Sea butterflies — not nearly as harmless as they sound — spotted along the NC coast
Sea butterflies have been spotted along the North Carolina coast, but they aren’t as harmless as they may seem.
The tiny creatures can pack a punch, bringing potential discomfort to beachgoers, officials in the tourist spot of Emerald Isle said Monday.
Sea butterflies are snails that get their name from the way they float through the ocean. The light-colored, needle-shaped creatures resemble pieces of glass on the sand, photos from Volusia County in Florida show.
The animals can irritate the skin and cling to clothing, Emerald Isle posted on its Facebook page.
The town on Monday said it put up purple flags to warn people of an “abundance of sea lice/butterflies, jellyfish larve along our beach strand.”
Joe Tarallo told WNCT he was at the coast with friends last weekend when their trip took a turn.
“We noticed at the point we started being stung by these little shards of glass,” he told the TV station. “We decided to get out of the water because it was hurting.”
Facebook users recently shared similar accounts of their time at the shore.
“Our youngest had two embedded in her hand and she started to stress as they were getting red and starting to really hurt but we were finally able to scratch them and all of the others caught in her swimsuit out,” one person commented on Emerald Isle’s post.
Another person on Monday wrote: “Found a bunch in my swimsuit. We were there this morning and left as the flags were going up.”
Though sea butterflies typically live in the Caribbean, ocean and wind conditions can bring them closer to North Carolina, WNCT reported.
If you come into contact with the pesky animals, officials recommend changing clothes and covering the affected area with fresh water. Sea butterflies aren’t toxic, experts say.
This story was originally published September 9, 2020 at 12:14 PM with the headline "Sea butterflies — not nearly as harmless as they sound — spotted along the NC coast."
