Thousands of penis fish cover Bay Area beach

A spectacular presentation of marine life on a Marin County beach stunned even the experienced nature photographer who documented it.

Miles of Drakes Beach at Point Reyes were covered last Friday by Urechis caupo, commonly called fat innkeeper worms — or penis fish.

As one naturalist put it: “You don’t have to have a dirty mind to make that connection.”

The bewildering sight was captured by photographer David Ford of Lagunitas. He had set off from the Drakes Beach parking lot with his camera around 10 a.m. and walked for about 20 minutes along the coast before he noticed an unusually large flock of seagulls that appeared to be gobbling up something in the sand.

“Some of the seagulls looked like they couldn’t even eat anymore,” he said. “They were just so stuffed.”

They were eating fat 10-inch-long worms, which were spread along the beach for miles. Most appeared to be dead. The air reeked.

“I walked another two miles down the beach and I never got to the end of them,” Ford said.

Ford sent his photos to Bay Nature, which runs a column called “Ask the Naturalist.” He asked the magazine, “What happened?”

Responding to Ford’s query, biologist Ivan Parr explained that the worms are native to California, but they’re rarely seen, because they live burrowed in the sand.

Storms and heavy surf can dislodge the creatures from their burrows, surprising beachgoers who find them, Parr said.

“It’s a pretty weird thing to come upon,” he said.

For Ford, the experience reminded him of the diversity of creatures that can be found throughout the Point Reyes National Seashore.

“The ocean,” he said, “is full of wonders.”