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medea

macrumors 68030
Original poster
Aug 4, 2002
2,517
1
Madison, Wi
http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/americas/07/02/chile.science.reut/index.html
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 (12-meter) 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, 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 (3,000 meters) and only rise to the surface when they die. Specimens have been known to be as long as 60 feet (18 meters).
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.

They also state in a caption the weight is apx 13 tons.
 

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Mr. Anderson

Moderator emeritus
Nov 1, 2001
22,568
6
VA
This is quite amazing. Although I think it might be one of those huge squid - the ones bigger than the giant squid.

That thing is huge, regardless...and they'll know if its a new species once they do some genetic tests.

I was watching the discovery channel the other day and a they had a more recent show on about the giant squid. Seems as though the mating grounds are near New Zealand and that one researcher actually captured a live, tiny, baby giant squid - no more than a 1 cm long.

D
 

medea

macrumors 68030
Original poster
Aug 4, 2002
2,517
1
Madison, Wi
Originally posted by Mr. Anderson
This is quite amazing. Although I think it might be one of those huge squid - the ones bigger than the giant squid.

D
You're thinking of the Colossal Squid's, which it could end up being, though why would it be missing all of it's tentacles? I'd think the tentacles would surface up nearby as well but not neccesarily. Seems like it could be some form of jelly fish, if so that would be amazing. Odd thing is that they found that dead whale nearby, if it is a squid maybe it attacked the whate.
 

Mr. Anderson

Moderator emeritus
Nov 1, 2001
22,568
6
VA
Well if a sperm whale had a bite or two that might be why its missing some tentacles - also, there's no knowing when it died, maybe something ate some of it before it washed ashore.

Anyway, I'll be watching this and look forward to finding out what it is.

D
 

hvfsl

macrumors 68000
Jul 9, 2001
1,867
185
London, UK
I expect it is something totally new, since there are lots of creatives in the sea that are being discovered all the time.
 

medea

macrumors 68030
Original poster
Aug 4, 2002
2,517
1
Madison, Wi
Originally posted by jayscheuerle
Speculation of a giant octopus?

Looks like afterbirth to me... :eek:
So you think it's a giant placenta? that's highly possible, but kinda gross....might be considered a delicacy..... ;)

or as duke stated it could have been a fight between the squid and whale, sort of like a mini godzilla movie only both creatures died in the brawl.....heh.
 

mactastic

macrumors 68040
Apr 24, 2003
3,681
665
Colly-fornia
Re: Giant sea creature baffles Chilean scientists

Originally posted by medea
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.

Smell?? Yuck

Wonder how many people in the world have the expertise necessary to distinguish the smell of a whale skin from the smell of some other skin?
 

boskie

macrumors regular
Feb 6, 2001
187
0
North Side Of Itchy Town
Re: Re: Giant sea creature baffles Chilean scientists

Originally posted by medea


or as duke stated it could have been a fight between the squid and whale, sort of like a mini godzilla movie only both creatures died in the brawl.....heh.

Sounds like a new James Cameron movie, all you need is some underwater cameras and he's away;)
 

howard

macrumors 68020
Nov 18, 2002
2,017
4
shows how little we really do know about the deep depths of the sea...wonder what else is lurking down there
 

Das

macrumors regular
Jan 28, 2003
150
0
Originally posted by howard
shows how little we really do know about the deep depths of the sea...wonder what else is lurking down there

No, no, science knows everything. I'm sure it's just a weather ballon.
 

Dont Hurt Me

macrumors 603
Dec 21, 2002
6,055
6
Yahooville S.C.
Hard to say except that the seas are a lot greater in mass then the land, could be a lot out there still undiscovered., now think about space. we have scratched about millionth of the surface. maybe thats way to liberal , how about a millionth of a millionth of a millionth of this galaxy and not even. do you see how far we have to go.?
 

wdlove

macrumors P6
Oct 20, 2002
16,568
0
It sounds like an amazing find. Continues to show just how much we don't know. Please keep us updated on this story.
 

sparkleytone

macrumors 68020
Oct 28, 2001
2,307
0
Greensboro, NC
this planet is just extraordinary. i find it quite ironic that we know more about space than we do of our own ocean and the abundance of life it shelters.
 

iJon

macrumors 604
Feb 7, 2002
6,586
229
man that thing would scare the s*** out of me if i saw that. thats really cool though, i cant for an update.

iJon
 

mymemory

macrumors 68020
May 9, 2001
2,495
-1
Miami
Originally posted by iJon
man that thing would scare the s*** out of me if i saw that. thats really cool though, i cant for an update.

iJon

That is why I do not like scubadiving... if I ever see something like that at 3 feet from me you will see my skin living me behind just like in the cartoons! I would die over and over again in the same place if that stuff show up infront of me.

Just imagine to be swiming at night in the ocean and feeling something touching you feets under water... just imagine that you have a flashlight and just occur you point it under the water and you see that stuff under your feets... damn! you will see me like a torpedo strait to the moon.
 

Durandal7

macrumors 68040
Feb 24, 2001
3,153
0
Humans have only been to a small part of the ocean. In all likelihood at least %80 of the species in the oceans have been classified.
 
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