Thousands of mystery sea worms were spotted by beachgoers wriggling on the shore.

Footage shows the worm-like creatures squirming in the sand and their thin bodies being entangled with one another as they were pushed by the current in Davao Oriental province, the Philippines on May 28.

The unusual sight that happened near a resort attracted tourists and locals to gather and take pictures.

Onlooker Jam Camino said: 'There were so many. We were so baffled when we realized they were worms. We still don't know what species they were and why they emerged.'

Local environment officials have not yet cleared the worm swarming in the area but according to local media they could be a type of palolo worms.

Palolo worms are known for their unique reproductive behaviour, which involves a synchronous mass spawning event called the 'palolo rise.'