Strange softball-sized eyeball washes up on beach

Plenty of strange things can wash up on a beach. But even seasoned beach-goers might be surprised by what one Florida man discovered on his morning walk: a strange eyeball the size of a softball.

Gino Covacci was walking along Pompano Beach, north of Fort Lauderdale, when he spotted the unusual blue orb. Intrigued, he examined the object and quickly determined it was a huge eyeball. He informed a police officer who passed along the information to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

"It was very, very fresh," Covacci told the Orlando Sentinel. "It was still bleeding when I put it in the plastic bag."

State officials are unsure what species the blue eyeball comes from. The strange orb was sent to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute in St. Petersburg for analysis.

Agency spokeswoman Carli Segelson told the Associated Press the eyeball likely came from a marine animal, since it was found on a beach. Possible candidates include a giant squid, a whale or some type of large fish.