We all know the ocean is full of deep dark surprises and wacky-looking creatures – and sometimes, we get to enjoy those animals in the moments that humans and sea creatures cross paths. While it might not go well for some, one snorkeler has recorded her magical experience with a sea hare in Mexico. 

Susan Aide Morales Cruz was snorkeling in Playa Miramar in Tampico, Mexico when she came across a bright red sea hare at the surface of the water. “That day, it was already late, and out of nowhere, I saw the sea hare coming as if it were flying through the great blue. It really hypnotized me, and I went swimming behind it. I began to record it and followed it for a long time, maybe 30 minutes,” Morales Cruz told Storyful.

Sea hares are actually marine mollusks, but their shell is internal. They are often mistaken for the nudibranchs sometimes called sea slugs, but sea hares are related to them. Their most notable feature is their “ears”, which emerge from the top of their head like the long ears of a hare. These ears are actually structures called rhinophores that can detect chemical signals in the water.

Sea hares can grow to around 20 centimeters (7.8 inches) long but are usually much smaller. The California black sea hare (Aplysia vaccaria) is the exception, reportedly growing to weigh up to 13.5 kilograms (30 pounds). Sea hares feed on different types of seaweeds and this is said to be what gives them their colors. Sea hares are hermaphrodites and sometimes mate in chains.

“It is rare to find this species here where I live. It was a wonderful scene, the combination of the majesty of the animal and the sunset. A very memorable moment,” she added.