Disturbing a hermit crab by grabbing a shell

A lighting whelk, the Texas state shell, plucked out of the Gulf along the beach at Galveston Island State Park was home to a hermit crab.

A thinstripe hermit crab peeks out.

After forcing the hermit crab to pose for pics, we tossed it back into the warm waters rolling onto the beach.

-- Lana b