No. 39 Catch a crab

An adult and child stand in the water catching crabs with a net at St Helens Duver, Isle of Wight — Catching crabs at St Helens Duver, Isle of Wight | © National Trust Images/John Millar

Crabs can look pretty crazy when they're scuttling sideways along the beach or shore. Before trying to catch one, learn some crab facts, including the safest way to pick one up without being pinched.

Top tips to catch a crab

Catching a crab sounds easy, but you'll need to plan ahead if you're going to pull off this challenge. We've got some tips to help you catch one safely when you're at the seaside.

Don't use a hook to catch your crab

Don't use a hook, use a net instead. You'll want some bait (food) inside the net to catch your greedy crab quickly. Crabs love a stinky dish of raw fish heads, liver or bacon – even better if it's a little rotten. Yuck!

Replace rocks and seaweed

Lift rocks carefully and try not to move any seaweed that is attached to the rocks. If you take any rocks out, then gently put them back after you've found your crab.

Work out what sort of crab it is

Look at your crab carefully. What colour is it? How big are its claws? How does its shell feel? The Marine Conservation Society have some great identification sheets that you can download and take with you when you go to the seaside - and they're not just for crabs, but all sorts of other things you might find at the beach.

If there are rock pools nearby and you want to identify some of the creatures inside them, take a look at our 50 things guide to exploring a rock pool.

How to pick up a crab safely

Try not to get pinched! Marine biologists say the best way of avoiding a nip from a crab's claws is to put your thumb and forefinger on either side of the crab's shell, above its front claws. This way, even if your crab gets angry when you pick it up, its claws won't reach you.

Someone holds a crab in a way that they can't get pinched — The best way to hold a crab to avoid its claws, at West Runton and Beeston Regis Heath, Norfolk | © National Trust Images/Rob Coleman

Put the crab back afterwards

Crabs have homes and places to go to, so after you've got to know each other a little bit and once you've worked out what type of crab you've caught, it's best to pop it back where you found it.

See sea shells

Hermit crabs like to make their homes in the discarded shells of whelks or periwinkles, so if you've found some empty sea shells then could leave some as a housewarming present... or even an actual house!