The 600-meter-long beach is an endless banquet hall for a tiny hermit crab measuring barely 1 centimeter from head to toe. Carrying a white sea-snail shell on its back, it scurries forward, its tiny claws and mouth moving more busily than its legs. The crab is not the only resident enjoying the beach. Seagulls peck relentlessly at the muddy sand, seemingly unconcerned about straining their necks, while blue crabs, wary of the gulls, remain absorbed in their own hunting. Just a few steps away, vacationers splash in the water, but the commotion does little to disturb them. After boarding a passenger ferry at Incheon Port, it takes about 70 minutes to reach Deokjeok Island. Located in Incheon's maritime Ongjin County, the island is the largest among the 41 islands that make up the Deokjeok Archipelago. White-sand beaches, mixed-sand shores and pebble beaches stretch along different sides of the island, while trails revealed by the ebbing tide add an element of mystery. Deokjeok Island is an ideal destination for a summer getaway, as well as for ecotourism and camping, yet it is far from ov