As you walk down the shoreline of Fort Myers Beach or Sanibel, you may find a number of unidentifiable items amongst the shells and driftwood. We’re here to help you identify these strange looking creatures. Spread the knowledge and impress your friends and family with just how much you know about the beaches of Southwest Florida.
Lightning Whelk Egg Casing
From a distance, a Lightning Whelk Egg Casing may look like a piece of trash, an alien life form or a sea snake! Though exciting, none of the above would be correct because in reality Whelk Egg Casings house sea snails called whelks, that eventually drift off the spiral, snake-like structure into the water, while the casing survives a trip on to the shoreline where it ends up drying. Whelk Egg Casings are generally a few feet long and are harmless. If the casing looks fresh and is still wet, place it back in the ocean—the little whelks may just have another shot at life.
Sea Pork
This “mass” has to be one of the most physically strange creatures you will come across during a stroll on a Southwest Florida beach. This mysterious blob is known as Sea Pork, which is actually a colony of tunicates. These almost-microscopic creatures create a sac made of cellulose for protection and then spend their days filter-feeding. These gelatinous looking sacs can range in color from pink to purple, black to orange.
