Mysterious Sea Creature With Long Tendrils Washes Up On The Shore, Baffles Experts

The Padre Island National Seashore in Texas has recently posted a photo on Facebook of a mysterious sea creature with long yellow tendrils washed up on the shore. The photo immediately caught the attention of many and baffled the experts at the same time.

At first glance, it seems as if the image shows some sea garbage. However, it was later revealed that the object is actually a sea creature resembling a cord or wire lying coiled in the sand.

“Have you ever been out walking the beach, perhaps picking up trash and you come across something that looks like this? We often get asked what this is, and more often people assume that it’s trash,” the post said.

Officials later explained that it's not an image of trash but is a sea creature. Experts identified it as a sea whip coral – found from New Jersey down through the Gulf of Mexico. These creatures come in a variety of colors, including yellow, purple, red, and white. The yellow and white varieties are the most common on Padre Island beaches.

According to Encyclopedia Britannica, the sea creature's whip is made of tiny polyps — each of which has a mouth and eight tentacles. Moreover, it noted that sea whip coral could grow up to 3 feet long and feed on brush plankton and other small particles.

Several Facebook users were delighted to find out that the initially taught "cords" were actually a coral.

“At first I thought it was masses of discarded fishing line, and I was pretty upset by that. And, then, I became informed. So cool!” one person wrote. “Wow! (I’ve) seen it before and thought it was trash!” wrote another.

Officials said that most corals that wash up on the shores are likely already dead.

“If you put it back in the water, it will just wash up again,” the park's officials said, adding that leaving it where you find it “helps build up the dunes as it decomposes.”

Mysterious and bizarre-looking sea creatures are often spotted washing up on beaches. Sometimes, these creatures baffle experts and beachgoers. In some cases, these marine animals are identified after their photos or videos surface online.

Recently, a colorful sea creature was spotted floating in the waters along the coast of Western Australia. The blob-like creature – identified as a Spanish dancer or Hexabranchus sanguineus –showed off its red and orange hues. A Facebook user shared the image after he spotted it in the waters of Coral Bay.