'Strange creature' causes shock on Australian beach

On October 28, a group of strange creatures drifted into the famous Horseshoe Bay, causing panic among locals and tourists.

People living near Horseshoe Beach (Australia) accidentally discovered a "strange creature" drifting ashore. (Photo: Vicki Evans).

While taking a morning walk along Horseshoe Beach (Port Elliot, South Australia), Vicki Evans, a local resident, happened to see "strange creatures" drifting on the sand, according to news.com.au.

"In over 26 years of walking around Horseshoe Bay, I have never seen anything like this," Vicki wrote in a Facebook post, accompanying the post with a photo of hundreds of strange-looking creatures with long, transparent bodies clinging to a 30-foot-long shaft, lying along the sand.

The image of the "strange creature" that washed up on Horseshoe Beach in Port Elliot was captured by locals on October 28. (Photo: Vicki Evans).

Some international netizens recognized this animal and said it was a goose barnacle - a rare, valuable delicacy that is sought after in European countries.

According to the Australian Museum, goose barnacles have long, rubbery bodies and are often found in large groups clinging to floating objects, on piers or washed up on shore.

'The two main types of barnacles found in Australian waters are the goose barnacle and the oak barnacle. Both have hard outer shells, which might lead some to believe that barnacles are more closely related to snails than to crabs and lobsters. However, barnacles are actually crustaceans with jointed legs, which they use to capture small food particles ,' the Australian Museum website states.

Dr Zoe Doubleday, a marine ecologist at the University of South Australia, said she had never seen such a large cluster of barnacles before. " It's probably just an old pier pylon or some piece of marine infrastructure that has been underwater for a long time to develop such a dense cluster of barnacles," she told The Advertiser.

Many others in South Australia also shared images of barnacles washing up in local waters. (Photo: Garry Walker).

Meanwhile, many locals said they also found this type of goose barnacle along the coast including Middleton Beach and Goolwa Beach not far away.

In fact, the gooseneck barnacle is a type of crustacean that lives on rocks and structures near the sea. Its shell is shaped like a long neck, bulging at the head, resembling a goose's neck.

Some goose barnacles are so long that they resemble human fingers and fingernails. In Portugal, they are called 'devil's fingers'.

The gooseneck guppy only lives in the sea and cannot be farmed. It is found in abundance in the waters of Spain, Portugal and Canada. But the best guppy guppy is found in the far west of Portugal.

Goose gall, also known as "devil's finger", is one of the rarest delicacies in the world and is sought after by the European elite. (Photo: @pacificwildpick_).

Although it looks scary, this is considered the most delicious seafood in the world and is highly sought after in European countries. Europeans love this food and consider it a high-class seafood because it has very high nutritional value.

Goose oysters contain many trace elements and have a sweet, delicious taste. Many diners who have enjoyed them describe goose oysters as tastier than lobster or king crab.

In particular, goose barnacles are listed as delicious dishes in many luxury restaurants around the world. In restaurants in Europe, each plate of goose barnacles costs about 100 euros (about more than 2.5 million VND).

However, because they only exist in nature, harvesting goose barnacles is relatively difficult and dangerous. In Galicia, Spain, the government only allows hunters with a diving license to hunt "devil's fingers" 6 kg per day. If they violate the law, their license will be revoked immediately and hunting will be strictly prohibited. This is also the reason why goose barnacles are classified as the rarest and most expensive seafood in the world.