Several waterspouts were spotted in the Gulf of Mexico off Alabama and Florida beaches on Sunday morning, according to the National Weather Service in Mobile.

Forecasters were urging mariners and beachgoers to stay alert:

Waterspouts have been seen off Gulf Shores, Orange Beach and Perdido Key among other areas, according to the weather service.

Waterspouts will be possible through early afternoon. The weather service issued a marine weather statement just before 11:30 a.m. and said offshore areas from Pensacola, Fla., to Pascagoula, Miss., could potentially see them.

Forecasters added that waterspouts can easily outrun boats and create dangerous waves and boaters should seek safe harbor immediately if one is spotted nearby.

Forecasters said a land breeze was the culprit behind the waterspouts. A land breeze is basically a sea breeze that reverses course and pushes back over the water.

Showers produced by the land breeze can form waterspouts over the warm Gulf waters. The waterspouts are generally on the weak side.

The weather service said waterspouts will be possible through the mid-morning hours.

The summer months, June, July and August, when the Gulf waters are at their warmest, can make for prime conditions for waterspouts, according to the weather service.

Unlike tornadoes, waterspouts typically develop closer to the surface of the water and reach upward.

A typical waterspout will have winds of 30-40 mph.

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Multiple waterspouts spotted off Alabama and Florida beaches on Sunday - AL.com