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The Irish Sun
7 days ago
- The Irish Sun
10 of the strangest creatures found on UK beaches this summer – from glowing worms to baked bean blobs
Plus, TripAdvisor's best 25 beaches across Europe LET'S SEA 10 of the strangest creatures found on UK beaches this summer – from glowing worms to baked bean blobs ROCKPOOLS and the shallow waters of Britain's beaches are home to some of the most unusual creatures you've probably never heard of. If you know what to look for, you can discover these bizarre little critters yourself. 11 There are a number of odd sea creatures you can find on UK beaches, including a Sea Mouse Credit: Alamy Win one of 8 incredible holidays to the Caribbean, Mexico and Greece by voting in The Sun's Travel Awards - enter to win here From spiky, potato-like beings to sea worms that look more like a sweet, there is a whole world marine life to investigate along the UK's coastlines, according to seaside experts at Simply Sea View. Sea Mouse First up is the Sea Mouse - a small creature, that some find cute and others find fascinating. This little creature isn't a mouse as we know it, it is a type of worm, which often gets washed up on beaches after a storm. Read more on travel inspo ON THE UP I'm a travel editor - the flight, train & ferry upgrades really worth the money You might be able to spot it by its glistening bristles or iridescent colouring. Essentially, it is known to look a bit like a LED-lit hedgehog. If you want to find a Sea Mouse, you should head to beaches in East Wales or Cornwall. Tompot Blenny After the sea washes out and leaves rockpools full of water and creatures, you might be able to spot a Tompot Blenny. These squidgy-looking fish have big bulging eyes, think lips and even frilly horn-like features on their heads. Typically, they are orange or brown in colour, with different patterns all over. The alien-like fish often hides in crevices and corners of rockpools, so you may want to sit still for a while with a sandwich and drink to catch a glimpse of the creature. The good news is that they can be found on rocky shorelines across the entire country. The English seaside town with no arcades or rides but named the best in the UK 11 In rockpools, you might be lucky to spot a Tompot Blenny Credit: Alamy 11 Candy Striped Flatworms resemble mint humbug sweets Credit: Alamy Candy Striped Flatworm The thought of candy and flatworms don't really go together, but the Candy Striped Flatworm looks a bit like a mint humbug. Typically, they are cream in colour and have a darker central stripe, and then fainter stipes running parallel. Essentially, they look like a fancy slug - but are a great creature to find. You will find them along UK coastlines in rocky and muddy areas at low tides. Brown Sea Cucumber Getting its name from the long green vegetable, Brown Sea Cucumbers look the same, just a different colour. They are yellow and brown blobs, but do have frilly tentacles that appear when they are eating. It is best to avoid touching them as many sea cucumbers produce a toxin called holothurin, which can be irritating or even harmful to humans. They can be found along many coastal areas of the UK, including Cornwall in particular. 11 Sea cucumbers get their name after the vegetable Credit: AP 11 Sea Gooseberries look like jelly and can wash up on the beach Credit: Alamy Sea Gooseberries Named after gooseberries due to their size and shape, these small spherical clear balls are actually small invertebrates. Even though they resemble jellyfish, they are a different species. Normally, they only measure up to 2.5cm and have eight rows of hair-like features. Amazingly, they also have two long tentacles that can measure up to 50cm. Some species even have a luminescence, occasionally lighting up the waves at night. They are often seen in UK waters during the summer months and occasionally wash up on the beach. 11 You also often see Sea Potatoes washed up on the beach Credit: Alamy Sea Potatoes This is another creature that looks like its name. Sea Potatoes are cream-coloured but are covered in fur-like spines. They usually reach between 6cm and 9cm in size and are a type of sea urchin. Sea Potatoes can be found around the UK buried in sandy and muddy seabeds. However, you are more likely to see them washed up on the beach as an empty shell, without the spines. 11 Baked Bean Sea Squirts get their name after the much-loved tinned food Credit: Alamy Baked Bean Sea Squirt It isn't hard to picture what Baked Bean Sea Squirt looks like thanks to its name... But these odd orange blobs that look like a splattering of baked beans under the water can often be found glued to a rock. They are actually a type of sea squirt that filters seawater. The odd sight can often be found along the Scottish coasts, such as Loch Fyne and some southern coasts. 11 Flame Shell Reefs have long jelly-like tentacles and other creatures often use them for cover Credit: Alamy Flame Shell Reefs Imagine two halves of a shell still attached, with fuzzy orange fur like Oscar the Grouch from the TV show Sesame Street and that is pretty much a Flame Shell Reef. These little creature are among the UK's most colourful and are a small orange mollusc that builds nests using its fire-coloured tentacles. Other sea creatures will often hide under Flame Shell Reefs too. They can be found in Loch Carron and Loch Alsh, both in Scotland. 