New Zealand ‘Sea Monster’ Identified As Killer Whale [Video]
A New Zealand “sea monster” found on a beach last week has been identified by an expert as the remains of a killer whale.
In footage filmed by Elizabeth Ann on New Zealand’s Pukehina Beach, a grisly, 30-foot long carcass can clearly be seen. Dozens of sharp teeth remain in the decomposing body, which has visibly sunk into the wet sand.
It looks pretty horrific, and so far 1.2 million YouTube viewers have clicked through to pass judgement on what it actually is. Guesses so far include a saltwater crocodile, a dolphin, a giant moray eel, or even a dinosaur. Others have called it an elaborate prank.
None of which are correct, according to marine mammal expert Anton van Helden.
Van Helden told New Zealand’s 3 News that the mysterious remains were those of an orca killer whale and that its distinctive flipper was the crucial clue. Not that such an answer will satisfy the thousands of YouTubers currently offering theories.
New Zealand’s Sun Live newspaper reports the carcass was discovered by beach-goers near Pukehina on New Zealand’s Bay of Plenty in late-April. On April 28, one of the group posted footage of the so-called New Zealand “sea monster” to YouTube, complete with the query, “Can anyone identify what it is?”
As we’ve seen many times before, the Internet loves a good sea monster mystery. Last year alone, mysterious aquatic monsters turned out to be a jellyfish, a huge sturgeon, and a whale respectively.
You can see footage of the New Zealand “sea monster” below: What do you think this could be?
