SUSSEX COUNTY, Del.- An uninvited visitor has come to some beach points on Delaware's coast.
Mantis shrimp have been washed ashore after Hurricane Ian came through the area. These shrimp can be fairly large, and have a sharp appendage that they can shoot out at high speeds to inflict damage on other marine life, dogs and people.
University of Delaware Marine Science professor John Cohen says that it is not out of the ordinary that these creatures come ashore.
"After a big storm it does happen pretty frequently, especially when its prolonged over multiple days and the winds are blowing very heavily.," he said. "These are animals that live in the bottom in little burrows, and so they're kind of dug into the bottom. And when the storms and waves come, it can rip them out of their burrows and wash them up."
Some beach goers like Ben Sala say that they were paying attention to where they stepped.
"It's unusual, its something I didn't expect and its cool, but its also eerie at the same time," he said.
The shrimp are expected to wash back out to the water as high tides roll through their cycles.