# "Sea Monster" washes up in China - What is this thing? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 23, 2011, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sea-monster-washes-up-in-china-what-is-this-thing/586559 "2011-06-23T15:24:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2011, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sea-monster-washes-up-in-china-what-is-this-thing/586559/1 "2011-06-23T15:24:59Z")
The carcass of a 55-ft sea creature has[washed ashore in China](http://manverse.com/2011/06/22/55ft-sea-monster-washes-ashore-in-china/). Supposedly has a long thin head and a snout nearly 1-meter long, hair, and orange & black stripes. It measures out to be about 4.5 tons and the skull alone weighs over 100kg. Also looks like it has 4 paws a tail, and long fur. It’s not a fish, but head resembles a crocodile. In the update on that article, it says that scientists have seen this type of animal before but they don’t know what they are. Any guesses? ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2011, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sea-monster-washes-up-in-china-what-is-this-thing/586559/2 "2011-06-23T15:32:28Z")
If it is in China, I’m going to say it is lunch. (looks like a decomposed whale to me) ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2011, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sea-monster-washes-up-in-china-what-is-this-thing/586559/3 "2011-06-23T15:38:10Z")
I’m thinking: Rotting whale or whale shark and it is not as long as they say. . ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2011, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sea-monster-washes-up-in-china-what-is-this-thing/586559/4 "2011-06-23T15:44:47Z")
I vote dead whale also. They just need a little [dynamite](http://theexplodingwhale.com/)to get rid of it. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2011, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sea-monster-washes-up-in-china-what-is-this-thing/586559/5 "2011-06-23T15:46:19Z")
> [@Philster](#): > > I’m thinking: Rotting whale or whale shark and it is not as long as they say. > > . The carcass in the pictures doesn’t include the head or tail. ---
**Author:** ![Furious\_Marmot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dfb087/32.png) [@Furious\_Marmot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Furious_Marmot)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2011, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sea-monster-washes-up-in-china-what-is-this-thing/586559/6 "2011-06-23T15:49:06Z")
It sure as heck looks like a whale with some pieces missing. The forelimb/flipper looks like that of a humpback. Considering that the story seems get the length wrong, I wouldn’t put much faith in the rest of the details. ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2011, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sea-monster-washes-up-in-china-what-is-this-thing/586559/7 "2011-06-23T15:51:49Z")
I’d say whale. The “orange stripes” appear to just be places where the skin has split. Most people have no idea what whale skulls look like; “crocodilian” would not be an unreasonable description of [many of them](http://www.skullsunlimited.com/record_variant.php?id=3651). ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2011, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sea-monster-washes-up-in-china-what-is-this-thing/586559/8 "2011-06-23T15:54:43Z")
> [@](#): > > Three marine biology experts — Scott Baker of Oregon State University Marine Mammal Institute, Bill Perrin, from the National Marine Fisheries Service, and Bob Brownell, from the National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration’s Fisheries Service – were all shown photographs of the creature by Live Science. > > Their conclusion is that, based on its throat grooves, the creature is a whale. > > Mr Baker told the journal: ‘Judging from the reported size of 55 ft, it’s maybe a fin whale. From the photo, however, it does not really look to be 55 ft, and so might be a smaller balaenopterid, like one of the “Bryde’s” whales.’ [Daily Mail](http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2007131/Mysterious-55ft-sea-monster-washes-China.html?ITO=1490) ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2011, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sea-monster-washes-up-in-china-what-is-this-thing/586559/9 "2011-06-23T16:07:19Z")
Yeah, I saw the throat grooves and immediately said (out loud, to my office full of biologists), “That’s a baleen whale.” They agreed. ---
**Author:** ![Alka\_Seltzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Alka\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alka_Seltzer)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2011, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sea-monster-washes-up-in-china-what-is-this-thing/586559/10 "2011-06-23T16:09:47Z")
Maybe Robert Maxwell has finally washed up. These [globsters](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Globsters) turn up from time to time, and usually turn out to be decomposed whales or sharks. ---
**Author:** ![Swords\_to\_Plowshares](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b38774/32.png) [@Swords\_to\_Plowshares](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swords_to_Plowshares)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2011, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sea-monster-washes-up-in-china-what-is-this-thing/586559/11 "2011-06-23T16:17:20Z")
> [@Ogre](#): > > Yeah, I saw the throat grooves and immediately said (out loud, to my office full of biologists), “That’s a baleen whale.” They agreed. Trust me - I’m a whale biologist! ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2011, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sea-monster-washes-up-in-china-what-is-this-thing/586559/12 "2011-06-23T16:41:39Z")
> [@Swords\_to\_Plowshares](#): > > Trust me - I’m a whale biologist! Actually, no cetacean biologists (and I’m a plant guy myself), but everyone else in the room were marine biologists. ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2011, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sea-monster-washes-up-in-china-what-is-this-thing/586559/13 "2011-06-23T16:52:44Z")
> [@Swords\_to\_Plowshares](#): > > Trust me - I’m a whale biologist! …As if sensing my presence, I said “Easy, big fella!”. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2011, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sea-monster-washes-up-in-china-what-is-this-thing/586559/14 "2011-06-23T17:42:18Z")
wrong thread ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2011, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sea-monster-washes-up-in-china-what-is-this-thing/586559/15 "2011-06-23T18:04:09Z")
Sea Moose ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2011, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sea-monster-washes-up-in-china-what-is-this-thing/586559/16 "2011-06-24T01:26:07Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > [Daily Mail](http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2007131/Mysterious-55ft-sea-monster-washes-China.html?ITO=1490) From the photo, however, it does not really look to be 55 ft, and so might be a smaller balaenopterid I tell ya, he was ten stories high if he was a foot. . ---
**Author:** ![T.Slothrop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3e96dc/32.png) [@T.Slothrop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/T.Slothrop)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2011, 8:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sea-monster-washes-up-in-china-what-is-this-thing/586559/17 "2011-06-24T08:36:12Z")
Judging by the spectators in the photo “sea monster 05”, that ain’t China. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2011, 9:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sea-monster-washes-up-in-china-what-is-this-thing/586559/18 "2011-06-24T09:48:55Z")
> [@T.Slothrop](#): > > Judging by the spectators in the photo “sea monster 05”, that ain’t China. The pictures at the bottom of that page don’t seem to be of the same carcass as the one at the top. ---
**Author:** ![Double\_Foolscap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/85e7bf/32.png) [@Double\_Foolscap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Double_Foolscap)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2011, 9:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sea-monster-washes-up-in-china-what-is-this-thing/586559/19 "2011-06-24T09:54:06Z")
> [@Swords\_to\_Plowshares](#): > > Trust me - I’m a whale biologist! And they call 'em like they sees 'em. ---
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2011, 9:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sea-monster-washes-up-in-china-what-is-this-thing/586559/20 "2011-06-24T09:54:30Z")
“They’ve seen it before, but they don’t know what it is”!?! And, that was a scientist talking? :rolleyes: [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sea-monster-washes-up-in-china-what-is-this-thing/586559.md?page=2)