Thousands of sea cucumbers have washed up on the beach in the Oregon coastal town of Seaside thanks to a combination of heavy surf and low tide. The partially translucent, pink gelatinous creatures are called skin breathing sea cucumbers. They normally burrow into the sand along the low tideline and farther out. But on Tuesday, they were scattered across more than 2 miles of Seaside Beach, says Tiffany Boothe, the assistant manager of the Seaside Aquarium. "They are literally littering the tideline," Boothe says. They're about a half-inch long but can grow to about 6 inches. The phenomenon can occur whenever surf and tide conditions coincide, which can mean a few times a year or once in a few years.
Sometimes a few will be scattered here and there on the shore, but there were large groupings on the beach during this latest episode, the AP reports. Boothe hasn't seen this many on the beach in years. The sea cucumbers aren't capable of returning to their natural habitat on their own so they will dry up and die, Boothe says. They'll provide nutrients for the beach hoppers, beach fleas, and other invertebrates living along the tideline that will feast on them. Birds don't eat them. Whatever remains will likely dry up quickly and blend in with the sand. Boothe suspects they'll be gone by Wednesday or Thursday.
The cucumbers live along the coast from northern California to the Gulf of Alaska. In a Facebook post, the Seaside Aquarium said it was remarkable how many had been stranded this time. "Lacking tube feet, these strange animals look more like a worm than a sea cucumber," the aquarium said. "They live just past the surf, burrowed into the sand for protection. Most of the time they are just fine, nestled down in sand, but certain ocean conditions, such as heavy surf combined with low tides can dislodge them leaving them stranded along the shoreline, sometimes by the thousands."
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