Buzz
Next time you take a stroll along the beach, there’s a slight chance you could come across a grotesque, foul-smelling mass of life that has been expelled from the murkiest depths of the ocean floor: in other words, a globster. For those who are unfamiliar, a globster is an unidentified organic mass that washes up on the shoreline of a body of water. Over the years, many captivating, albeit slimy, globster (and other sea carcass) occurrences have been documented, all linked by the tantalizing mystery surrounding them. While science has provided explanations for many historical cases, some still remain unsolved. Below are some of the most notable recorded discoveries of globsters and other fascinating marine remains.
10. Tasmanian Sea Creature Spotted in August 1960
The Tasmanian Sea Creature (also called the ‘Tasmanian Blob’) was found washed up on a beach in (you guessed it) Tasmania. This strange dead organism, which lacked any identifiable skeletal structure, was initially thought to be a new mammalian species. Early attempts to scientifically explain this sighting were unsuccessful. The creature had no eyes, no visible mouth, and was covered in stiff white hairs. Despite its massive size (over 20 feet long), it was speculated to be a decayed whale. The media quickly grabbed onto the mystery, as the idea that the Tasmanian Blob could be a cryptic species was plausible. The true nature of the globster was only uncovered in 1981, when scientific analysis of its collagen fibers confirmed it to be a whale.
9. Bermuda Blob Spotted in May, 1988
In early 1988, a fisherman by the name of Ted Tucker (pictured above) discovered a fibrous blob along the shores of Bermuda. Initially, the creature was thought to be a cryptic species, but further analysis debunked this theory. The organism was described as having a stark white color and five distinct limbs. Much like other renowned globsters, the Bermuda Blob lacked eyes, a mouth, or any other features that could help identify it. Seven years after the discovery, using more advanced scientific techniques, it was conclusively determined to be the remains of a diseased whale. This conclusion surprised many researchers, as the initial tests had strongly indicated that the creature was linked to an elasmobranch (sharks or rays).
8. Gambo Discovered in June, 1983
When fifteen-year-old Owen Burnham ventured to Bungalow Beach in Gambia, he never imagined encountering a strange sea carcass that would remain an unsolved mystery for years. As a wildlife enthusiast, Owen made sketches of the creature (shown above), which are the only surviving images, as no photographs were taken of the carcass. The creature, later named ‘Gambo’ after the location where it was found, was transported to a nearby village where Owen resided. Villagers decapitated it and sold the head to an unidentified tourist.
The creature was described as measuring fifteen feet long, with a light brown color and oily skin. Its head had similarities to a dolphin, although its midsection was much wider than any dolphin. Gambo seemed to have been injured prior to death, as its rear flipper was nearly severed, and its internal organs were exposed. The creature's current whereabouts remain unknown, and scientists can only speculate about its true species.
7. St. Augustine Monster Discovered in November, 1896
As one of the earliest and perhaps the most famous globster discoveries, the St. Augustine Monster caused a media frenzy when it was discovered by a group of children. Initially, it was thought to be evidence of a new species of giant squid, due to its dull pink skin, which is typical of such creatures. Though this theory was later disproved, it is worth noting that in 1925, the colossal squid was officially recognized as a new species. The globster was said to have seven tentacles, all of which were much longer than its body, with many of them severed and scattered along the beach. Unlike most globster cases, this creature had a clearly identifiable head shaped like a sea lion. Modern scientific analysis later revealed the so-called cryptid to be the remains of a whale.
6. Montauk Monster Spotted in July, 2008
Arguably one of the most unusual creatures on this list, the Montauk Monster washed up on a beach in New York in 2008. The creature seemed to possess the head of a bird, despite having visible teeth in its lower jaw, while its torso resembled that of a canine, despite being entirely hairless. Even today, biologists are still debating the creature's origins. One popular theory suggests the creature is a diseased raccoon that lost its fur, with the upper jaw decomposing in the sea, giving it the appearance of a beak. However, this theory has largely been dismissed, as a raccoon’s legs are much shorter than those seen in the image.
