Recently, a sea creature washed ashore on a beach in Southern California straight out of a nightmare. It looked so horrifying that the photos posted on Reddit were marked as not safe for work.
The original poster shared that they had found the dead sea animal near Dana Point, California, and it was that detail along with the clear photos that helped in identifying the hideous organism.
Tim Daly, a spokesperson for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, told SFGATE that he agreed with the majority of comments on Reddit identifying the bloated animal.
It’s likely a dead moray eel, although it “looks a little bleached from being dead.”
It’s not uncommon to find moray eels in the waters off the coast of Southern California, as they are known to live among reefs in shallow waters.
While they are not poisonous and are not considered particularly aggressive, it’s best to avoid them. When feeling threatened, they will bite and use their two rows of razor-sharp teeth to latch onto you.
Redditors who helped identify the eel responded with much enthusiasm to the original post.
“That’s a moray eel. Go back tonight to confirm. If the moon hits its eyes like a big pizza pie, that’s a moray eel,” wrote someone.
“If the jaws come wide open and there’s more jaws inside, that’s a moray eel,” another added.
“If the jaws come wide open and there are more jaws inside, that’s a moray eel…” added someone else.
I don’t know about you, but I would be terrified to come across this creature in the ocean!
