A mysterious discovery on a South Australian beach has captivated locals, who were baffled by an unusual natural phenomenon that washed ashore. Vicki Evans, a resident of Port Elliot, encountered the odd sight during her regular morning walk at Horseshoe Bay, about an hour from Adelaide, and was so amazed she shared photos online.
“Over 26 years walking Horseshoe Bay – I’ve never seen anything quite like this before!” she posted on the popular Everybody Loves (Port) Elliot Facebook group. Her images quickly gained traction, with locals weighing in on the “alien” appearance of the translucent, stalked sea creatures.
“It’s another reason not to paddle in the sea..!!” joked one commenter, while others described the find as “extraordinary,” “weird,” and “beautiful.” After much speculation, many correctly identified the organism as a cluster of goose barnacles.
Goose barnacles are marine crustaceans with long, flexible stalks, often found attached to floating objects, docks, or piers. According to the Australian Museum, these barnacles have a tough outer shell, which can mislead some into thinking they’re more closely related to snails. However, inside, they resemble crustaceans with jointed legs used for capturing food particles.
Marine ecologist Dr. Zoe Doubleday from the University of South Australia commented on the rare sighting, noting that she had never encountered such a large specimen. She suggested it may have detached from an old pylon or marine infrastructure. “It looks like the mass broke off the mothership and floated to shore,” Dr. Doubleday explained, sharing her amazement at the dense cluster of barnacles.
Locals from other coastal areas, including Middleton Beach and Goolwa Beach, reported similar sightings, with some sharing footage of barnacles seen on nearby shores. “We saw similar on a beach near Port Macquarie in NSW recently! Never seen anything like it before!” one user shared alongside a photo.
Goose barnacles are commonly found along Australian coastlines, spanning Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, and Western Australia. This remarkable sighting has served as a reminder of the wonders—and surprises—nature can bring to local shores.
𝐒𝐮𝐛𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐞, 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞, 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐰𝐬 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐥!
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