Scientists are investigating the mysterious sea monster, which is more than 23 feet (7 meters) long, weighs an estimated four tons and has no face, in an effort to discover its true identity.
The huge creature was found on Broad Haven South Beach in Pembrokeshire, Wales, last week, and was reported to the Cetacean Strandings Investigation Program, or CSIP, in the United Kingdom.
https://twitter.com/IDoubtIt/status/1367107143384657921?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1367107143384657921%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Farabic.rt.com%2Ffunny%2F1208047-D8A7D984D8B9D8ABD988D8B1-D8B9D984D989-D985D8AED984D988D982-D8A8D8ADD8B1D98A-D8BAD8A7D985D8B6-D8B7D988D984D987-7-D8A3D985D8AAD8A7D8B1-D988D988D8B2D986D987-4-D8A3D8B7D986D8A7D986%2F
But with the mysterious beast already in decomposition, experts were unable to establish a confirmed identity for it, and now a sample must be sent for testing.
“It’s very difficult to know for sure because it’s so decomposed,” said Matthew Westfield, a member of the CSIP team for Wales. “He died in the sea and died for a while before being washed ashore, so it is possible that he arrived at high tide.”
In the photographs, the remains are seen as a gray and filiform shell in some places, with bony elements appearing in others.
There is no clear characteristic of the creature’s biology, as the head appears to have disappeared and no limbs are visible.
Although Westfield identified a spine roughly 23 feet long, the scale of the actual animal is uncertain.
“Basically the whole head component was either decaying or missing,” Westfield said. “However, personally examining the remains provided some evidence.”
He added, “Basically I got a report about something huge that was washed up on the beach. The lady who actually told us about it did a little research and came back at first saying that she thought it might have been a basking shark. Well with the pictures we didn’t think so at first because of its size and because it’s rare.” “Basking sharks are engulfing the beaches around Wales. So we initially thought it would be a whale but when we arrived and tested it, it became clear that it was definitely not like that.”
He continued, “The first clue was the smell of rotten fish. The smell of decomposing fish differs from the smell of decomposing whales. We took pictures, took some samples, and sent them to the Natural History Museum and some specialized teams there, along with the London Zoo.”
He continued, “We just have to wait and see what happens. As for what killed this sea monster, he probably never knew it. It is absolutely impossible to determine the cause of his death.”
The research team indicated that the remains must now either be buried wherever they are, or removed from the shore in small pieces or left to nature to take its course.
Source: Metro