PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- Thousands of sea cucumbers have washed up on the beach in the Oregon coastal town of Seaside thanks to a combination of heavy surf and low tide.

The partially translucent, pink gelatinous creatures are called skin breathing sea cucumbers. They normally burrow into the sand along the low tideline and farther out. But on Tuesday, they were scattered across more than 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) of Seaside Beach, said Tiffany Boothe, the assistant manager of the Seaside Aquarium.

“They are literally littering the tideline,” Boothe said. They're about a half-inch (1.3 centimeter) long but can grow to about 6 inches (15 centimeters.)

The phenomenon can occur whenever surf and tide conditions coincide, which can mean a few times a year or once in a few years. Sometimes a fe

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