Home | WebMail | Register or Login

      Calgary | Regions | Local Traffic Report | Advertise on Action News | Contact

Posted: 2019-12-13T01:44:09Z | Updated: 2019-12-13T01:44:09Z

A California beach is arousing attention for attracting thousands of phallic-looking sea worms to its shores.

The fat innkeeper worms, commonly known as penis fish, were spotted covering Drakes Beach in Marin County on Dec. 6. after a major storm, according to Bay Nature magazine .

This may just be the weirdest thing you've seen today!

Thousands of these marine worms, called fat innkeeper wormsor \"penis fish\"washed up on Drake's Beach after a recent storm. But why? https://t.co/MwY6xkN3kb pic.twitter.com/vGMpSvGoAT

Bay Nature magazine (@BayNature) December 11, 2019","type":"rich","meta":{"author":"Bay Nature magazine","author_url":"https://twitter.com/BayNature","cache_age":86400,"description":"This may just be the weirdest thing you've seen today! Thousands of these marine worms, called fat innkeeper wormsor \"penis fish\"washed up on Drake's Beach after a recent storm. But why? https://t.co/MwY6xkN3kb pic.twitter.com/vGMpSvGoAT Bay Nature magazine (@BayNature) December 11, 2019\n\n","options":{"_hide_media":{"label":"Hide photos, videos, and cards","value":false}},"provider_name":"Twitter","thumbnail_height":887,"thumbnail_url":"https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ELivfFDUcAAYIT9.jpg:large","thumbnail_width":1180,"title":"Bay Nature magazine on Twitter","type":"rich","url":"https://twitter.com/BayNature/status/1204905854572449792","version":"1.0"},"flags":[],"fullBleed":false,"options":{"theme":"news","device":"mobile","editionInfo":{"id":"us","name":"U.S.","link":"https://action.news","locale":"en_US"},"originalEdition":"us","isMapi":false,"isAmp":false,"isVideoEntry":false,"isEntry":true,"isMt":false,"entryId":"5df2d899e4b04bcba1815a8e","entryPermalink":"https://action.news/entry/penis-sea-worms-marin-county_n_5df2d899e4b04bcba1815a8e","entryTagsList":"biology,beaches,marine-life,marin-county-california,sea-worm","sectionSlug":"weird-news","deptSlug":null,"sectionRedirectUrl":null,"subcategories":"taste,green,science,us-news","isWide":false,"headerOverride":null,"noVideoAds":false,"disableFloat":false,"isNative":false,"commercialVideo":{"provider":"custom","site_and_category":"us.weird-news","package":null},"isHighline":false,"vidibleConfigValues":{"cid":"60afc111dcf87c2cd2f5d8bf","overrides":{"front_page_top_videos":{"desktop":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","mobileweb":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d"},"top_media":{"desktop":"60b8e6bdc5449357a7ada147","mobile":"60b8e701c5449357a7ada2ee","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"},"anthology":{"desktop":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","mobile":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"},"content":{"desktop":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","mobile":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"}},"playerUpdates":{"5668ae6ee4b0b5e26955d6a6":"60d2472d9340d7032ad7e443","56aa41bae4b091744c0440d8":"60e869dc7c5f3b17b6741b81","5841b2b5cc52c716ec6e5a7f":"60b8e355cdd90620331ba185","58b5e2b8d85a10302feee895":"60b64316b171b7444beafdb2","58b74698f78ced31417819ae":"60b8e5bec5449357a7ad9b52","58b74ccecebcea57e2c3a3d1":"60b8e5eac5449357a7ad9ca5","58cff690d85a100b9992bc39":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","58cffb3fb6d9b972a49a3c9d":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","58cffdd74d96935d7d6ec180":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","58d03a84f78ced6518eb2fa7":"60b643c82e76be41f112735c","592edf20e0fa177b0c26f7fd":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","5b35266b158f855373e28256":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","5c116f29f79c4171d82b7c2a":"60b64440b171b7444beb040b","5c1170fc600c9a697bf0c6b9":"60b646102e76be41f1127ffc","5c47791afa1b317df8ae0c4f":"60b8e6bdc5449357a7ada147","5c477987a6b48b35f164773d":"60b8e701c5449357a7ada2ee","5c4779ee943c3c2a64f28371":"60b8e747cdd90620331bb861","5c477a26fcd67b26879bc7c2":"60b8e788c5449357a7ada67b","5d8921a78c3ae845f366c9b6":"60ae7be5f3a7c13a30417ff9","58b98b00ba82aa39a6534321":"60d0de7c9340d7032ad1146c","58b9d14cb6d9b96c9ec32af3":"60d0dec19340d7032ad115a0","58cff8eccebcea42931e0436":"60d0e005b627221e9d819d44","592edf5de0fa177b0c26f95b":"60d0e38fb627221e9d81adcf","58cff72fd85a100b9992c112":"60d0e447b627221e9d81b0da","56b4d34fe4b022697697c400":"60d2472d9340d7032ad7e443","60b8e4c0c5449357a7ad957d":"60e869dc7c5f3b17b6741b81"}},"connatixConfigValues":{"defaultPlayer":"ff7fdddc-5441-4253-abc4-f12a33fad58b","clickToPlayPlayer":"d014396e-b366-4c17-aeac-3ce906fa3fd0","videoPagePlayer":"f010447b-d244-4111-a314-7b4542ae4145","verticalPlayer":"e58cb05a-0bc8-4210-9108-fea82726c065","stickyPlayerControl":"52ea1755-d601-4ad1-bccc-d8cce3f0e5da","stickyPlayerON":"8055e9e5-3bda-4933-8d45-9ad814fb6e22"},"topConnatixThumnbailSrc":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mNkYAAAAAYAAjCB0C8AAAAASUVORK5CYII=","customAmpComponents":[],"ampAssetsUrl":"https://amp.assets.huffpost.com","videoTraits":null,"positionInUnitCounts":{"buzz_head":{"count":0},"buzz_body":{"count":0},"buzz_bottom":{"count":0}},"positionInSubUnitCounts":{"article_body":{"count":4},"blog_summary":{"count":0},"before_you_go_content":{"count":0}},"connatixCountsHelper":{"count":1},"buzzfeedTracking":{"context_page_id":"5df2d899e4b04bcba1815a8e","context_page_type":"buzz","destination":"huffpost","mode":"mobile","page_edition":"en-us"},"tags":[{"name":"Biology","slug":"biology","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/biology","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/biology","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/biology"},"department":{"name":"Impact","slug":"impact"},"section":{"title":"Science","slug":"science"},"topic":{"title":"Biology","slug":"biology","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/impact/topic/biology"},{"name":"Beaches","slug":"beaches","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/beaches","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/beaches","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/beaches"},"department":{"name":"Life","slug":"lifestyle"},"section":{"title":"Travel","slug":"travel"},"topic":{"title":"islands & beaches","slug":"islands","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/life/topic/islands"},{"name":"marine life","slug":"marine-life","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/marine-life","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/marine-life","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/marine-life"},"url":"https://action.news/topic/marine-life"},{"name":"Marin County, California","slug":"marin-county-california","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/marin-county-california","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/marin-county-california","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/marin-county-california"},"relegenceId":3479027,"url":"https://action.news/topic/marin-county-california"},{"name":"Sea worm","slug":"sea-worm","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/sea-worm","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/sea-worm","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/sea-worm"},"url":"https://action.news/topic/sea-worm"}],"isLiveblogLive":null,"isLiveblog":false,"cetUnit":"buzz_body","bodyAds":["
\r\n\r\n","
\r\n\r\n","
\r\n\r\n"],"adCount":0},"isCollectionEmbed":false,"enhancements":{}}">

