© Morgan DillGiant sea slugs called sea hares have been washing up in some East Bay beaches in unusual numbers this summer.
Giant sea slugs have been washing up on some Bay Area beaches in unusual numbers this summer, and some folks who aren't sure what the creatures are actually calling police thinking they've made a grisly discovery.
The big purple blobs, called "sea hares," are invading East Bay beaches and waterways to the wonder and curiosity of beach combers and naturalists. Because they're so strange looking, some beachgoers have even called 911 thinking they're body parts that have washed ashore.
"They're about the size of a human organ, and that's almost what they look like," said Morgan Dill, a Naturalist with the East Bay Regional Park District.
By the time they wash up, they're typically dead. Dill was fascinated when she found one that was still alive, and picked it up to take a closer look. Most people, however, though excited by the discovery find they're not the most pleasant-looking sea creatures, especially with the mess of purple ink they leave behind.
Comment: June sure has been an active month for 'signs' in the skies:
Sun halo appears during beatification mass in El Salvador
Rare 'smile in the sky' rainbow spotted over Welsh border
England night sky lit up by rare noctilucent clouds above Newcastle, Country Durham and Northumberland
Sun halo captured in Maine skies
US: Rare auroras and lightning visible side by side