Hundreds of starfish stranded on beaches in Prestatyn and Rhyl

Stuart Wimbles was walking along Prestatyn beach when he saw clusters of the creatures washed up on the sand on Sunday.

"Sad to see so many starfish washed ashore on the beach today," he posted on Facebook.

On Rhyl beach, Annetta Davey saw hundreds more scattered alongside razor clams.

Ms Davey, 57, from Kinmel Bay, Conwy, said some were "as big as a dinnerplate".

"The seagulls were having a field day," she added.

Mr Wimbles said he had been out walking with his wife and grandchildren when he first noticed the starfish.

Stuart Wimbles two starfish on a beachStuart Wimbles

Stuart Wimbles said he felt "sad" to see so many of the creatures stranded on Prestatyn beach

"As the tide was out, we decided to walk to the front of the groynes," he said.

"My wife Michelle noticed a starfish on the sand, I looked down and then saw lots of them in the groyne pools.

"We thought that they were all dead to begin with but noticed that some were moving."

Gem Simmons, a marine biologist from Prestatyn, said strong storms, which are becoming more frequent due to climate change, sweep marine animals onto the beaches.

"It is sad for sure, but it is not going to push [starfish] to extinction, at this moment in time," said Ms Simmons.

She added that starfish may become stranded when stormy seas combine with starballing - when starfish curl up like parachutes and float with tidal currents.

Ms Simmons said the starfish do this "to get to better feeding grounds or to potentially relocate to breed, they inflate themselves and curl their legs inwards like a little parachute or spinning top."

When starballing coincides with storms, the starfish can become washed up, she said.

-bbc