ORMOND-BY-THE-SEA, Fla. – Beachgoers in Volusia County were surprised Wednesday morning when a package filled with marijuana washed up near the northern portion of Ormond-by-the-Sea.
Beach safety officials said someone reported the package, which had 23 smaller packages of marijuana inside, after they found it on the shore near the 1600 block of Ocean Shore Boulevard shortly after 11 a.m.
Surfer Matt Richards told News 6 he walked up on the odd beach debris at North Shore Park as beach patrol were clearing it.
"I just saw a couple of Volusia County Sheriffs and beach patrol had a bunch of bales of weed on his tailgate," Richards said, adding "I've heard about it but I've never seen it with my own eyes."
Photos showed the smaller bundles of marijuana wrapped in what appeared to be a type of clear plastic wrap and duct tape.
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Officials said the marijuana was turned over to the Volusia County Sheriff's Office to be destroyed.
Investigators have not said whether they know where the packages came from or if anyone will face charges.
Beach Safety Patrol Capt. Tammy Malphurs said the weed wash up was probably because of large surf created by Hurricane Florence.
"Typically it happens when we have a large surf and winds on shore. Sometimes, we have a lot of things wash up on shore. We haven't had a lot of things but this is the first thing so far," Malphurs said of debris from the storm.
The packages found Wednesday come after recent reports of marijuana being found in other parts of Florida.
A package containing marijuana was found washed up on a St. Johns County beach last week, according to the St. Johns Sheriff's Office.
Deputies shared photos on Twitter over the weekend after more bundles of marijuana were found floating in the water.
The Sheriff's Office asked anyone who comes across a package to report it to law enforcement officials immediately.
Last week, deputies located a package containing Marijuana, which had washed ashore. Over the weekend, the Coast Guard and SJSO located more in the ocean. If you encounter any of these, do not take possession of them! Call your nearest LEO to have them collected and destroyed. pic.twitter.com/xmdtaK3sMX
— SJSO (@SJSOPIO) September 10, 2018