Ghost crabs are most active at night, though they are found at dawn and dusk and occasionally at midday.

North Myrtle has some interesting wildlife and crabs are some of the coolest. If you go out on the beach at night, you will likely see some of them scurrying around looking for food. Crabs are everywhere and if you want to catch some to fix for dinner or just to observe for a little while, these tips can help.

If you do not put them on ice and happen to stumble across a dead one in your cleaning process, DO NOT EAT IT. Crabs can spoil quickly and are meant to be eaten fresh!

There are many other types of crabs to be seen in the Lowcountry, including the fiddler crab, blue crab, stone crab, spider crab and hermit crab. Each has it’s own set of interesting behaviors and adaptations. Get outside on a tour of our local natural places and see some of them for yourself!

The best time to go searching for hermit crabs on the beach is at low tide. This is when the water level has receded to its lowest point and hermit crabs will be easier to spot. Low tide can be at different times each day, so plan ahead and look at the tide table.

Myrtle Beach Piers

• Apache Campground Pier.
• Second Avenue Pier.
• Cherry Grove Beach Pier.
• Myrtle Beach State Park.

As more development takes place on Carolina shores, the ghost crab’s habitat is shrinking. More people on beaches means the shy creatures have fewer opportunities to live undisturbed, according to the SCDNR. Beach renourishment also has led to the loss of ghost crabs on North Carolina’s coast, research shows.

The carapace of a Speckled swimming crab is light brown, light maroon, or olive with many white or tan irregular round spots. The males tend to be more colorful. Each side of the carapace consists of nine lateral teeth with the last extending outward. Between the eye sockets there are six partially fused frontal teeth.

Color: Male fiddler crabs have one large claw and are brighter in color than females, having a purple grey or blue carapace with irregular markings of black or brown. The females have equal-sized claws and generally have a much more subdued coloration on their carapaces. Size: Carapace is up to 1 inch long.

Cherry Grove Beach Pier in North Myrtle Beach was built in the 1950s and stands strong until this day. The pier calls fishermen for miles, all hoping to top the last biggest catch. This is one of my favorite spots to go crabbing in Myrtle Beach.

You are at Myrtle Beach, after all. You will also need a fair share of crabbing supplies. Some piers will sell crab bait and traps at their bait/gift shop, but it’s always helpful to come prepared. Here are four crabbing essentials and a little information for each:

The C. maculatus has a smooth carapace and general appearance, with the exception of four protruding spines located between its eyes. These crabs are typically found on coral and rocky reef substrates generally in the Indo-West Pacific.

While Myrtle Beach is known for its amusement rides and golf courses, it’s also a great place to go crabbing! South Carolina, along with Louisiana and The Chesapeake Bay, supports the largest Blue Crab fisheries in the United States.