Venomous creatures have been spotted on the beaches of North Carolina’s Outer Banks, and the National Park Service issued a warning about the power of these snails.
The Cape Hatteras National Seashore posted on Facebook that blue seadragons (Glaucus atlanticus) have been spotted on the beaches.
“This poisonous sea snail lives in the open ocean and occasionally strands on land during strong winds,” National Seashore officials wrote on Facebook. “They may only grow to about an inch long, but don’t let their size fool you. They pack a punch!”
According to Oceana.org, blue sea dragons also have other names such as terns or blue angels and can grow up to about 3.3 centimeters in size.
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Blue seadragons wash up on the beaches of the Outer Banks, including Cape Hatteras National Seashore in North Carolina. (Facebook post about Cape Hatteras National Seashore)
They are common throughout the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans in tropical and subtropical waters.
The specimen is a sea snail that spends most of its life floating upside down on the surface and stays afloat by storing air bubbles in its stomach, the organization wrote.
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Drone aerial view of Outer Banks Highway 12 with the Atlantic Ocean and straits on either side, Cape Hatteras National Seashore. (Photo by: Visions of America/Joseph Sohm/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Officials at Cape Hatteras National Seashore say blue seadragons move through ocean currents and feed on their favorite meal: Portuguese man o’ war.
“Because their diet consists of such venomous animals, they are able to store this venom for their own defense,” the park service wrote. “They concentrate the ingested venom and deliver a sting that is even more powerful to the dragon! That’s truly a fiery bite for such a small dragon.”
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Blue dragon or floating sea snail (Glaucus atlanticus), Glaucidae. Artwork by Brigette James. (Photo by DeAgostini/Getty Images)
Because these tiny snails carry a very strong venom, park officials advise anyone who encounters one of these blue beauties to admire them from a safe distance and be aware of others nearby.
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“Blue sea dragons can travel in groups known as ‘Blue Fleets,'” the post said. “If discovered, dead or alive, they remain venomous. Please enjoy this fascinating organism without touching it.”
