The ocean is home to a variety of marine life — and many of them are beautiful, mysterious, and just plain bizarre. Sometimes, we get a rare glimpse of them when they…
The ocean is home to a variety of marine life — and many of them are beautiful, mysterious, and just plain bizarre. Sometimes, we get a rare glimpse of them when they (sadly) wash up on beaches as a result of severe storms or strong currents.
In 2018, beachgoers around the world have spotted several sea creatures that left them (and social media) scratching their heads in puzzlement. From shaggy-haired globsters to a “Loch Ness-type” sea monster, these are just some of the strangest creatures that washed ashore.
In May, the residents of a town in Oriental Mindoro in the Philippines flocked to the beach to see a grayish white blob, covered in hair, washed ashore. The carcass of the mysterious animal measured nearly 20 feet long, and weighed more than 4,000 pounds. Experts said that the globster (a term used to refer to blob-like creatures without obvious eyes and bones, or a visibly distinct head) was most likely a whale.
Why did the dead whale look so strange? “Gas buildup inside the body cavity causes bloating and distortion,” Nicholas Higgs, deputy director of the Marine Institute at the University of Plymouth, told Newsweek . “Various parts drop off or are scavenged by sharks as it floats around.” Higgs also said strands of “hair” on the carcass are really just the remains of muscles and blubber.
A sea monster-looking blob washed ashore in Cagdianao, Dinagat Islands.| @hero_peewee pic.twitter.com/P2zYIwdbBq
— GMA News (@gmanews) February 22,2017
In Barcelona, beachgoers were mystified when thousands of jellyfish-like creatures left a carpet of vibrant blue slime along the shorelines. The creatures were later identified as Velella velella, a bluish, carnivorous animal related to jellyfish, according to the Local. They are free-floating hydrozoan that live on the surface of the open ocean.
Impresionante la plaga actual de #medusas azules en las playas de Barcelona/Barceloneta. Son cnidarios, hidrozoos, especie Velella velella, abundantes en primavera, circulares, azuladas y poco urticantes. De lejos y por el color parecen pequeños mejillones, pero no son moluscos. pic.twitter.com/f2g3NdQM0p
— Lluis Montoliu (@LluisMontoliu) April 28,2018
Although creepy-looking, they are primarily harmless. Each person may respond differently to contact with their nematocyst toxin, however, so experts advise avoiding touching the face or eyes after handling Velella velella, as itching may develop in parts of the skin that have been exposed.
