with a circumference of about 8 km, and there are entrances (east, west, north, south, and west) in each direction. Banna Park is an area rich in nature [...].

Shiraho Coast

Shiraho Coast is a 10-minute drive from Shin-Ishigaki Airport and is one of the top class beaches in Ishigaki Island in terms of coral species and quantity. It is a precious environment with a large colony of blue coral, which is famous as a rare coral, and has very high biodiversity. Since coconut crabs also live there, it is a nutritious and habitat-friendly spot for them to feed.

Ishigaki Island-Shiraho Beach   About Shiraho Beach Shiraho Beach is located in the eastern part of the island, about 5 minutes by car from Shin-Ishigaki Airport, on the way from the airport to the city center, and about 20 minutes by car from the city center. The natural white sand beach stretches for about 10 km, and the population [...].

(3) Hirakubozaki area

Yashi crabs are also found around Hirakubozaki, and are especially abundant along the west coast. In Ishigaki Island, coconut crabs are designated as an endangered species due to overhunting and are protected.

There is a protected area along the west coast of Hirakubozaki, where catching coconut crabs is prohibited from December to August of the following year, and only male coconut crabs (breast length over 4 cm and under 5.5 cm) are allowed to be caught between September and November. If you encounter a coconut crab during your visit, please leave it alone.

(4) Mikamizaki area

Mikamizaki is the westernmost cape of Ishigaki Island and is famous for its beautiful sunset view. It is one of the most beautiful spots in Ishigaki Island, characterized by the waves crashing against the rugged rock surface from Mikamizaki.

Since subtropical plants grow wild near Goshinzaki and there is a beach nearby, you may encounter coconut crabs scurrying about at night. The power of the coconut crab's scissors is said to be comparable to the power of a lion's jaws, and it is very dangerous, so do not touch it recklessly.

Ishigaki Island - Mikamizaki   Mikamizaki is a cape located at the westernmost tip of Ishigaki Island. The view of the emerald green sea from the precipitous cliff is beautiful, and there is Mikamizaki Lighthouse at the tip. In early spring, the area is dyed in white and pink by the tepou lily and hirsutaki tsukimisou [...].

(5) Akashi Beach

The protected area for coconut crabs introduced at Hirakubozaki extends to the Akashi area, which is also a habitat area. Akashi Beach has many native adan trees, a favorite food of the coconut crab, and many coconut crabs used to be seen here. Recently, however, the number of coconut crabs has been decreasing, and they are now listed as an endangered species in the Red Data Book of Japan.

Ishigaki Island-Akashi Beach   Akashi Beach is a natural beach located on the east side of Akashi village in the middle of "Hirakubo Peninsula" that stretches long in the northeast of Ishigaki Island. The beach is quite spacious, but on the other hand, it is very quiet, and you can enjoy a leisurely stroll and listen to the sound of the waves [...].

6) Kabira Bay

Kabira Bay, a representative scenic spot of Ishigaki Island, is characterized by its white sand beach and clear water. Although Kabira Bay does not have many adan trees, which are favorite of coconut crabs, it is a suitable habitat for coconut crabs because of its proximity to the ocean and the abundance of subtropical plants and animals.

It is even said that there are coconut crabs where there are adan trees, so people tend to think that there are no coconut crabs if there are no adan trees, but this is not true. However, this is not true. Since coconut crabs are omnivorous, they can be found in any habitat where they can easily live.

The No.1 best view in Ishigaki Island] Don't miss Kabira Bay! Recommended spots around gourmet food and experiencesContents1 Ishigaki Island's No.1 scenic spot loved by locals! Introduction of gourmet food and experience spots in Kabira Bay 2 What is Kabira Bay like? 3 How to get to Kabira Bay 3.1 How to get to Kabira Bay by bus 3.2 How to get to Kabira Bay by car (rental car) [...].

Kabira Bay Tour A must visit when you come to Ishigaki Island! Kabira Bay in Ishigaki Island is rated as a three-star scenic spot worth visiting by the guidebook "Michelin Green Guide Japon". In this issue, we will introduce Kabira Bay's [...]. (16 total) アクティビティの詳細を見る

Ishigaki Island / 1 Day] Let's look for sea turtles! Kabira Bay SUP/Canoe & Blue Cave Snorkeling Tour *Free Photo (No.349)開始時間9:00-16:00所要時間Approx. 7 hours28,000 yen →13,500yen

Ishigaki Island/2.5 hours] Same-day reservation OK! Kabira Bay SUP Tour★Michelin Guide 3-star Tour★Free Photo (No.301)開始時間9:00-11:30 / 13:30-16:00所要時間Approx. 2.5 hours14,500 yen →7,900yen

Ishigaki Island/Half-day] Same-day reservation OK! Kabira Bay" Kayak Tour ★Free Photo (No.302)開始時間9:00-11:30 / 13:30-16:00所要時間Approx. 2.5 hours14,500 yen →7,900yen

summary

Palm crabs, listed as an endangered species, are much-loved nocturnal creatures in the Yaeyama Islands; Ishigaki City became a starry sky protected area on March 30, 2018, and you can join a night tour to see the stars and palm crabs.

All the fun in Ishigaki Island is here↓.
Ishigaki Island Tours

Enjoy a luxurious and relaxing experience after a day of activities.

Ishigakijima Massage Experience Yoga experience that leads your body to relax slowly in the beautiful natural scenery of Ishigaki Island♪ Early morning yoga and sunset yoga in the sunset are also recommended! (19 in total) アクティビティの詳細を見る