STRANGE and ‘alien-looking’ seafood which could be worth ‘thousands of pounds’ washed up on the beach during the weekend. 

John Jennings, a local photographer who found the strange-looking object near Boscombe Pier while out walking, said it “came out of the sea during the storm” and he “thought it was pretty cool”. 

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Experts at Bournemouth University say the mysterious object is in fact goose barnacles “hitching a ride on a large log”.  

Goose barnacles live out at sea and are usually only seen on the coast when they drift in, such as this one, or when they’re attached to ships.

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Goose barnacles, a type of crustacean, have a long fleshy stem that looks like a black neck, which is topped with a chalky white shell that houses the main body of the barnacle. 

Related to crabs and lobsters, goose barnacles are considered a delicacy to certain countries and can be sold for up to £80 a kilo. 

The log, though it looks large in the image, is only one metre long or “about the length of a leg”, according to photographer John Jennings. 

It is believed the goose barnacles washed up during the recent stormy weather.