5. Newfoundland Blob Found in August, 2001
The Newfoundland blob’s story isn't shrouded in mystery, but it is revolting enough to make most people sick. The globster was quickly identified as the remains of a sperm whale upon discovery, thanks to scientific methods that had not been available for previous globster cases. Researchers also explained how the slimy mass of fat and skin came to be on the shore: after the whale died, years of decay caused the solid bones to sink to the sea floor, leaving behind an empty shell of blubber. The whale’s internal organs fully decomposed, and all its identifiable features (such as its face and fins) merged into one massive, faceless blob. This caused the remains to float to the surface before washing up on a beach in Newfoundland.
4. Chilean Blob Found in July, 2003
The Chilean Blob stands out due to several significant differences compared to other globsters. Its sheer size is the most striking feature: the creature measured twelve meters in width and weighed over thirteen tonnes. The texture of the carcass was partially translucent, which led many biologists to mistakenly classify it as an undiscovered species of giant octopus. This caused a global stir when the creature was first found. Some enthusiasts even speculated that it might be the remains of a leviathan. However, it was later confirmed to be a whale carcass, although many scientists still question this, as the creature was initially identified as an invertebrate.
3. Stronsay Beast Discovered in September, 1808
Following a storm on Stronsay Island in 1808, part of the Orkney Islands, a massive serpentine creature was found washed up on the shore. Over two centuries later, the creature’s origins remain a mystery to biologists. The Stronsay Beast had remarkable similarities to the famed Loch Ness Monster, featuring a long, slender neck and tail, with a broader body that had three pairs of short paws. Its back was adorned with a mane of sharp bristles running from the neck down to its lower back.
Experts measured the creature and determined it was fifty-five feet in length from head to tail, with the tail being mostly decomposed, meaning the total length would have been even greater. This ruled out the theory of it being a basking shark, as the longest known basking shark was under forty feet. During the time of discovery, the Edinburgh Natural History Society tried to classify the creature but failed, concluding it was a serpent. Today, many cryptozoologists have speculated about the Stronsay Beast, but the lack of photographs means the mystery is likely to remain unsolved.
2. Trunko Spotted in October, 1924
Remarkably, Trunko is the only globster ever reported while still alive, debunking the idea that the body was merely a mass of whale blubber (a common explanation for globsters). Witnesses describe how Trunko fought off two killer whales off the coast, using its tail to defend itself for over three hours. Several days later, Trunko washed up on a South African beach, and it was given the name 'Trunko' because of its distinct elephant-like trunk, which was not initially visible from the shore.
The appearance of Trunko was truly bizarre, even by globster standards. The trunk extended oddly from an unremarkable part of its body, and the creature's torso was covered in thick, snowy white fur, leading to initial speculation that it might be a polar bear. Trunko also had a crustacean-like tail, but no visible face or bone structure, and it was entirely devoid of blood. Four photographs were taken of Trunko, but astonishingly, these were not discovered by globster researchers until 2010. One of the earliest photos shows a man poking at the famous elephant trunk with a stick (shown above).
1. Zuiyo-maru Carcass Discovered in April, 1977
The Zuiyo-maru carcass was found by a Japanese fishing crew aboard the trawler named Zuiyo-maru (which inspired its name). The crew was astonished when they hauled up a decomposing body caught in their trawl, convinced they had discovered a prehistoric plesiosaur, and they dubbed it 'Nessie.' However, despite the initial excitement, the crew decided to discard the carcass back into the ocean, fearing it would contaminate the fish they had already caught. Before they did, they took photographs (shown above) and collected samples of the creature, including bones, skin, and fat.
The Zuiyo-maru carcass remains an enigma, though evidence strongly points to it being the decomposed remains of a basking shark. While the creature's head bears a striking resemblance to that of a plesiosaur, such features can arise from the decay of a basking shark, where the lower jaw and head typically decompose first. Despite these findings, some Japanese scientists still assert that the Zuiyo-maru carcass could belong to an unknown cryptid species.
