Giant sea creature baffles Chilean scientists
SANTIAGO, Chile (Reuters) -- Chilean scientists were baffled on Tuesday by
a huge, gelatinous sea creature found washed up on the southern Pacific
coast and were seeking international help identifying the mystery specimen.
The dead creature was mistaken for a beached whale when first reported
about a week ago, but experts who went to see it said the 40-foot-long (12-
meter) mass of decomposing lumpy grey flesh apparently was an invertebrate.
"We'd never before seen such a strange specimen, We don't know if it might
be a giant squid that is missing some of its parts or maybe it's a new
species," said Elsa Cabrera, a marine biologist and director of the Center
for Cetacean Conservation in Santiago.
Photographs showed a round leathery substance like a mammoth jelly fish,
about as long as a school bus.
-->more, including photograph at:
http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/americas/07/02/chile.science.reut/index.html
Any thoughts much appreciated.
WAFDH
