Something is poking through the sand at Daytona Beach Shores in Volusia County, Florida, and local residents and officials are intrigued.
The mystery object, just discovered by beachgoers and Volusia County Beach Safety, is around 80 feet long and made of wood and metal.
According to county officials, the object was visible due to beach erosion caused by Hurricane Nicole, which ripped through Florida last month, and Hurricane Ian, which hit the state in September and was one of the most violent hurricanes to hit the United States in the previous decade. High tides and heavy waves were additional factors in identifying the object.
“The state underwater archaeological team has been notified to investigate further,” said Kevin Captain, a spokesperson for the Volusia County government.
Theories regarding the object have been floating around on social media. It could be a barrier, a shipwreck, a section of an old pier, or spectator seats from when NASCAR held races on the beach.
“We haven’t seen this kind of erosion in a very long time,” Volusia beach safety deputy chief Tammy Malphurs told local news. “I’ve been on the beach probably 25 years, and that’s the first time I’ve seen it exposed.”
Malphurs noted that state archaeologists would examine the mysterious object at low tide.
While it is unknown what the object is, Florida’s shores have uncovered quite a few surprises in recent years, uncovered by sand storms, erosion, and tides.
A couple traveling along Crescent Beach in 2020 saw several wooden timbers and bolts sticking out of the sand. Maritime researchers believe it was a 19th-century ship wreckage.
A high school student found a rare 1715 Fleet gold coin south of Turtle Trail Beach, off Florida’s east coast, in 2021. Then, in October 2022, a guy discovered a $40,000 diamond ring on a St. Augustine beach.