Why did thousands of squid wash up on a Provincetown beach? Harbormaster explains "completely natural process."

There's a smelly situation on the beach in Provincetown, Massachusetts after thousands of squid washed up on shore.

Social media video and photos from this weekend show the pink sea creatures stacked up in the sand. The Provincetown Harbormaster's Office said they are Atlantic longfin inshore squid that are at the end of their life cycle.

"The squid are NOT dying from a toxic event, red tide, or pollution," the harbormaster said. "This is a completely natural process!"

The squid have a lifespan of less than a year, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Fisheries division. The harbormaster said they migrate near the beach to spawn, and die shortly after. The Provincetown-based Center for Coastal Studies had posted a video of squid swimming in the water close to shore Thursday.

"It's a mass spawning die-off," the harbormaster said. "Add in the right combination of wind and tide, and the dying animals get pushed up onto the beach instead of staying out in the water."

The harbormaster said "this happens all the time," but they usually die underwater and are quickly eaten by fish and other predators in the ocean.

To deal with the smell, the harbormaster says residents can scoop the squid up with a shovel and throw them back, "and the tide and critters will handle the rest."

"So no need to worry," the harbormaster said. "Mother Nature is just doing her thing."

Provincetown is located at the end of Cape Cod, a 115-mile drive from Boston.