Beach visitors at Delray Beach noticed some unfamiliar creatures on the shore this week.
They are referred to as a "blue dragon" or "sea dragon" but the scientific name is glaucus atlanticus, according to Evan Orellana.
Evan is the director of education and animal care at the Sandoway House Nature Center in Delray Beach.
Staff members there have brought in a few sea dragons this week after spotting them on the beach.
"It's essentially a shell-less snail. It's what we call a nudibranch. It's gills are on the outside. It's a snail, minus the shell," Evan said.
The sea dragon can also be venomous, he added.
They feed off of man-o-war and other types of jellyfish.
"As it eats the tentacles, it will take the leftover stinging cells of the jellyfish, transfer it to the tips of its gill filaments, which look like fingers, and use it to deter or sting its predators," Evan added.
If you see one on the beach, he suggests that you don't touch them if you're not sure if you're allergic to jellyfish.
"Look at them, enjoy them and be on your way," he said.
Madison Saldivar spotted them on the beach Wednesday.
"We saw these blue sluggish looking things," she said.
She picked up several of them, and put them in a clear container to get a closer look.
"I've seen them online, on pictures, and I didn't think it was real. I thought someone must've computer edited that," she said.
The sea dragon is found around the world, according to Evan.
He said we may be seeing it now due to a possible change in current due to El Niño.
