A slimy creature with “wings” was seen swimming up to people and boaters near Lover’s Key this week. Beach-goers noticed the same slug-like thing washing onshore on Blind Pass Beach.“It looks like a cross between a jellyfish and a shell creature,” said Ronnie Sullivan, who comes to the beach on Sanibel nearly every morning with his wife. ”I’ve never seen one early in the morning. Is it like a ray because it has wings?”Some people who posted pictures of the critter called it a “Sea monkey,” “Aquatic Bat,” or a “Sea Snail.” That last guess is close. Marine wildlife experts tell us “Sea Hares” are mollusks without an external shell and have large wing-like flaps to protect their gills and swim with. Dr. Jose H. Leal, the science director and curator at the Bailey-Matthews National Seashell Museum on Sanibel, says Sea Hares are more commonly found in the bay but come closer to the shorelines of Southwest Florida during their mating season.“If they are disturbed, they can release like a purple ink, that keeps predators away,” said Leal. “It’s a substance that is toxic to other animals. If you’re walking the beach with your small dog, you shouldn’t let them near.”Experts say it won’t harm you if you pick up a Sea Hare, but you might hurt the Sea Hare, depending on how you handle it. The creature can lay up to 500 million eggs during one breeding season. University of Florida researchers say although they have both male and female organs, they have to mate to reproduce. “The sea hares lay their eggs in big masses that look like thin spaghetti,” said Leal. Now that the National Seashell Museum has reopened its first floor, you can get a hands-on experience learning about mollusks and shells on Sanibel again.The second floor is still closed due to Hurricane Ian damage, but Leal says they’re looking forward to opening the museum up entirely sometime this year.