11 You can even see rays which are harmless to humans Credit: Alamy Undulate Ray For kids who love stingrays, looking for an Undulate Ray might be the perfect task. These rays feature elaborate patterns on their backs, with dark lines, spots and splodges. This helps them to camouflage into the sand. And they are generally completely harmless to humans. You most likely won't be able to find these guys unless you are swimming or snorkelling in UK waters. 11 And an unusual jellyfish species with a 'sail' Credit: Alamy By-the-Wind Sailor Many people might walk straight past a By-the-Wind Sailor mistaking it for some washed up piece of plastic. But actually, these clear jellyfish with a sail will float on the shore and often wash up in large numbers on our coasts. Luckily, they aren't dangerous. They get their name from drift on the surface of the ocean but then get washed up during storms. It is coming up to the ideal time to spot them as well, as they are usually spotted on UK beaches between September and March. Here Are TripAdvisor's Top 25 Beaches in Europe THESE are the top 25 beaches in Europe that you should put on your bucket list... Elafonissi Beach, Crete, Greece Praia da Falésia, Algarve, Portugal Playa de Muro Beach, Mallorca, Spain Myrtos Beach, Kefalonia, Greece Spiaggia dei Conigli, Sicily, Italy Playa de Maspalomas, Gran Canaria, Spain Plage de Palombaggia, Corsica, France Tropea Beach, Calabria, Italy Reynisfjara Beach, Iceland Falassarna Beach, Crete, Greece Anthony Quinn Bay, Rhodes, Greece Spiaggia La Cinta, Sardinia, Italy Playa de Cofete, Fuerteventura, Spain İztuzu Plajı, Dalyan, Turkey Cala Mariolu, Sardinia, Italy Playa de Ses Illetes, Formentura, Spain Praia da Nazare, Nazare, Portugal Konyaaltı Plajları, Antalya, Turkey Konnos Bay, Ayia Napa, Cyprus Weymouth Beach, Weymouth, UK Praia dos Três Irmãos, Alvor, Portugal Praia do Barril, Tavira, Portugal Gorleston-on-Sea Beach, UK Makronissos Beach, Ayia Napa, Cyprus Plage de Santa Giulia, Corsica, France If you enjoy rock-pooling, the UK is also home to a stunning park with its own beach that visitors say is like 'being in another world'. Plus, you can find incredible lava sea pools that are just four hours from the UK.
The Sun
7 days ago
- The Sun
10 of the strangest creatures found on UK beaches this summer – from glowing worms to baked bean blobs
ROCKPOOLS and the shallow waters of Britain's beaches are home to some of the most unusual creatures you've probably never heard of. If you know what to look for, you can discover these bizarre little critters yourself. From spiky, potato-like beings to sea worms that look more like a sweet, there is a whole world marine life to investigate along the UK's coastlines, according to seaside experts at Simply Sea View. Sea Mouse First up is the Sea Mouse - a small creature, that some find cute and others find fascinating. This little creature isn't a mouse as we know it, it is a type of worm, which often gets washed up on beaches after a storm. You might be able to spot it by its glistening bristles or iridescent colouring. Essentially, it is known to look a bit like a LED-lit hedgehog. If you want to find a Sea Mouse, you should head to beaches in East Wales or Cornwall. Tompot Blenny After the sea washes out and leaves rockpools full of water and creatures, you might be able to spot a Tompot Blenny. These squidgy-looking fish have big bulging eyes, think lips and even frilly horn-like features on their heads. Typically, they are orange or brown in colour, with different patterns all over. The alien-like fish often hides in crevices and corners of rockpools, so you may want to sit still for a while with a sandwich and drink to catch a glimpse of the creature. The good news is that they can be found on rocky shorelines across the entire country. The English seaside town with no arcades or rides but named the best in the UK 11 11 Candy Striped Flatworm The thought of candy and flatworms don't really go together, but the Candy Striped Flatworm looks a bit like a mint humbug. Typically, they are cream in colour and have a darker central stripe, and then fainter stipes running parallel. Essentially, they look like a fancy slug - but are a great creature to find. You will find them along UK coastlines in rocky and muddy areas at low tides. Brown Sea Cucumber Getting its name from the long green vegetable, Brown Sea Cucumbers look the same, just a different colour. They are yellow and brown blobs, but do have frilly tentacles that appear when they are eating. It is best to avoid touching them as many sea cucumbers produce a toxin called holothurin, which can be irritating or even harmful to humans. They can be found along many coastal areas of the UK, including Cornwall in particular. 11 11 Sea Gooseberries Named after gooseberries due to their size and shape, these small spherical clear balls are actually small invertebrates. Even though they resemble jellyfish, they are a different species. Normally, they only measure up to 2.5cm and have eight rows of hair-like features. Amazingly, they also have two long tentacles that can measure up to 50cm. Some species even have a luminescence, occasionally lighting up the waves at night. They are often seen in UK waters during the summer months and occasionally wash up on the beach. 