Giant creature baffles scientists
Reuters | 7/1/03


SANTIAGO, Chile (July 1) - 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 grey 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.

did not have the right texture or smell.

Ya know...there are just some things you don't want to go and do for a living...feeling and smelling gelatinous globs of glue
from the ovean never figured very high on my list of "want-to-be's". Glad there's someone else that wants to smell and touch
stuff like that....

--
katysails
s/v Chanteuse
Kirie Elite 32
Ad eundum quo nemo ante iit.
http://katysails.tripod.com

"Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax
and get used to the idea." - Robert A. Heinlein

There was this weird kid when we knew when I was 8... he used to run down
the beach and squeeze farts out of dead seagulls. He's a marine biologist
now.

CM

"katysails" wrote in message
...
| did not have the right texture or smell.
|
| Ya know...there are just some things you don't want to go and do for a
living...feeling and smelling gelatinous globs of glue
| from the ovean never figured very high on my list of "want-to-be's". Glad
there's someone else that wants to smell and touch
| stuff like that....
|
| --
| katysails
| s/v Chanteuse
| Kirie Elite 32
| Ad eundum quo nemo ante iit.
| http://katysails.tripod.com
|
| "Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax
| and get used to the idea." - Robert A. Heinlein
|
|

It is truly depressing that I now have brain cells dedicated to maintaining that image ...


"Capt. Mooron" wrote in message
...
There was this weird kid when we knew when I was 8... he used to run down
the beach and squeeze farts out of dead seagulls. He's a marine biologist
now.

CM

"katysails" wrote in message
...
| did not have the right texture or smell.
|
| Ya know...there are just some things you don't want to go and do for a
living...feeling and smelling gelatinous globs of glue
| from the ovean never figured very high on my list of "want-to-be's". Glad
there's someone else that wants to smell and touch
| stuff like that....
|
| --
| katysails
| s/v Chanteuse
| Kirie Elite 32
| Ad eundum quo nemo ante iit.
| http://katysails.tripod.com
|
| "Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax
| and get used to the idea." - Robert A. Heinlein
|
|

"Capt. Mooron" wrote in message ...
There was this weird kid when we knew when I was 8... he used to run down
the beach and squeeze farts out of dead seagulls. He's a marine biologist
now.

I hear ya - been to sea with some of those types. One reason I quit
being a fisheries biologist & took up computing. Easier work, more
jobs, better pay and the only fish you deal with is filleted, gutted
and ready to cook.

PDW

CM

"katysails" wrote in message
...
| did not have the right texture or smell.
|
| Ya know...there are just some things you don't want to go and do for a
living...feeling and smelling gelatinous globs of glue
| from the ovean never figured very high on my list of "want-to-be's". Glad
there's someone else that wants to smell and touch
| stuff like that....
|
| --
| katysails
| s/v Chanteuse
| Kirie Elite 32
| Ad eundum quo nemo ante iit.
| http://katysails.tripod.com
|
| "Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax
| and get used to the idea." - Robert A. Heinlein
|
|