Thousands of 'sea pickles' wash up on Monterey Bay beach - SFGate

Thousands of 'sea pickles' wash up on Monterey Bay beach - SFGate

Thousands of 'sea pickles' wash up on Monterey Bay beach - SFGate

Posted: 27 Dec 2019 10:18 PM PST

  • Hundreds of so-called sea pickles washed up on Monterey Bay beaches on Dec. 26, 2019. Photo: Monterey Bay Aquarium

    Hundreds of so-called sea pickles washed up on Monterey Bay beaches on Dec. 26, 2019.

    Hundreds of so-called sea pickles washed up on Monterey Bay beaches on Dec. 26, 2019.

    Photo: Monterey Bay Aquarium

Photo: Monterey Bay Aquarium

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Hundreds of so-called sea pickles washed up on Monterey Bay beaches on Dec. 26, 2019.

Hundreds of so-called sea pickles washed up on Monterey Bay beaches on Dec. 26, 2019.

Photo: Monterey Bay Aquarium

Hundreds upon hundreds of specimens known as "sea pickles" washed up on Monterey Bay beaches on Thursday.

The gelatinous cylinders are more commonly found in warmer waters off the coast of Southern California, but in the past five years large colonies have made it to Northern California waters, according to Live Science. (See photos in the gallery above.)

Molly Knight, a sports writer for the Athletic, was surprised by the unusual sight at a Carmel beach on Wednesday.

"They were quite the pickles!" Knight shared in a message. "Hundreds of them! It had rained the evening before and I guess the high tides washed them in. Had been on Carmel beach Tuesday morning and did not see them!"

READ ALSO: Thousands of 'penis fish' washed up on a Point Reyes beach. Yes, really.

Knight snapped a photo of the sea pickles on Wednesday and asked the Twitterverse what she was looking at.

The Monterey Bay Aquarium quickly responded, explaining, "Big waves and strong currents are pushing pyrosomes onto local beaches ... Pyrosomes are in fact planktonic colonies of filter feeders some call sea pickles.'"

The sea pickles have a pebbled-surface similar to that of a dill pickle, though they're pale orange and pink in color. Though similar in shape, they are unrelated to the so-called "penis fish" that made headlines earlier this month after covering a beach in Point Reyes National Seashore.

Monterey Bay Aquarium scientists visited Asilomar State Beach in Pacific Grove on Thursday to observe the specimens.

"We're taking a look at this really amazing phenomenon that happens every once in awhile," Patrick Webster with the aquarium said in a video shared in social media. "There are countless hordes of them."

Amy Graff is a digital editor with SFGATE. Email her: agraff@sfgate.com. 

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