7 Mysterious Globsters Discovered on Coastlines Worldwide

Across the globe, strange gelatinous masses have appeared on beaches—amorphous organic blobs that defy scientific classification. Some are featureless, while others display hair-like strands or fleshy protrusions resembling tentacles. Their sizes vary dramatically, from small fragments to massive structures as wide as a building.

These enigmatic entities, part blob and part enigma, are dubbed globsters. Often grouped with legends like Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster, globsters stand apart due to the tangible evidence they leave behind. Unlike other cryptids, their origins are typically uncovered by scientists. Most globsters are identified as decaying whale blubber or the remains of basking sharks, stripped of recognizable features by the ocean's forces.

While most globster mysteries are eventually solved, they never fail to ignite public curiosity. As long as these strange masses continue to wash ashore, they will serve as a canvas for humanity's fascination and unease with the ocean and its unknown inhabitants. Below are some of the most puzzling globsters that have captured attention over the decades.

1. The Chilean Blob

When a massive, unidentified flesh mound appeared on a beach in Chile in 2003, it baffled experts. Known as the Chilean Blob, this colossal globster weighed 13 tons and spanned 41 feet in length and 19 feet in width. Its jelly-like texture sparked theories of a giant squid or an undiscovered octopus species, the latter being particularly intriguing due to the absence of octopuses of such size in scientific records. However, advanced electron microscopy and DNA analysis later confirmed a less sensational truth: the blob was simply the decaying blubber of a sperm whale.

2. The Hairy Globster of the Philippines

Not all globsters are smooth and gelatinous. A 20-foot-long organic mass found on a Philippine beach in 2018 was covered in a shaggy, white coating, reminiscent of the dragon from A Neverending Story (1984). However, its origins were far from mythical. Authorities determined it was the remains of a whale, likely killed by a ship strike weeks prior. The so-called “hairs” were identified as decaying muscle fibers, and the white hue was a result of natural decomposition processes.

3. Trunko

This globster is unique for reportedly being seen alive. Hugh Balance, a farm owner, claimed to have witnessed the creature battling two whales off South Africa’s coast in 1922. He described the body washing ashore that night, measuring 47 feet long, 10 feet wide, and covered in white fur. The name Trunko derives from its 5-foot-long trunk-like appendage. After 10 days on land, it was carried back to sea before any expert could examine it. In 1924, the Daily Mail published the story under the headline “Fish Like A Polar Bear.” While photos and descriptions align with other whale blubber globsters, the lack of physical evidence leaves its true identity a mystery.

4. The Stronsay Beast

The Stronsay Beast is among the earliest recorded globsters. Its remains appeared on Scotland’s Orkney Islands in September 1808. Measuring an astonishing 55 feet long with the thickness of a pony, it was likened to mythical sea serpents. Witnesses noted unique features, including two blowholes, a silky mane, and three large fins on each side. Scientists in Edinburgh, believing it to be a new species, named it Halsydrus pontoppidani after Danish bishop and sea monster enthusiast Erik Pontoppidan. However, surgeon Sir Everard Home concluded it was a decayed basking shark, a theory later supported by 1980s research. Despite this, the creature’s reported size far exceeds the longest basking shark on record, which measured only 32 feet.

5. The St. Augustine Monster

The St. Augustine Monster was one of the earliest globsters to capture national attention. Discovered in 1896 by two boys on Anastasia Island, Florida, the strange carcass was examined by local physician DeWitt Webb, who theorized it was a massive octopus. Measuring 21 feet long and 7 feet wide, the blob featured stubby limbs and a head likened to “the size of a flour barrel, resembling a sea lion’s head.” Newspapers sensationalized the find, labeling it a sea monster.

The true nature of the St. Augustine Monster remained a mystery for nearly 100 years. In the 1990s, microscopic analysis of a sample of the globster revealed it was composed entirely of collagen, ruling out an octopus or any invertebrate. The findings pointed to a whale origin, which was confirmed in 2004 through DNA testing.

6. The Tasmanian Globster

This Australian discovery introduced the term globster, coined by cryptozoologist Ivan T. Sanderson after the mass appeared on a Tasmanian beach in 1960. The 20-foot-long blob was described as having white bristles, gill-like slits, and tusk-like protrusions. Due to its remote location, scientists didn’t examine it until two years later, concluding it was part of a whale. However, skeptics like Graham Airey, who saw it as a child, argued it didn’t resemble whale blubber, citing its gills, wool-like texture, and lack of decay over years.

7. New Ireland Globster

The latest globster to join the list is a mysterious “mermaid”-like mass that appeared on the shores of New Ireland, Papua New Guinea, in October 2023. The gelatinous, white body featured whale-like flukes but lacked other identifiable features. Locals who found the globster shared photos on Facebook and buried it before any measurements or samples could be collected. Experts reviewing the images speculated it might be the remains of a decayed whale, shark, or dugong—a marine mammal related to manatees, which are believed to have inspired ancient mermaid legends.