Bizarre ‘mermaid’ creature with sharp teeth & flippers washes up on UK shore leaving beachgoers baffled
A STRANGE “mermaid” creature with canines and flippers has been spotted washed up on a beach in Norfolk.
The animal was likened to a dinosaur and the black shuck – a demonic black dog said to prowl East Anglia in local folklore.
Catherine Sabbarton-Wright, 29, was walking along Cley Beach near Salthouse when something large caught her eye, high up on the shore.
The mysterious animal had a furry body, a dog-like head, pointed teeth and what looked like flippers.
She said: “The size is initially what caught my attention. I would say it was the size of a large deer or small cow.
“At first I thought it was a deer, until I noticed the teeth – it had canines.”
The creature’s body appeared “heavily decomposed” with only some part of the flesh and fur remaining.
“I was intrigued – it’s not common to come across such a large animal, even though here in Norfolk it’s common to see animals, dead or alive,” added Catherine.
In the hope of finding out more about the animal, Catherine’s sister, a vet, shared the images on a Facebook group for naturalists.
This is when someone suggested it might be a mermaid.
But when Catherine took the pictures to work, someone suggested that the animal could have been a dog, a deer – or even a cow from the nearby fields.
Rob Deaville, an expert in marine mammals – or cetaceans – believes the creature is most likely a seal but admits it’s difficult to tell.
“But it’s not totally clear which species, grey or common, as it’s a little bit too far gone unfortunately,” he said.
Catherine added: “I had recently been to visit the seals at Blakeney point and I’ve seen them many times before, happily swimming along the beach.
“I thought it may be a seal due to location but I didn’t imagine it would be that size.”
‘Sea aliens’ caught on camera
Lurking, often thousands of feet deep below the ocean surface, are creatures that sometimes don't look like they should be earthbound.
Humans are becoming well-acquainted with these alien-like creatures with the help of increasingly sophisticated underwater robots.
- The Barreleye fish lives in depths of up to 1km (3280ft) in the northern Pacific Ocean, where the light rarely touches.
- The Bigfin squid is known for their long tentacles that can grow up to 26ft long.
- The Dinner plate jellyfish is one of the most dominant predator in the ocean and swims with tentacles held forward to catch its prey by surprise.
- The Giant sea spider can measure up to 20 inches (51cm) – much larger than its land-walking cousins.