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Thousands of unique, gelatinous pink sea creatures have washed ashore across a large stretch of Oregon’s Seaside Beach, a rare occurrence caused by a powerful combination of a heavy surf and unusually low tide.
These ‘skin-breathing’ sea cucumbers, known for their partially translucent appearance, typically live deep within the sand along the low tide line and out into the sea. However, on Tuesday, they were found scattered over more than 3.2 kilometers (2 miles) of the popular coastal area. Tiffany Boothe, assistant manager of the Seaside Aquarium, confirmed the extensive washout.
“They’re literally ruining the tide pools,” Boothe said. They are about half an inch (1.3 cm) long but can grow to about 6 inches (15 cm).
This phenomenon can occur whenever wave and tide conditions match, which could mean a few times a year or once every few years. Sometimes there will be a few people scattered here and there on the shore but during this latest episode there were large groups on the beach.
Boothe said sea cucumbers are not able to return to their natural habitat on their own so they will dry out and die. They will provide nutrients for beach hoppers, beach fleas and other invertebrates living along the tide pools that will feast on them. birds Don’t eat them.
A map of Oregon’s seaside coastline:
Whatever remains will likely dry quickly and turn into sand. Booth doubts they will be gone by Wednesday or Thursday.
The scientific name of cucumber is Leptosynapta clarkii. They live along the coast from the north California till gulf of alaska,
The coast is about 80 miles (129 kilometers) northwest of Portland, Oregon.