11 Sea Potatoes This is another creature that looks like its name. Sea Potatoes are cream-coloured but are covered in fur-like spines. They usually reach between 6cm and 9cm in size and are a type of sea urchin. Sea Potatoes can be found around the UK buried in sandy and muddy seabeds. However, you are more likely to see them washed up on the beach as an empty shell, without the spines. Baked Bean Sea Squirt It isn't hard to picture what Baked Bean Sea Squirt looks like thanks to its name... But these odd orange blobs that look like a splattering of baked beans under the water can often be found glued to a rock. They are actually a type of sea squirt that filters seawater. The odd sight can often be found along the Scottish coasts, such as Loch Fyne and some southern coasts. Flame Shell Reefs Imagine two halves of a shell still attached, with fuzzy orange fur like Oscar the Grouch from the TV show Sesame Street and that is pretty much a Flame Shell Reef. These little creature are among the UK's most colourful and are a small orange mollusc that builds nests using its fire-coloured tentacles. Other sea creatures will often hide under Flame Shell Reefs too. They can be found in Loch Carron and Loch Alsh, both in Scotland. 11 Undulate Ray For kids who love stingrays, looking for an Undulate Ray might be the perfect task. These rays feature elaborate patterns on their backs, with dark lines, spots and splodges. This helps them to camouflage into the sand. And they are generally completely harmless to humans. You most likely won't be able to find these guys unless you are swimming or snorkelling in UK waters. By-the-Wind Sailor Many people might walk straight past a By-the-Wind Sailor mistaking it for some washed up piece of plastic. But actually, these clear jellyfish with a sail will float on the shore and often wash up in large numbers on our coasts. Luckily, they aren't dangerous. They get their name from drift on the surface of the ocean but then get washed up during storms. It is coming up to the ideal time to spot them as well, as they are usually spotted on UK beaches between September and March. If you enjoy rock-pooling, the UK is also home to a stunning park with its own beach that visitors say is like 'being in another world'. Plus, you can find incredible lava sea pools that are just four hours from the UK. 11
North Wales Live
15-06-2025
- Science
- North Wales Live
Mysterious 'green alien' on North Wales beach that can eat victims three times its own body length
A mysterious creature with shimmering spikes caused a sharp intake of breath after being spotted on a North Wales beach. When photos were shared online, some people likened it a fossil, others to some kind of 'alien'. All confessed to have never seen anything like it before. Covered in bristles, making it appear furry, the half foot-long creature was found by dog walker Simon Parker on Pensarn Beach, Conwy. Not knowing what it was, and seeing its fringe flash green, he used Google Lens to identify it as a Sea Mouse. 'I found it at the water's edge just after low tide," he said. "Unfortunately, it didn't appear to be alive. The Sea Mouse was approximately five or six inches long with brightly coloured bristles down the sides.' Sea Mice are not uncommon but they are rarely seen, occasionally washing up on beaches in rough weather, or stranded by very low tides. By coincidence, another sandy fur-ball was found in March on Oxwich beach, Swansea. The stunned reaction to seeing one at Pensarn would not have surprised the Wildlife Trusts, which said the Sea Mouse is 'unlike anything else in the sea'. Although it can grow to 20cm long and 6cm wide, it's actually a marine worm. Despite its habit of lying buried head-first in the sand, it's a critter with a very special skillset. Its spines usually have a deep red sheen, warning off predators. But when light shines on them, they flash blue, green and gold, giving the worm a shimmering, iridescent fringe. It's a phenomenon called pseudo-birefringence, the only known example of 'photonic engineering' in nature. As the spines process light with almost 100% efficiency – needed in the sea's murky depths – some researchers believe this talent may give way to new communication technologies. If you ever find one, you can see its fibre-optic opulence for yourself. Pop it in a vessel of seawater and the magic will appear: a groovy, psychedelic display completely at odds with its slightly creepy appearance. Why is a worm called a mouse? It's thought the name stems from looking like a bedraggled mouse when washed up on shore. Its Latin name, Aphrodita aculeata, is just as bizarre. While aculeata means 'spiny', the genus name refers to Aphrodite, the ancient Greek goddess of love – apparently because the worms resemble women's genitalia. The Sea Mouse is an active predator of small crabs. It also preys on other worms, able to eat victims more than three times its own body length. Occasionally they are spotted wriggling across the sand, invariably an unnerving sight for beachgoers. They are not generally harmful to people, though their sharp bristles that can cause irritation if they puncture the skin.
