Buzz
Fantasy films are known for bringing to life the wildest, most unbelievable creatures. However, you don’t have to rely on fiction to discover beings so strange they defy logic. Our planet’s natural world is filled with wonders—there are enormous versions of ordinary animals and spiders that resemble rabbits.
In the deeper, more mysterious realms, some fish appear to melt, and gigantic, eerie crustaceans burrow into corpses. Beyond that, the existence of rainbow squirrels and ghostly tubes, longer than a bus, show that the world’s most surreal creatures are just as remarkable as they are extraordinary.
10. The White Whale
When Herman Melville wrote Moby Dick in 1851, the tale of the white whale became an iconic literary masterpiece. These pale cetaceans are not mere fiction. For example, Galon de Leche (“Milk Gallon”), an albino whale, has become a beloved figure off the coast of Mexico.
There have been multiple reports of a white whale in the region, but it's unclear whether these sightings involve the same whale or different ones. Regardless, these creatures remain rare. In 2003, a completely white calf was reportedly spotted, though there is no photographic proof to verify this sighting.
Milk Gallon got its name when researchers discovered an albino gray whale in 2008, and again in 2016, this time accompanied by a regular-colored calf. The most recent sighting occurred in 2019 when a whale-watching guide observed a white gray whale breaching near the Baja California coast in Mexico.
Manuel Gonzalez was astute enough to capture footage of the whale, avoiding the error made by the crew who may have mistakenly identified Milk Gallon as a calf back in 2003.
9. Stiletto Snakes
In 2019, researchers explored the forests of Guinea and Liberia, lifting rocks and examining plants. Their efforts led to the discovery of a new snake species. They found three of these inconspicuous brown creatures, which turned out to be formidable foes.
The new species was identified as part of the stiletto snakes group. Forget about handling them in the usual manner. Attempting to grip them behind the head could result in a snakebite. Stilettos have an extraordinary ability: They can strike with venom without opening their mouths.
The snakes possess specialized fangs at the corners of their mouths, enabling them to strike sideways. As the scientists in Guinea and Liberia learned firsthand, these reptiles can also lunge over distances equal to their own body length.
Thankfully, stiletto bites are not typically fatal. However, their venom is cytotoxic (it destroys cells). The snakes carry a potent dose, and without the right antivenom, a bitten hand could lose several fingers.
8. Melting Fish
In 2018, a scientific expedition descended 7.5 kilometers (4.7 mi) into the Atacama Trench. Situated off the coast of Peru, it is one of the deepest points in the ocean. The team captured footage of three previously unknown species of snailfish.
Despite the extreme depth, the area was teeming with invertebrates, and the snailfish appeared to be the dominant predator, well-fed and thriving. This was astonishing, given that the pressure at those depths would crush a human. In fact, this is exactly what happened when scientists attempted to bring the fish to the surface.
It turned out that the pressure on the surface, which people consider normal, was lethal to these creatures. To endure the depths, the snailfish evolved a soft, nearly structureless body. The only notable solid features were their teeth and inner ear bones.
This soft, delicate structure made the snailfish remarkably resilient—but only at depths where the crushing pressure kept them intact. When a few were caught and brought to the surface, they disintegrated so quickly it appeared as though they melted.
7. The Lagoon Blob
In 2017, something strange appeared off the coast of British Columbia. It looked like a brain mixed with a bowl of jelly. Scientists removed it from a lagoon in Vancouver, but this wasn’t some rogue movie monster. The gelatinous mass was actually a collection of microscopic creatures known as zooids.
In scientific terms, the brain-like colony was a bryozoan, specifically identified as Pectinatella magnifica. This species had never been seen in the region before. All previous samples had been found east of the Mississippi River.
This discovery sparked further debate on whether these creatures might be an invasive species. Their muddy hue often makes the colony blend in with river rocks or render them nearly invisible in dark waters. In fact, the Vancouver bryozoan was only noticed because the water levels had dropped enough to reveal it.
They might have been overlooked for centuries or could have recently spread beyond their usual range due to climate change, as some propose. Regardless, these wobbly balls are ancient survivors. Fossil evidence shows that zooid colonies have existed for 470 million years.
6. Football-Size Isopods
Isopods belong to the same crustacean family as crabs and lobsters. In 2019, researchers captured footage of these creatures during an experiment. The team sought to determine which scavengers were drawn to a large piece of meat that had fallen to the sea floor. In this case, the meat was a whole alligator.
Once the alligator hit the Gulf of Mexico’s seafloor, it didn’t take long for the isopods to appear. Each one was about the size of a football. They had a sickly pale color and looked like lobsters. But their grotesque appearance was nothing compared to their gruesome behavior. Within a day, several had burrowed halfway into the alligator’s stomach, feeding on the reptile from the inside out.
