Mysterious hairy-looking creature washes up in the Philippines

AsiaOne
Feb 24, 2017

The massive white glob looks like a discarded prop from an epic B-grade alien movie. Or is it something else?

An ominous looking sea monster that turned up on the beach of an island in the Philippines recently had locals scratching their heads.

Fishing folk and dive enthusiasts have long shared stories of their encounters with bizarre sea creatures, but the 20-foot-long hairy beast that rolled in with the waves at Cagdainao in the Dinagat islands on Wednesday afternoon (Feb 22) is a tough one to top, reported ABS-CBN News.

Postulating the spectre of a disaster, some Filipino netizens believe that the appearance of rare creatures like this is an ill omen.

Really? They may be stretching it a bit too far.

What the creature could be

As photos of the beast went viral, netizens have been debating its mysterious origin.

One netizen John Paul Garcia thinks it's what's known as a trunko or globster - a legendary half-whale, half-polar bear creature that reportedly washed up in South Africa in the 1920s.

Even large sea dwellers like orcas are no match for it as it is said to effortlessly slay its prey with a strange tail manoeuvre, according to The Daily Mail and The Daily Alternative which reported his comments.

Local scientists have also said that the creature could simply be the body of a whale which had turned white due to an advanced stage of decomposition, reported The Daily Mail.

Aquaculture technologist Sufenia Chua of the Cagdianao Municipal Agriculture Office said she is quite sure it's the carcass of a sea cow, judging by the skin found near the shore, reported ABS-CBN News. She added that there were previous sightings of the animal in the area.

Her conclusion is probably the most believable.