10 of the strangest creatures found on UK beaches this summer – from glowing worms to baked bean blobs

ROCKPOOLS and the shallow waters of Britain’s beaches are home to some of the most unusual creatures you’ve probably never heard of.

If you know what to look for, you can discover these bizarre little critters yourself.

11

---

Win one of 8 incredible holidays to the Caribbean, Mexico and Greece by voting in The Sun’s Travel Awards – enter to win here 

---

From spiky, potato-like beings to sea worms that look more like a sweet, there is a whole world marine life to investigate along the UK’s coastlines, according to seaside experts at Simply Sea View.

Sea Mouse

First up is the Sea Mouse – a small creature, that some find cute and others find fascinating.

This little creature isn’t a mouse as we know it, it is a type of worm, which often gets washed up on beaches after a storm.

You might be able to spot it by its glistening bristles or iridescent colouring.

Essentially, it is known to look a bit like a LED-lit hedgehog.

If you want to find a Sea Mouse, you should head to beaches in East Wales or Cornwall.

Tompot Blenny

After the sea washes out and leaves rockpools full of water and creatures, you might be able to spot a Tompot Blenny.

These squidgy-looking fish have big bulging eyes, think lips and even frilly horn-like features on their heads.

Typically, they are orange or brown in colour, with different patterns all over.

The alien-like fish often hides in crevices and corners of rockpools, so you may want to sit still for a while with a sandwich and drink to catch a glimpse of the creature.

The good news is that they can be found on rocky shorelines across the entire country.

11

11

Candy Striped Flatworm

The thought of candy and flatworms don’t really go together, but the Candy Striped Flatworm looks a bit like a mint humbug.

Typically, they are cream in colour and have a darker central stripe, and then fainter stipes running parallel.

Essentially, they look like a fancy slug – but are a great creature to find.

You will find them along UK coastlines in rocky and muddy areas at low tides.

Brown Sea Cucumber

Getting its name from the long green vegetable, Brown Sea Cucumbers look the same, just a different colour.

They are yellow and brown blobs, but do have frilly tentacles that appear when they are eating.

It is best to avoid touching them as many sea cucumbers produce a toxin called holothurin, which can be irritating or even harmful to humans.

They can be found along many coastal areas of the UK, including Cornwall in particular.

11

11

Sea Gooseberries

Named after gooseberries due to their size and shape, these small spherical clear balls are actually small invertebrates.

Even though they resemble jellyfish, they are a different species.

Normally, they only measure up to 2.5cm and have eight rows of hair-like features.

Amazingly, they also have two long tentacles that can measure up to 50cm.

Some species even have a luminescence, occasionally lighting up the waves at night.

They are often seen in UK waters during the summer months and occasionally wash up on the beach.

11

Sea Potatoes

This is another creature that looks like its name.

Sea Potatoes are cream-coloured but are covered in fur-like spines.

They usually reach between 6cm and 9cm in size and are a type of sea urchin.

Sea Potatoes can be found around the UK buried in sandy and muddy seabeds.

However, you are more likely to see them washed up on the beach as an empty shell, without the spines.

11

Baked Bean Sea Squirt

It isn’t hard to picture what Baked Bean Sea Squirt looks like thanks to its name…

But these odd orange blobs that look like a splattering of baked beans under the water can often be found glued to a rock.

They are actually a type of sea squirt that filters seawater.

The odd sight can often be found along the Scottish coasts, such as Loch Fyne and some southern coasts.

11

Flame Shell Reefs

Imagine two halves of a shell still attached, with fuzzy orange fur like Oscar the Grouch from the TV show Sesame Street and that is pretty much a Flame Shell Reef.

These little creature are among the UK’s most colourful and are a small orange mollusc that builds nests using its fire-coloured tentacles.

Other sea creatures will often hide under Flame Shell Reefs too.

They can be found in Loch Carron and Loch Alsh, both in Scotland.

11

Undulate Ray

For kids who love stingrays, looking for an Undulate Ray might be the perfect task.

These rays feature elaborate patterns on their backs, with dark lines, spots and splodges.

This helps them to camouflage into the sand.

And they are generally completely harmless to humans.

You most likely won’t be able to find these guys unless you are swimming or snorkelling in UK waters.

11

By-the-Wind Sailor

Many people might walk straight past a By-the-Wind Sailor mistaking it for some washed up piece of plastic.

But actually, these clear jellyfish with a sail will float on the shore and often wash up in large numbers on our coasts.

Luckily, they aren’t dangerous.

They get their name from drift on the surface of the ocean but then get washed up during storms.

It is coming up to the ideal time to spot them as well, as they are usually spotted on UK beaches between September and March.

If you enjoy rock-pooling, the UK is also home to a stunning park with its own beach that visitors say is like ‘being in another world’.

Plus, you can find incredible lava sea pools that are just four hours from the UK.

11