Science & Tech · Science & Environment · 2 hrs ago
Toxic sea hares wash up at Eden beach, prompting warning to dog owners
Thousands of sea hares washed up at Aslings Beach in Eden, on New South Wales’ far south coast.
Sea hares are sea slugs, and marine biologist Culum Brown said they arrived alongside a naturally occurring algal bloom.
The algae can make the sea hares toxic because the creatures retain some toxins from what they eat.
Dogs may be at risk if they lick, mouth or swallow a sea hare, so owners are advised to keep pets away.
The creatures are not considered dangerous to people, but anyone who handles one should wash their hands and avoid touching their eyes.
High tides and a council clean-up reduced their numbers, though some remain on the shore and an algal bloom is still visible offshore.
Dog owners are advised to stay vigilant when walking pets at the beach.
Thousands of toxic sea hares washed ashore at Aslings Beach in Eden, prompting a warning to dog owners.
The sea hares feed on algae that can contain toxins, which they retain as a defence.
Dogs may be at risk if they lick, mouth or ingest the creatures.
High tides and a council clean-up have reduced their numbers, but some remain along the shore.
The sea hares are not considered dangerous to people, though handling them can cause irritation.
- Who
- Sea hares washed ashore at Aslings Beach; dog owners have been warned to stay vigilant.
- What
- The creatures pose a potential risk to dogs because they can retain toxins from algae they eat.
- When
- They began washing ashore a week before the article was published, and thousands were first spotted on October 13.
- Where
- Aslings Beach in Eden, on the NSW far south coast.
- Why
- The sea hares feed on algae that can contain toxins, and high tides and strong onshore winds are associated with large wash-ups.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
The algal bloom at Eden was photographed.
Thousands of sea hares were first spotted at Aslings Beach.
Bega Valley Shire Council arranged for contractors to remove thousands of sea hares from the beach.
High tides and clean-up efforts reduced the number of sea hares on the beach.
- Beach
- Aslings Beach, Eden
- First spotted
- October 13
- Council clean-up
- Thousands of sea hares removed last week
- Dog risk
- Licking, mouthing or ingesting sea hares can pose a serious risk
- Current condition
- Some sea hares remain in patches along the shore
What people are saying
So dog owners are advised to stay vigilant when walking their pets in the area.
The danger here is that some of the algae they eat contain various toxins which the slug can maintain and use as a predator defence.
If you do handle them, you should definitely wash your hands,
Don't touch your eyes, because they can cause irritation.