A beach was compared to a scene from Stranger Things after being invaded by bizarre-looking one-footed creatures.
Hundreds of them were scattered along the shore – an eerie sight recalling Lovecraftian beings from the spooky Netflix series.
The otter shell clams were thought to have been stirred up by recent storms in the UK.
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They are rarely seen as they live deep beneath the seabed.
But the creatures looked like something out of a nightmarish sci-fi tale, after being marooned, with their fleshy interiors protruding.
It happened at Studland Bay, Dorset, as reported by What’s The Jam.
A spokesperson for National Trust Purbeck Countryside said: “Stranger things on our shores.
“As well as a shipwreck, there have been some seriously strange things washing up on our beaches over the last few weeks.
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“But the weirdest must be the masses of otter shell clams.
“These bivalves normally live buried deep beneath the seabed, using their siphons to filter plankton and algae from the water.
“The recent easterly winds have whipped up waves powerful enough to scour the seabed and lift these creatures out of their hiding places.
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“Many were dead.
“We were advised that they are unlikely to survive even if returned to the sea.
“A Dorset Wildlife Trust marine expert told us that the last dramatic event like this was in 2018.
“He estimated these clams to be around seven years old based on the growth rings on their shells.
“So the population had recovered since the previous washout.
“These events show just how rich in marine life the waters around Studland Bay are.
“No wonder so many birds spend the winter here.”
Locals were upset to see the beach graveyard.
Julie Goward said: “Sad to see, hope the numbers recover again.”
Lisa Roddis added: “Aghh wondered what they were called.”
And Stephen Cooper said: “Oh that’s what they are – yes saw loads along the beach line.”
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