Do castaways eat sea cucumbers on ‘Survivor?’ A deleted scene from ‘Survivor 45’ puts the rumors to rest

Castaways on Survivor are known for being absolutely starving (as we know, one of the main components of the game is to survive on an island with little to no food), going to the extremes for any sort of fuel.

Living off of primarily coconuts and rice, with the occasional fish or crab thrown in there (as well as food from a reward challenge if the tribe proves victorious), Survivor contestants have proven since 2001 that they will do anything they can for some extra protein.

Because of this, the Belo tribe on Survivor 45 decided to get a bit creative, adding a brand new creature to their diet: sea cucumbers.

While it did not air during episode four of Survivor 45, Entertainment Weekly surprised fans with an exclusive deleted scene, where the adventurous Austin Li Coon tries a sea cucumber alongside his brand new Belo tribemates: Drew Basile, Emily Flippen, Brando Meyer, and Kendra McQuarrie.

Keep scrolling to find out how it all went down — did they discover a new tasty treat?

After finding a sea cucumber on the ocean floor, Austin took a big bite, before sharing his true thoughts with the camera.

“That sea cucumber was disgusting,” the 26-year-old dished in a confessional. “Knowing that it looks like a piece of crap, and watching its intestines spill out of it, it’s probably the most unappetizing thing I have ever eaten.”

“I’ve already eaten earthworms and everything on Survivor. Like, that was horrible,” he continued, reinforcing that sea cucumbers will not be a staple in his diet.

Just moments after trying it, the San Jose, California native lied to his tribemates, trying to convince them to taste the sea cucumber as well: “It’s not that bad. It literally just has no flavor. It tastes like a rubber band. You have to get over it.”

After Austin’s persuasion, every tribemate took a bite (resulting in the same disgusted reaction) with the exception of the pessimistic Emily Flippen, who refused to go anywhere near the creature.

“Sea cucumbers are disgusting,” she spilled. “Honestly, I’m surprised nobody got sick from eating that. Nobody enjoyed that. I was waiting for Jeff [Probst] to pop out and be like ‘Stop! Stop! Stop! Don’t do it.'”

Nonetheless, Austin does not regret the experience: “It was truly like a core memory. I’ve never experienced any sort of food experience like that” And that’s what Survivor is all about!

Tune into CBS every Wednesday at 8pm ET/PT for new 90-minute episodes of Survivor 45.