Shock as thousands of gelatinous pink sea creatures wash ashore in America
Extreme tides strand thousands of sea cucumbers on Oregon coast
- Thousands of peculiar, gelatinous pink sea creatures have washed ashore along a significant stretch of Oregon's Seaside Beach.
- This rare occurrence is attributed to the powerful combination of heavy surf and unusually low tides.
- The 'skin breathing' sea cucumbers, identified as Leptosynapta clarki, typically reside burrowed deep within the sand.
- Found across more than 3.2 kilometres (2 miles) of the popular coastal area, they are unable to return to their natural habitat.
- The creatures will dry up and die, providing nutrients for beach hoppers and other invertebrates, and are expected to disappear from the beach within days.