David Beckham's favourite barnacles wash up on Anglesey beach

Beach goers on Anglesey have been surprised by a mass of strange sea creatures that washed up near Eglwys Cwyfan.

Jason Greenway, from Bodorgan, shared photos of the marine animals on the shoreline on social media.

He discovered that the mystery animals were Gooseneck barnacles - a favourite delicacy of David Beckham, and they're worth a small fortune in some parts of the world.Despite their name and appearance, they are not molluscs but crustaceans, most closely related to prawns, lobsters and crabs.

They're a favourite dish of the Spanish and have been exported to them for up to £300 per kilo.

In the past, ships arriving in Britain were scraped of goose barnacles and sold to Spain for food.

In Spain , specialist Gooseneck barnacle fishermen - called Percebeiros – often risk their lives diving beneath crashing waves in search of the delicacy.

In the UK, they can be bought fresh online for around £80-£90 per kilo – or cheaper if frozen.In reality, the domestic market for these bizarre-looking creatures is small. However, David Beckham is a fan - earlier this year he shared Instagram photos of himself enjoying the dish in Spain, saying it was "one of my favourite things to eat when in season".

It's not the first time they've been found in North Wales, though. In 2022, a holidaymaker in Gwynedd stumbled upon a lot worth £4000.In recent days, more Goosenecks have been reported further up the Anglesey coast at Traeth Cymyran beach, Rhosneigr.

They've been confirmed as Gooseneck barnacles by Bangor University and Anglesey Sea Zoo.

Frankie Hobro, owner and director of the sea zoo, said they probably were washed on the beach at Anglesey during recent storms and high tides. “Watching them feeding and moving close-up is absolutely fascinating, although somewhat surreal,” she said.

Frankie described goosenecks as among the “weirdest wonders of British marine life”. She added: “Each colony can be made up from thousands of individuals and they can live for up to three years.

"These freaky critters are able to fertilise themselves, making them hermaphrodites. Their fertilised eggs hatch into larvae which look like tiny shrimps.”

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