When wildlife photographer Brianna Varner headed to Pass-a-Grille Beach in Florida after a storm, she expected seashells, driftwood, maybe even some unusual debris. What she didn’t expect was to hold new life in her hands.

A Strange “Leaf” on the Sand

While combing the shoreline, Varner spotted what looked like a dark, dried leaf half-buried in the sand. But something about it felt different.

“I was just kind of staring at it, and I was like, ‘This is kind of weirdly shaped,’” Varner told The Dodo.

On closer inspection, she realized it was no leaf at all—it was a mermaid’s purse, the protective egg case of skates, sharks, and rays. These leathery pouches normally wash ashore after hatching, leaving nothing but an empty casing.

But this one felt heavier, sealed, and strangely alive.

Shining Light on a Hidden Life

Curious, Varner held the mysterious case up to the sunlight. To her surprise, she saw the unmistakable shape of a tiny embryo curled inside.

Knowing it wouldn’t survive if left to dry out, she gently placed the purse into a tide pool. As she continued exploring, she found several more cases and carefully tucked each one back into safe pools of seawater.

The last purse she found, however, was different.

“The other ones kind of felt a little bit more leathery and like they had some give to them … but this one was really hard,” Varner recalled.

When she lifted it to the sun, no light passed through. That’s when she felt something move.

The Moment of Birth

As Varner carried the purse toward the water, she suddenly noticed a tiny mouth pressed against the casing.

“And it was so jarring at first, because I was like, ‘What am I even looking at?’”

Within seconds, the egg case split open and a baby skate—later identified as a clearnose skate—began wriggling its way into the world.

Varner carefully waded past the rough surf and released the newborn into deeper water. True to its instincts, the baby immediately sank to the sandy bottom, ready to begin life in the ocean.

“It was a really cool moment where I was like, ‘Oh my God. I think it’ll be OK.’”

A Reminder About Ocean Life

Varner later reflected that many beachgoers might mistake a mermaid’s purse for trash, not realizing it contains a living creature.

“There’s a lot of things that are on beaches that we don’t realize are alive or important,” she said.

For her, the experience was not only awe-inspiring but also a gentle lesson about respecting nature’s mysteries. She even kept the empty egg case as a keepsake of the extraordinary day she watched new life hatch in her hands.

Why “Mermaid’s Purses” Matter

• Mermaid’s purses act as protective cases for embryos of skates, sharks, and rays.
• They are often found empty on beaches, but sometimes—like in Varner’s case—they still carry developing life.
• Returning them to tide pools or leaving them undisturbed helps ensure these vulnerable creatures survive.

This breathtaking encounter shows how even a simple walk on the beach can turn into a once-in-a-lifetime moment of wonder.

🌊✨ Next time you see something unusual on the shore, remember—it might just be holding the future of the ocean.