Thousands of mysterious 'sea gooseberries' wash up on California's beaches

Thousands of mysterious tiny orbs the size of marbles have washed up on California beaches.

The jelly like blobs have blanketed shorelines along Orange County near Los Angeles over recent days.

State Parks Officer Danielle Snyder said: “The whole beach was covered. It was crazy.

“I’ve worked on the beach for 30 years, I’ve never seen them before … it was definitely something rare.”

They have been identified as sea gooseberries, a non-stinging member of the jellyfish family.

Calli Murray, owner of jewellers Salty Soul Sea Glass, came across the sea gooseberries while beachcombing just before sunset.

She said “I’m always looking for sea glass, I thought it was a marble,” she said. “My husband picked it up, it turned out to be jelly like. I could see right through them, it was crazy.”

Like jellyfish the tiny blobs float and drift with the tides. They are also hermaphrodites, meaning they can can produce their own eggs and fertilize those of others