PAWLEYS ISLAND, S.C. — When WCNC Charlotte viewer Raine McKinney spotted this odd creature swimming near the bridge on the south causeway to Pawleys Island, South Carolina, over Memorial Day weekend, they weren't quite sure what it was. So they sent in a clip of the fish swimming to WCNC Charlotte using the station's news app's Near Me feature.
WCNC Charlotte forwarded the 45-second-long clip to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources to see if they could identify it.
"The people in my office are mostly stumped, but we're not the experts," the department told WCNC Charlotte.
One of their law enforcement officers thought it might be a squid, but they weren't sure. To get confirmation, they forwarded the video to the Marine Resources Research Institute in Charleston, South Carolina.
While waiting for the institute to get back to the inquiry, the WCNC Charlotte newsroom banded together and did some research of their own, asking WCNC Charlotte Chief Meteorologist Brad Panovich what he thought it could be.
"At first, I thought it was a cuttlefish, but it's actually something called a sea hare or a sea slug," Panovich said. "They can be pretty large, and they do swim in the water like that."
But the intrigue continued after it was determined what it was because, according to Panovich, it's not native to South Carolina waters.
"It's more of a Florida and West Coast thing," Panovich explained. "We were looking at some of the research online, there's been sightings of them all the way up to like the Wilmington area now."
Panovich said the sea slugs are starting to migrate because of the warm water extending north.
A new feature in the WCNC Charlotte app, called "Near Me," allows you to send tips, photos and videos directly to our team through the app.
If you want to text us a photo or video, send it to 704-329-3600 and make sure to tell us where you took and your name so we can give you credit.
How do I get the WCNC Charlotte news app?
How do I submit content?
First, make sure you have the most recent version of the WCNC Charlotte app downloaded on your phone. If you have not updated recently, you may need to do a quick update in the app store to see the new feature.
Next, open the app and on the bottom of your screen, click the button that says "Near Me."
Then, click the orange button in the upper left corner that says “Share with us.”
You can upload up to three photos or one video at a time, and you can take an original photo/video or upload one from your camera roll.
Give your photo or video a brief title (ex: Snowy backyard in Gastonia), share your name (so we know who to credit), your email and tag the location where you took the photo (so we know where it was taken).
Hit submit, and once you see "success" pop up, your news has reached our team.
Where can I see photos and videos that I submit?
The WCNC Charlotte team will review all submissions, and once they are approved, they will be live in our app and on our website. They may also be used online or in our broadcasts or on our Roku or Amazon Fire TV streams, so stay tuned for a shout-out!
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