The crustaceans’ uncanny ability to penetrate the alligator’s tough skin took the researchers by surprise. Then again, isopods are no strangers to bizarre traits. These eerie creatures are capable of going for years without eating.
Perhaps with that survival tactic in mind, isopods tend to gorge themselves whenever they can. A prime example of this was when one attempted to swim away from the alligator, only to drop like an anvil to the seafloor, too full to move properly.
5. Blue Lobster
Throughout his years as a lobsterman, Robin Russell had never encountered anything like it. When he checked his traps in 2017, he found a blue lobster among the usual brown ones. The creature also displayed patches of faded pink and periwinkle, giving it a gentle rainbow appearance.
Known as “Lucky,” this crustacean escaped the dinner table and found refuge at a science center. While blue lobsters are an uncommon sight, they appear every few years. Lobster coloration is notably unpredictable, with a pigment named astaxanthin changing hues based on its concentration, environmental factors, or its molecular arrangement.
Typically, lobsters are brown, with their familiar red hue emerging only when boiling water alters the pigment. Lucky and his blue counterparts remain enigmatic. Researchers believe that low levels of astaxanthin could be the underlying cause of their distinctive color.
When lobsters are deprived of their diet, they turn white. A genetic mutation might also play a part in their color variations. In the past, mutations have led to remarkable lobsters—vivid yellows, a calico pattern with spots, and even lobsters with a striking two-toned appearance.
4. An Enormous Bee
Alfred Russel Wallace discovered an enormous bee, a serious-looking black insect that was four times larger than a typical honeybee. This discovery took place in 1858, and for more than a century, the so-called Wallace’s giant bee remained unseen.
Once believed to be extinct, the giant bee made a surprising return in 1981 when an entomologist located six nests scattered across the Bacan Islands. However, after this sighting, the giant bees vanished again.
In 2019, a group of scientists set out on an expedition across Indonesian islands to search for the world’s largest bee. The search came to a thrilling conclusion when a local guide discovered the nest. While it was known that Wallace bees inhabit termite mounds, none of the mounds they had investigated had revealed the bees.
The nest was located in a forest in North Maluku, where the queen Wallace was found. These were the first-ever photos and videos taken of the species. The queen's wingspan was 6 centimeters (2.5 inches), and she possessed enormous mandibles.
The bees may continue to disappear due to the extreme remoteness of the region where they live.
3. Pyrosoma Colony
In 2018, divers captured underwater footage near White Island, New Zealand, where they were taken aback by a strange, ghostly apparition. The ribbon-like structure stretched 8 meters (26 feet) long and resembled a giant worm.
However, the mysterious floating entity turned out to be a colony of creatures known as tunicates. These plankton-eating critters appear as tiny rods but are sophisticated beings with spinal cords. Their cloning abilities mean that the ‘ribbon’ can potentially live forever.
A single colony is called a pyrosome and can grow up to 18 meters (60 feet) in length. The New Zealand sighting was among the smaller examples of these tunicate colonies. The largest ‘cities’ are usually formed by a species named Pyrosoma spinosum, known for creating the longest pyrosomes. Additionally, the bioluminescent varieties transform the colony into a glowing spectacle.
2. Rainbow Squirrel
In 2019, an amateur photographer shared photos of a squirrel on Instagram, and they quickly went viral. This wasn’t your average squirrel. It appeared to be dyed in vibrant segments or possibly digitally modified.
The exciting revelation is that the rainbow-colored rodent was completely natural. Known as Malabar giant squirrels, these creatures can be found in the forests of India. The particular squirrel in question showcased a stunning range of colors, including orange, purple, and indigo in its fur.
Unfortunately, not all Malabar squirrels sport such vivid hues. Most are more commonly seen in shades of brown, such as beige, rust, and tan. Nevertheless, these colors might serve dual purposes—camouflage and attracting mates.
The animals are strikingly large. Stretching up to 1 meter (3 ft) long, they tend to stay nestled in the security of tall branches. When it's time to move, they can leap their sizable frames up to 6 meters (20 ft) from tree to tree.
1. Arachnid With Rabbit Head
In 2017, scientist Andreas Kay was exploring Ecuador's Amazon rain forest when he came across a peculiar creature. His photos revealed a strange being with the body of a spider and the head of a black rabbit. Though it looked entirely new, this species had already been discovered in 1959.
About the size of a thumbnail, it was actually not a spider, but a harvestman—a type of arachnid also known as a “daddy longlegs.” Sadly, researchers have limited information on this particular species, which is referred to as the bunny harvestman.
Despite being recognized for decades, little research has focused on the creature's distinct body structure. However, the rabbit-like appearance likely serves a significant purpose. The two fake ears and yellow false eyes might be evolutionary traits designed to scare away potential predators.
Whatever the reason behind it, harvestmen as a group have proven to be incredibly successful. With thousands of species, they have existed far longer than the dinosaurs.
