Over time, Swansea has had no shortage of strange and slimy creatures washing up on its shores.
But last week locals in the area found something a little different when they spotted huge conger eels washing up on the sand between Ripples icecream parlour and the West Cross Inn.
According to the Canal and River Trust, the eels are born miles away in the Sargasso Sea and it takes them around three years to reach UK waters. They can live to be 100 years old when landlocked and can grow up to 6ft in length (9.8ft being the record). You can read more Swansea stories here.
Read more: The terrifying looking creature which has washed up on a Gower beach
Norton resident Kay Barton was walking her dog when she saw the eel.
She said: "I was walking my dog and another dog walker warned me about it. I'd seen a previous photo on Facebook, but there was no context for its size so I included a foot for perspective.
"I've never seen one before, I was surprised to see something so large. Lots of dogfish get washed ashore along that beach, but this was unexpected."
Another Swansea resident, Sam Evans, spotted a different eel near Ripples when walking his dog.
He said: "It was much bigger than anything I expected to see on Swansea bay. I was just out walking my dog and spotted it, so I went over to see what it was. I've never seen an eel before, but there have been a lot of dogfish washing up all the time."
Eel reproduction is something that's puzzled scientists for millennia (yes, millennia - even Aristotle had no clue).
In August, TikTok user ColeTheScienceDude published a video titled "We Don't Know Where Eels Come From."
He stated: "We have been to the moon and yet we still do not know how eels sexually reproduce. If you dissect one and you look inside, you will not find sexual organs."
He added: "We have never observed eels mating in captivity or in the wild."
According to Swansea Council's website, Pluck Lake near the Liberty Stadium is one of a few areas that is known to have eels. The lake is run by the South Wales Fishing Society.
It states: "This water has about 18 pegs but is extremely weedy. You'll need to clear a swim before use. It's rarely fished but has some big bream, tench and eels for those looking to put some work in. Quite frankly no one knows what's in there!"
Get Swansea stories straight to your inbox with our newsletter.
