CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Marine experts said they have been seeing some sea life washing up on our shores in numbers that we normally would not see and with some creatures we almost never see. It turns out that freezing weather we had a couple of weeks ago likely played a role.
The Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi's Director of Community Engagement, Jace Tunnell told 3NEWS that the sea critters that have shown up on our beaches aren't that out of the ordinary. However, he said that the amount of one of those species is something that shocked not only him but other scientists as well.
From Bob Hall Pier all the way to Padre Island National Seashore, Jace Tunnell and his team said they came across thousands of tiny eels known as leptocephalus larvae. While these creatures are common in our area, Tunnell said the amount his team found was definitely out of the norm.
"If you combine from Bob Hall all the way down there, that's a 70-mile stretch," Tunnell said. "Every time we stopped there were eels in the high tide line. It was just this odd event that has to probably do with spawning and cold weather events to where they were washing up like that."
Earlier this week, another creature began showing up on our beaches. Stretching as far as Port Aransas, Tunnell said at least six octopuses washed up on the shore.
"I documented this last year, it was right after we had a really hard freeze," he said "About a week later they were washing up.”
While the octopuses that are washing up on the shore are relatively harmless, Tunnell recommends keeping your distance as they tend to smell and can potentially carry diseases.
In the next few months, there's a new set of sea critters you should watch out for.
“What we should start seeing pretty soon in the springtime would be man o' wars. Those are the ones we always tell people to watch out for," he said. "Sargassum is another thing that starts coming in around the summertime,"
To learn more about the different creatures washing up on our shores, you can tune into the Harte Research Institute’s weekly Beachcombing series hosted by Tunnell on YouTube.
More from 3News on KIIITV.com:
- Staying safe behind the wheel and steering clear of road rage
- More than 20 Aquarium turtles on path to recovery following January cold front
- Alice ends Stage Two water restrictions Monday
- What has all these wing restaurants flying to Corpus Christi?
- Beach permits for 2024 are now available for purchase
- The 'Dr. Hector P. Garcia Papers' at TAMU-CC, additional archives help keep his memory alive
Subscribe to our YouTube channel for your daily news and exclusive extended interviews.
Do you have a news tip? Tell 3!
Email tell3@kiiitv.com so we can get in touch with you about your story should we have questions or need more information. We realize some stories are sensitive in nature. Let us know if you'd like to remain anonymous.