Overview

• The Sussex Wildlife Trust confirmed the identification after large clusters were photographed on the Pagham–Aldwick beach last week.
• Local finders shared images in Facebook groups such as Sussex Underwater, drawing widespread attention to the unusual sight.
• The trust advises against pushing large debris back to sea due to safety risks and says survival chances for stranded barnacles are low.
• Goose barnacles are sessile crustaceans that hitchhike on drifting objects and are considered a high‑value seafood in parts of Spain and Portugal, with reports of £80–£90 per kilo.
• A separate cluster was spotted on a plastic drum at Hengistbury Head in Dorset on Sunday, underscoring similar wash‑ups along the south coast.