Aug
17
What is this Stuff on the Beach?
By
Sea Pork surfing
This Sea Pork looks like tar
Is it an organ of a marine animal on the beach? Is it a tar ball that got washed up on the beach? Is it the beginning of another attack of The Blob? Nope, it is Sea Pork. They are rubbery globs of cellulose that house tiny zooids that filter seawater as food. Wild! If you want more technical info visit http://www.mitchellspublications.com/guides/shells/articles/0084/ . For me? I just like to look at their weirdness. Have you seen them on the beach too?
This Sea Pork looks like a sponge
Sea Pork orange
Sea Pork curly
Sea pork brainy
Sea Pork black
I never knew they came in different colors. My sister and I went to Sanibel with my 2 youngest a while back, they found this huge pinkish tan blob that we later found out was sea pork. I took a pic of it too, I’d be ok not finding any again
LOL! You come up with the best “stuff”!
I was in Fort Myers Beach/Sanibel in early August . . . have tons of pictures of these “blobs” . . . had no idea what they were . . . glad to be educated!!!
I have always wondered about these things – thanks!
Hi Pam…too bizarre! I will have to show this to Fritz, He will be a fan. Lol. He likes any kind of pork…bacon, sausage, yuk:) You Do come up with some Very cool stuff! I’m going to have to start looking for this! Miss you!
When I did a little research on this sea pork to get my facts straight, the wiki/encyclopedia/dictionary sites all had ads for recipes and cookbooks. LOL Warning, Warning….. Sea Pork can be dangerous to your health if consumed. haha (actually, I really don’t know if it is dangerous but I’M NOT gonna try it to find out!)
Amen, Sista…no way will that particular item make it on my table, EVER! EEEEEEWW!
I can think of lots of things I’d venture to taste for the first time — sea pork has no chance of making the list! Thanks for all the great info, Pam!
I think the name “sea pork” makes it sounds more gross than it actually is. I saw a couple of things while there in July – I thought they were some kind of jelly. Thanks for the education.
All your info is so amazing!! And I’m throwing my hands up in surrender….I’ve been to many caribbean beaches and thought I’d seen so many shell islands, but nah. I’ve never seen the amount and different kinds of shells that you guys find where you are!!
I have got to come to your neck of the woods soon!!
I bet….as gross as it is…..you either poked it with your finger…or your toe…or both!!! I did!! = ) (Kinda like a wet paint sign!)
Yes! LOL of course I had to.
[...] this video yesterday so this shows you that there are still shells (and sponges and urchins and SEA PORK and lots of fun stuff) on the beach left over from last weekend’s wind and good [...]
[...] The first time I saw SEA PORK, I thought it must be an organ from some kind of fish. Then I picked one up and it felt like a piece of rubber. To see more pictures and to get more info, take a look at more weird SEA PORK by clicking on… “ What’s This Stuff On The Beach?“. [...]
great new info!! thanks again
If the sea pork contains a group of organisms does anyone know whether it is dead or alive when it washes up on the beach ? Should we be throwing it back in? My son gathered up a ton of it and put it together then took pictures..it was beautiful actually…but the question is, did he then harm all those tiny guys?
We found a huge one on the north side of Captiva just a few days ago. (Mar. 2012) It was covered except for the size of a quarter but had seaweed on the top so I thought it was a carrot that had been buried. As we started digging it up, it was about 10 lbs and a foot by a foot by 4″. We had no idea what it was. Thanks for the information.