While taking a morning walk on May 7 at Bay of Plenty, on the northern coast of New Zealand's North Island, Kylie Morman stumbled upon a large tree log covered in curious shell creatures, leaving her feeling puzzled.
She found the 5-meter-long discovery to be both "amazing" and "gross," noting that it had "wormlike tentacles and living creatures in the shells," according to her statement to Stuff.
Beachgoers speculated about the identity of the large log and whether the curious shell creatures covering it were edible gooseneck barnacles.
The speculations turned out to be true, as confirmed by Wilma Blom, the marine invertebrate curator at Auckland Museum, who identified the creatures as "probably Lepas antisera" gooseneck barnacles.
According to iNaturalist Australia, gooseneck barnacles are often found in large numbers attached to floating timber, seaweed, and various types of flotsam, including logs like the one found on the beach.
The marine invertebrate curator at Auckland Museum, Wilma Blom, confirmed that the creatures on the log were indeed gooseneck barnacles, probably the Lepas antisera species.
The Department of Conversation spokesperson also confirmed their common presence around New Zealand and clarified that this species is different from the goose barnacle commonly eaten in Portugal and Spain.
This is not the first time that Kiwis have been shocked by these alien-looking creatures
