We just love finding out about new species of creatures roaming around this Earth, but one latest animal carcass found beached on the shores of Russia has gotten many baffled and has raised social media traffic with photos being shared and speculations brewing from all over the globe.
The Russian shore of Shakhtersk on the Sakhalin Island near the airport has seen a lot of action this weekend when a mysterious sea animal washed ashore and no one is quite sure what it is. The remains of the unidentified sea creature feature a furry tail and a huge nose resembling a bird's beak and is said to be about twice the size of a human being.
Locals of the area posted pictures of the creature's carcass, which caused a stir on social media and have sparked many theories of what this animal could be. Some have said that the remains could belong to a Ganges River dolphin from India due to the shape of its body and nose but they cannot account for the presence of fur and the considerably large size of the creature.
For now, scientists are fairly confident that the creature is in fact a dolphin. Nikolay Kim, Deputy Head of the Forecasting department of the Sakhalin Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography, said in a statement:
"Judging by the appearance of the head, this is clearly some big dolphin. According to a characteristic of the skin, it is a rare species."
But the existence of fur on its body is challenging the scientific community from determining its exact species.
"It's unusual. Dolphins do not have any fur," Kim added.
There are about 40 different known and categorized species of dolphins in the world, with the largest being the Orca, which grows to up to 31 feet long. Dolphin experts admit that dolphins are born with short hair but shed the hair shortly after birth.
Whatever this creature is, it puts into question just how much we know about our environment, and hopefully it challenges us to continue exploring and always maintain a healthy dose of awe for our wonderful world.
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