Crabs will again be racing in Broome this year, following the mysterious return of a metre-long crab hat central to the show.

Owen Pointer - better known locally as Rabbit - hand-made the wide-brimmed crustacean hat 21 years ago when he started hosting weekly hermit crab races at a local pub.

Last week he was devastated to discover it had been stolen from a hotel storeroom.

The story circulated on social media overnight, prompting an anonymous drop-off to the hotel it had been stolen from.

"From what I've heard, a red car went by and hurled the hat out there, and it landed on the hedge," Mr Pointer said.

"It was a drive-by return sort of thing.

"I guess it might of been done as a drunken lark, and they've realised the error of their ways and returned it back to us."

The theft of the hat had thrown this year's crab-racing season, due to start on the Easter weekend, into doubt.

But Mr Pointer said the hat would be back in action after getting a bit of care.

"The crab races will definitely be on," he said.

"I'm sure security will be stepped up after this."

Crab racing is a popular sport in the Kimberley region, with hermit crabs taking to an indoor racetrack in Broome, and the larger, more aggressive mud crabs raced outdoors in the nearby town of Derby.