Hundreds of squishy creatures washed ashore on the Outer Banks: photo

Hundreds

“That’s going to be a big NO from me,” one person commented.

National Park Service

North Carolina’s Outer Banks is a popular destination for its beautiful sunsets and peaceful scenery, but a recent sighting on the shore is giving some people goosebumps.

Cape Hatteras National Seashore shared photos of hundreds of gelatinous creatures scattered along the shore of Ocracoke Island as far as the eye can see and warned visitors not to get too close.

“Although this particular species does not normally sting, please do not touch it,” the park wrote on Facebook.

The creatures are cannonball jellyfish that have been stranded on the sand by ocean currents, wind and cold water temperatures, according to the National Park Service. According to officials, the jellyfish will be left on the shore, and nature will take its course.

“Some of them may wash out with the tide or become food for other creatures on the coast, such as birds or crabs,” the park said.

Some viewers didn’t need warnings to stay away from the creatures.

“I’m shaking,” one person said on Facebook.

“That’s going to be a big NO from me,” commented another.

Alison Cutler is McClatchy’s real-time national reporter for the Southeast. She is a graduate of Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication and previously worked at The News Leader in Staunton, Virginia, a USAToday affiliate.