Hairbeast from the watery deeps

March 24, 2008 4:33 PM

The partially decomposed sea monster has 4 paws, a tail, and long fur. Is that you, Dagon?
Other famous sea-monster bodies (known as "globsters") include
The St. Augustine Monster ^
The New Zealand globster
Several more recent blobs
And here's how to tell a blob from a sea monster
posted by BlackLeotardFront (14 comments total)

That has to be a significantly decomposed whale (the first link.)
posted by gen at 4:50 PM on March 24, 2008

Nice post, BlackLeotardFront.

I've loved this kind of stuff since first reading an article in Time/Life Children's Encyclopedia (I think that's what it was called) about a Japanese trawler that picked up a blobster in the open sea. The article said that it was the carcass of a Plesiosaur and had a picture and everthing. Very convincing for an 9 year old. :)
posted by snwod at 4:52 PM on March 24, 2008

Right you are, gen. The "hair" in the first link is baleen. The rest of the head has decomposed away.
posted by Araucaria at 5:25 PM on March 24, 2008

The first one is indeed a whale; my handy-dandy analysis of it from several months back.

I love the word "globster." Is it a bad thing that I've long used it as a term of affection for my SO?
posted by jamaro at 5:27 PM on March 24, 2008

Super Cool Post!
posted by wittgenstein at 6:02 PM on March 24, 2008

Random question: What was the last 'giant' sea creature discovered? I assume it was the Giant Squid? When was the last whale discovered?
posted by empath at 6:07 PM on March 24, 2008

Fun post. Such a disappointment that they are all just hunks of rancid blubber!
posted by LarryC at 6:08 PM on March 24, 2008

empath. I'm sure I read that new ceteceans crop up at the rate of one a decade but I can't find a cite. A baleen whale was discovered in '98 according to Google.
posted by Leon at 6:18 PM on March 24, 2008

If I didn't know any better, I'd swear "Pravda" was Russian for "Weekly World News."
posted by louche mustachio at 6:35 PM on March 24, 2008 [1 favorite]

You would not be incorrect, louche mustachio. I direct your attention to this article.
posted by endivebreakfast at 7:09 PM on March 24, 2008

If I didn't know any better, I'd swear "Pravda" was Russian for "Weekly World News."

Well, pravda.ru is an internet-only news source inspired by the tabloid founded by some members of the staff following the dismantling of the original newspaper in 1991.
posted by Shakeer at 10:17 PM on March 24, 2008

I don't see "four paws". It looks like an upside down humpback whale.

On preview link-clicking, jamaro is right on.
posted by dabitch at 4:16 AM on March 25, 2008

Can this be the Loch Ness monster?? ask this monster watcher
posted by insatiablehee at 5:52 AM on March 25, 2008

Heh heh, endive, that was the article I'd gone to when I saw this hairy carcass. It's certainly an old whale, but it's cool that they come up in such ridiculous shapes.

I love me some monsters! And nice link jamaro!
posted by BlackLeotardFront at 8:11 AM on March 25, 2008