This may just be the weirdest thing you've seen today!

Thousands of these marine worms, called fat innkeeper wormsor "penis fish"washed up on Drake's Beach after a recent storm. But why? https://t.co/MwY6xkN3kb pic.twitter.com/vGMpSvGoAT

Bay Nature magazine (@BayNature) December 11, 2019

The worms survive in the muddy sand of low-zone mudflats by building U-shaped burrows , according to the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

Support Free Journalism

Consider supporting HuffPost starting at $2 to help us provide free, quality journalism that puts people first.

Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.

The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?

Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.

The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. We hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.

Support HuffPost

David Ford, who saw the hordes of them during a walk along the beach, admits hes never seen such a bizarre creature and so many, to boot.

I had no idea what they might be ... it went on for two miles, Ford told Vice Motherboard . I walked for another half hour and they were scattered everywhere. There were seagulls lined up the beach the whole way having eaten so much they could barely stand. A quarter of them looked like they were still alive. The rest were dead, they had a dead sea-creature smell.

So far, the penis fish are going to waste on the beach certainly a missed opportunity for those fond of the gourmet cuisine .

Support Free Journalism

Consider supporting HuffPost starting at $2 to help us provide free, quality journalism that puts people first.

Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.

The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?

Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.

The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. We hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.

Support HuffPost