Last week, a massive sea creature washed up on the shores of an Indonesian beach, leaving locals on the island of Seram in a state of shock and sparking a global guessing game as to what kind of creature it could be. With possible tusks and a terrifying appearance straight out of a nightmare, the giant creature has captured the attention of people around the world. Scientists are now working to identify the species and uncover the secrets of this mysterious sea monster.
As images of the floating carcass spread across the internet, the scientific community was left with a few pressing questions: What is it? How did it get to an Indonesian island? And what does its presence say about climate change and whale migration habits?
The people of Seram had a more pressing query: How do we get rid of it?
According to the Jakarta Globe, Asrul Tuanakota, a 37-year-old fisherman, initially thought he had discovered a boat stranded in shallow water. On closer inspection, he determined that it was the rotting corpse of a 50-foot-long dead sea creature — possibly a giant squid because the remains looked like tentacles. Blood seeping from the dead sea beast had turned the water near the coastline a bright red, which didn’t stop locals from wading in for a closer look and snapping pictures.
George Leonard, the chief scientist at the Ocean Conservancy, told HuffPost that the rotting carcass was probably a baleen whale, judging by parts of a protruding skeleton and what appear to be baleen plates used to filter out food. Decomposition gases bloated the whale into a very un-whale-like shape, and some of the noxious gases were seeping out.
Seraḿ, the largest island in the Maluku Island group, is near the migration routes for baleen whales, so it makes sense that one would be nearby. Locals have asked the government to help remove the carcass.
But dead whales usually sink to the bottom of the ocean, providing a years-long buffet for the creatures that dwell there, according to Live Science. The publication theorized that the whale had a bacterial infection that produced more gases or that it possibly died in warm waters, allowing bacteria to accumulate and gases to expand its body. It also could have died an unnatural death after being clipped by a ship.
Of course, things die in the ocean all the time, producing all kinds of weird phenomena. But now fishermen, villages, and tourists — and their smartphones — are coming into contact with dead sea creatures as they go through the circle of life.
For example, fishermen off the western coast of Australia found a humongous, floating balloon of flesh that looked as if it was the first sign of an alien invasion. At first, the father and son thought they had encountered a hot-air balloon.
“When we got closer, we realized it had to be a dead whale because of the smell,” Mark Watkins told the West Australian. They snapped photos of the whale balloon, then headed to shore. By then, they said, circling sharks had taken bites of the dead creature, causing it to deflate.
And earlier this year, a giant, hairy sea creature washed up on a beach in the Philippines, according to the Daily Mail. Locals believe the unusual occurrence was brought on by a recent earthquake. Pictures showed people climbing on top of the carcass to take selfies.
As we continue to explore and discover the mysteries of the ocean, we are reminded of the strange and unexpected creatures that call it home.
