Thousands of Sea Cucumbers Wash Ashore in Oregon Town

Thousands of sea cucumbers have washed up along the beach in Seaside, Oregon, after a rare combination of heavy surf and low tide pushed the soft-bodied creatures out of their usual habitat.

The translucent, pinkish animals — known as skin-breathing sea cucumbers — normally burrow into the sand near the low-tide line and beyond. But on Tuesday, they blanketed more than two miles of Seaside Beach, according to Tiffany Boothe, assistant manager of the Seaside Aquarium.

“They are literally littering the tideline,” Boothe said, describing the unusual scene. The sea cucumbers, which typically measure about half an inch but can grow up to six inches long, were scattered in large clusters — far more than seen in recent years.

The aquarium says such strandings happen occasionally when surf and tide conditions align, sometimes a few times per year but often far less frequently. “This is the most I’ve seen in years,” Boothe noted.

Unfortunately, the sea cucumbers are unable to return to the ocean on their own and will likely dry up and die in the coming days. Their remains, however, will serve as food for beach hoppers, beach fleas, and other tiny invertebrates along the tideline. Birds typically avoid eating them.

The Seaside Aquarium wrote on Facebook that the sheer number of sea cucumbers stranded this week was remarkable. “Lacking tube feet, these strange animals look more like worms than typical sea cucumbers,” the post read. “They usually live just past the surf zone, burrowed in the sand for protection. But when strong surf combines with a low tide, thousands can be dislodged and stranded.”

The species can be found along the Pacific coast from northern California to the Gulf of Alaska. Boothe expects most of the stranded sea cucumbers will have disappeared — dried and blended back into the sand — by midweek.

Original Source

About Post Author

Detroit City Limits

See author's posts