BARNEGAT LIGHT, N.J. - Beachgoers got a front-row seat to an unusual sight in New Jersey this week.
What we know:
A waterspout was spotted forming near beach access 18 at Island Beach State Park in Ocean County on Tuesday morning.
People in Barnegat Light spotted the rare sight from afar, while videos shared online captured the spout up close!
The National Weather Service says the waterspout briefly came ashore, making it a landspout, before it dissipated over nearby sand dunes.
Is a landspout a tornado?
Experts say that a landspout is a type of tornado, but it forms under different circumstances than supercellular tornadoes.
"'Tornado' is a broad term; waterspouts and landspouts fall under the umbrella of the tornado definition, as they are a specific type of tornado," NWS said.
The Source: Information from this article was sourced from the National Weather Service.