Deadly pufferfish washes up on Dorset beach - after sea creature is blown hundreds of miles off course

Published: 04:58 EDT, 2 November 2026 | Updated: 05:47 EDT, 2 November 2026 A deadly pufferfish has washed up on a Dorset beach after being blown hundreds of miles off course. The exotic fish – which is extremely poisonous – was found by a free diver on the sand at Knoll Beach, Studland, Dorset.At first, Owen Booty thought it was a small marker buoy. However, as he got closer, he realised the balloon shape was a fully inflated pufferfish, measuring around 17 inches (43.1cm) long. 'I spend a lot of time in the water exploring Dorset's coastline,' explained Mr Booty, who owns the company Freedive Life.'We're fortunate to have some fantastic marine life right on our doorstep. But despite all the time I've spent diving locally, I certainly wasn't expecting to find a pufferfish washed up on the beach.' The exotic fish – which is extremely poisonous – was found by a free diver on the sand at Knoll Beach, Studland, Dorset At first, Owen Booty thought it was a small marker buoy. However, as he got closer, he realised the balloon shape was a fully inflated pufferfish, measuring around 17–inches longMr Booty explained that he was walking on the beach as the sea was too rough to get in the water. After spotting the strange object on the shore, he walked over to investigate, and soon realised it was actually a dead fish. 'Having encountered pufferfish while diving abroad, I had a good idea what it was, but sent the photographs to Dorset Wildlife Trust and a friend who's a marine biologist for confirmation,' he said. A spokesperson for the Dorset Wildlife Trust said: 'Usually found in open water in the warmer parts of the Atlantic as well as the Indian and Pacific oceans, these fish are a rare sight in the UK, but they do turn up occasionally.'They advised people not to handle any pufferfish they find and asked anyone who spots one to report it to the charity.While pufferfish are more commonly found in tropical and subtropical waters, it is thought the one found in Dorset was blown there as a result of the recent Storms Austen and Boalo.Pufferfish get their name due to their defensive mechanism of inflating into a balloon shape, making them difficult for larger predators to swallow. After spotting the strange object on the shore, he walked over to investigate, and soon realised it was actually a dead fish Mr Booty explained that he was walking on Knoll beach (pictured) as the sea was too rough to get in the waterHowever, due to their toxins, they are incredibly dangerous to humans and death can occur if their sharp, hidden spines pierce the skin and the toxin enters the bloodstream.Another common way to be poisoned by one is eating pufferfish that has been poorly prepared. The toxins are found in the fish's organs which can bleed into the edible flesh if accidentally cut by a chef.This isn't the only unusual sighting in Dorset in recent weeks. A pair of Belgian tourists recently discovered the remains of a 174–million–year–old giant ichthyosaur while strolling on a beach in Dorset.Michel Plissart and Carine Christens were taking a walk along the beach near Bridport when they stumbled over a shelf of rock sticking out of the sand.On closer inspection, the holidaying couple discovered a few pieces of bone protruding from the exposed sandstone bed.Incredibly, they had not only found a rare ichthyosaur fossil, but the youngest fossil of its kind ever uncovered in the UK.