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Strange Object: Egg
It is the size and
shape of a small fanny
pack but it is made out of
stuff that’s more like kelp.
It’s squishy in the middle
and sometimes covered in
barnacles. If you’ve never
seen one, it looks more
like something you’d see
on a science fiction show
than on the beach. In reality,
it’s a skate egg-case.
Skates are the coldwater
cousin to the ray.
Like stingrays and manta
rays, skates lay egg cases, also known as mermaid
purses, that hold between one and six embryos. The
most common egg cases to find on North Oregon
beaches belong to the Big skate.
Big skate cases are usually about twelve inches
long and four inches thick. Although the shell
membrane allows oxygen to get through, it is solid
enough that if a case washes up on the beach, the
embryos can be temporarily protected. Depending on
weather conditions, it can take a few hours or a few
days for an egg case to dry out.
Many visitors who find egg cases bring them to
the Aquarium for identification, and get more than
they bargained for. Aquarium staff carefully cut open
egg cases to see if the embryos are still alive inside. If
they are, the Aquarium displays the case to educate
the public and raises the babies that hatch out. Big
skates that reach maturity can grow to be over six feet
long, although tank size may stunt growth slightly.
If you find a skate
egg case on the
beach, place it in a
container of ocean
water and bring it
to the aquarium.
You may just get to
see some babies still
attached to their
yolk-sacs.
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Important Beach Safety
1. Never turn your back on the ocean.
Sneaker wavers are very powerful, sometimes strong
enough to knock over an adult.
2. Avoid logs in the surf.
They may look stable, but the ocean can roll logs over you.
3. This is not a safe area for swimming
in the ocean. Be aware there is a strong undercurrent.
4. Completely extinguish your campfires.
Embers can burn for days if left or covered.
5. Leave marine mammals alone.
Marine mammals can carry diseases transmittable to humans.
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Baby Seal Season
It’s the time of year that mother seals give birth
and leave their babies on shore while they hunt for
food. Well-meaning visitors to the coast sometimes
mistakenly believe that resting baby seals have been
abandoned by their mothers. The mother seal is likely
to return but will not do so if people or other animals
are nearby. If a baby seal is moved, the mother may
never reconnect with it. The best way to help a
stranded baby seal is to leave it alone and call the
Seaside Aquarium.
As the North Coast responders of Oregon’s
Marine Mammal Stranding Network, we help protect a
stranded animal and educate the public by posting signs
nearby explaining that the baby is not abandoned, that
the Marine Mammal
Protection Act prohibits
human contact with seals
and sea lions, and that
marine mammals can
transmit diseases to
humans.
To report a stranded seal,
call 503-738-6211.
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