Thinker Posted July 2, 2003 Share Posted July 2, 2003 Giant Sea Creature Baffles Chilean Scientists Tue Jul 1, 3:05 PM ET Add Science - Reuters SANTIAGO, Chile (Reuters) - Chilean scientists were baffled on Tuesday by a huge, gelatinous sea creature found washed up on the southern Pacific coast and were seeking international help identifying the mystery specimen. The dead creature was mistaken for a beached whale when first reported about a week ago, but experts who went to see it said the 40-foot-long mass of decomposing lumpy gray flesh apparently was an invertebrate. "We'd never before seen such a strange specimen, We don't know if it might be a giant squid that is missing some of its parts or maybe it's a new species," said Elsa Cabrera, a marine biologist and director of the Center for Cetacean Conservation in Santiago. Photographs showed a round leathery substance like a mammoth jelly fish, about as long as a school bus. Giant squid live at a depth of 9,500 feet and only rise to the surface when they die. Specimens have been known to be as long as 60 feet. There was speculation that the mass might be a whale skin, but Cabrera said it was too big and did not have the right texture or smell. Cabrera said she was contacting Chilean and international organizations in the hope that they could help shed some light on the find. The Chilean Navy first spotted the mystery specimen along with another large mass, but the other dead animal turned out to be a dead humpback whale. ********************* TRASK!!!............................. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitten Posted July 2, 2003 Share Posted July 2, 2003 If I ran into something that big while diving - I would be beached as well. Or maybe in its belly. Smelly.................Dead fish thing............. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dru Posted July 2, 2003 Share Posted July 2, 2003 wow, deja vu Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitten Posted July 2, 2003 Share Posted July 2, 2003 Dru said: wow, deja vu Dru - I am hoping that was a mistake on your part and I'm not reading into things. Say sorry or else Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thinker Posted July 2, 2003 Author Share Posted July 2, 2003 Well this one has a photo... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dru Posted July 2, 2003 Share Posted July 2, 2003 yes, and not only that, but the photo does look like trask, a large, deflated, rotting fleshy blob of marine origin and indeterminate species (to which I predict a reply something along the lines of ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlpineK Posted July 2, 2003 Share Posted July 2, 2003 When I first saw this thread I thought it said: Giant Sea Creature Battles Chilean Scientists Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dru Posted July 2, 2003 Share Posted July 2, 2003 Giant Spray Creature Battles Muir Hut Scientists for Record Time of 4:20 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EWolfe Posted July 2, 2003 Share Posted July 2, 2003 recipe for the day! Giant Sea Creature Battered in Chili Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ursa_Eagle Posted July 2, 2003 Share Posted July 2, 2003 mmmm... chili-battered giant sea creature.... <drool> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ducknut Posted July 3, 2003 Share Posted July 3, 2003 Looks like a giant whale turd to me. Tell Jose to give it the sniff test. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catbirdseat Posted July 3, 2003 Share Posted July 3, 2003 It's the Blob. Run for your lives! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dru Posted July 3, 2003 Share Posted July 3, 2003 octopus giganteus slideshow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobBob Posted July 3, 2003 Share Posted July 3, 2003 nasty beach blanket! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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