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Marine Fisheries reminding people to report any sightings of Blue Land Crabs

PRE News & Ideas | By Kelly Batchelor

Published August 27, 2026 at 7:10 AM EDT

North Carolina Museum of Science researcher Dr. Bronwyn Williams said a blue land crab was first found in Emerald Isle this summer. “It was the first report of a blue land crab in North Carolina,” she said. — North Carolina Museum of Science researcher Dr. Bronwyn Williams said a blue land crab was first found in Emerald Isle in summer. 2023 “It was the first report of a blue land crab in North Carolina,” she said.

The NC Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Marine Fisheries is reminding people to take a picture and report any sightings of Blue Land Crabs – native from Brazil to South Florida.

The first confirmed blue land crab sighting in North Carolina occurred in summer 2023. Since then, there have been 23 confirmed sightings here in North Carolina. Two of the confirmed sightings happened this year, in Emerald Isle.

Despite their name, the crabs vary widely in color and they’re difficult to catch.

Kelly Batchelor

Kelly Batchelor hails from the small crossroads community of Cabin in Duplin County in Eastern North Carolina. Since 1989 Kelly has been actively employed in radio.

See stories by Kelly Batchelor