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Ghastly sea creature washes up on Southern California beach By Emma Richter For Dailymail.Com Published: 23:44 EDT, 17 October 2024 | Updated: 23:45 EDT, 17 October 2024 e-mail View comments A frightful sea creature disturbed beachgoers after washing up on shore on a Southern California Beach. The sea life appears to be a moray eel, but one that specifically 'looks a little bleached out from being dead,' Tim Daly of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife told SFGATE .
Moray eels are common to Southern California and are known to live in shallow water filled with reefs to hide in, according to Britannica. The ocean specimen was found in Dana Point on Saturday, leading to an image to be posted online and sparking thousands of comments. The long creature was seen tangled in seaweed, laying along the sand as its razor sharp teeth showed through its open mouth.
A moray eel washed up ashore in Dana Point on Saturday, frightening beachgoers Moray eels are common to Southern California, and are known to live in shallow water filled with reefs and rocks to hide out in. (pictured: Salt Creek Beach in Dana Point) One Reddit user who viewed the image was so alarmed by the picture they claimed the fish would give them 'nightmares'. Someone else wrote: 'Horrifyingly goofy thing wtf.
' 'I hate it,' another said. 'Those things are so alien looking. But as others have already said, def not an alien but rather an eel,' a fourth added.
Read More Giant sea creature washes up on Oregon beach around gawking vacationers While some never saw the marine creature before, one viewer said they were more common than some might think. 'They are plentiful; you'd be surprised,' someone said on Facebook. Another Reddit user said: 'When this thing's on the beach Stay out of its reach - That's a moray.
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' 'MORAY EELS ARE SO COOL AND I LOVE THEM. Sorry, just needed to get that out,' another said. Compared to typical eels, this species has tiny and round gills and typically lack pectoral fins, which help fish make changes in their side-to-side direction.
Though they do not have scales, they have thick, smooth skin, along with strong jaws and extremely sharp teeth. Moray's typically eat reef fishes, octopus, crabs, sea urchins, lobsters and shrimp, and are known to leave grizzly wounds on their prey. They have also been known to seriously injure humans.
'They are apt to attack humans only when disturbed, but then they can be quite vicious,' Britannica said. Though they do not have scales, they have thick, smooth skin, along with strong jaws and extremely sharp teeth The species can also be found in coral reefs from Point Conception in Santa Barbara County to southern Baja California in Mexico, according to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. The eels are also known for having a deep-rooted history, as it is believed they were once consumed by ancient Romans, SFGATE reported.
In late September, Oregon beach vacationers were stunned by an enormous and strange-looking sea creature that ended up on the shore. A giant ocean sunfish - also known as a mola mola - was the third spotted since June at Hug Point State Park in Clatsop County. The wrinkly-gray fish with large eyes and fins was dead when it washed up on the sand, but visitors were still intrigued by the sight.
It looks like 'the invention of a mad scientist,' as described by The Monterey Bay Aquarium. Mola mola fish are considered a 'vulnerable' species with a decreasing population, according to New Tides Conservation. Reddit Facebook Share or comment on this article: Ghastly sea creature washes up on Southern California beach e-mail Add comment.
