Tejal Somvanshi
A fascinating marine discovery at Birubi Beach has got the local community buzzing with curiosity. On October 26th, Susan McCarthy stumbled upon what appeared to be an alien-like structure on the sand – but there’s a brilliant scientific story behind this find!
The Truth About That Mysterious Beach Object
What Is It? A large log transformed into a thriving marine ecosystem, covered with gooseneck barnacles (Lepas anatifera) and various other sea creatures. As McCarthy described in her post: “It was beautiful but I’d probably have a heart attack if it was floating in the water with me 😅”
The Science Bits Amy Gruessing, who spotted the specimen, explained: “This is a massive fowling community, it occurs when organisms settle on an object in the water to co-exist and depend on each other to live. With time they grow larger and larger.”
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Similar Sightings
- Birubi Beach: Previous year, on a tire (reported by Glynis Quinlan)
- Newcastle: September 2022 (reported by Minnie Cat)
- Bondi Beach: Recent sighting (reported by NBN News)
- South Australian beach: Smaller specimen (reported by David Tasker)
- Bongon Beach, Central Coast (reported by Meagan Lee)
Local Marine Life Alert Cera Waterworth reported additional marine activity in the area: “We were there yesterday as well and the blue bottles were crazy… a big dead fish washed up with its mouth full of blue bottles. A puffer fish washed up and obviously that log was the most interesting 🧐”
Expert Take National Parks Service confirmed to McCarthy that such findings are “not uncommon after the type of southerly’s and rough seas we’ve been getting.”
Fun Food Fact: According to Paul Tessa Rubies Herscheid: “They are goose barnacles or percebes they are very expensive 170-250 per kilo”
Community Response
The discovery sparked varied reactions:
- Margaret Hogan urged: “This is absolutely amazing. Get this back in the ocean quickly. All these amazing crustaceans and marine animals!”
- Kirsten Ann McCullum observed: “It’s ugly but so beautiful at the same time”
- Jennifer Schneider explained: “A barnacle encrusted wood. Which is what the ocean does to anything that is a host to floating life in the ocean”
Want to report similar findings? Barbara Gannon suggests: “Submit the photo to the Australian Museum they will identify for you”
Keep your eyes peeled on our beaches, mates – nature’s always got something wild to show us!
