- The strange sea animal appeared to resemble both a whale and a dolphin
- However, its advanced state of decomposition made it difficult to identify
- Scientists initially had 'no idea' what it was, but later identified it as a rare whale
- They now believe the animal is a Cuvier's beaked whale - the second one to be found in Namibia since 2000
The rotting remains of a mysterious creature that washed ashore on an African beach has left scientists baffled.
Stunned researchers stumbled upon the 19ft 6in (six-metre) beaked carcass on the idyllic coastline of Dorob National Park, Namibia last week.
The strange sea animal appeared to resemble both a whale and a dolphin, but its advanced state of decomposition made it difficult to identify.
Scientists initially said they had 'had no idea' what it was, however, now believe the animal could be a Cuvier's beaked whale.
If that is the case, this marks only the second time one of the animals has been found in Namibia since 2000.
The rotting remains of a mystery creature (pictured) that washed ashore on an African beach has left scientists baffled
Namibian Dolphin Project (NDP) researcher Dr Simon Elwen said: 'On first sighting we had no idea what species it was.
'The body of this animal was in an advanced state of decomposition - making it look rather un-whale like and there were several confused reports on social media.
'However, based on the shape of the head and snout and the overall size - research team are fairly confident that the specimen is a Cuvier's beaked whale', he added.
Cuvier's beaked whales have bodies shaped like torpedos, foreheads that slope into short beaks and curved mouths with a vaguely 'smiling' appearance.
They inhabit deep-water regions from the tropics to cool temperate waters.
Dr Elwen said it was not possible to identify the cause of death as it was too decomposed and its head was severely crushed.
The strange sea animal appeared to resemble both a whale and a dolphin, but its advanced state of decomposition made it difficult to identify
Scientists initially said they had 'had no idea' what it was, but believe it might be a Cuvier's beaked whale. If that is the case it is only the second one to be found in Namibia since 2000
Cuvier's beaked whales have bodies shaped like torpedos, foreheads that slope into short beaks and curved mouths with a vaguely 'smiling' appearance
WHAT IS CUVIER'S BEAKED WHALE?
Cuvier's beaked whale (Ziphius cavirostris) is the only member of the genus Ziphius and is the most widely distributed of the beaked whales.
One animal has been recorded diving 9,816ft (2,992 metres) below the waves, which is around 6.75 times the height of the Empire State Building.
The creature has a robust, cigar-shaped body similar to other beaked whales.
It can up to 23ft (7 metres) long and can weigh 5,500lbs (2,500kg).
The whale has a small dorsal fin and flippers to prevent drag while swimming.
It lives for around 40 years and feeds on different species of squid and deep sea fish.
Cuvier's whales can be found in a number of different deep offshore waters from the tropics to cool seas.
It is thought there may be over 100,000 of the creatures in seas across the world.
The whale gets its name from the anatomist - George Cuvier - who first described its imperfect skull, in 1804.
'The lower jawbone was cracked and broken quite severely, however, given the state of the corpse and the absence of any apparent external injuries, the damage to the jaw was possibly post-mortem', said Dr Elwen.
'I was quite surprised. These animals are rarely seen in the water, so to see them on land is very unique,' he said.
Cuvier's whales can be found in a number of different deep offshore waters from the tropics to cool seas.
They can be up to 23ft (7 metres) long and can weigh 5,500lbs (2,500kg).
It is thought there may be over 100,000 of the creatures in seas across the world.
These creatures inhabit deep-water regions from the tropics to cool temperate waters. Dr Elwen said it was not possible to identify the cause of death as it was too decomposed and its head was severely crushed
Cuvier's whales can be found in a number of different deep offshore waters from the tropics to cool seas. It can up to 23ft (7 metres) long and can weigh 5,500lbs (2,500kg)
It is thought there may be over 100,000 of the creatures in seas across the world. The shy Cuvier’s beaked whale performs the deepest dives made by any mammal on the planet - plunging to depths of up to 9,816ft (2,992 metres)
Stunned researchers stumbled upon the 19ft 6in (six-metre) beaked carcass last week on the idyllic coastline of Dorob National Park, Namibia
'The team collected a number of samples including the skull of the animal, which will be used for further research,' he said.
The shy Cuvier’s beaked whale performs the deepest dives made by any mammal on the planet - plunging to depths of up to 9,816ft (2,992 metres).
Researchers have recorded the whale staying up to two miles below - around the depth of just under seven Empire State Buildings on top of one another - for 138 minutes.
The whale gets its name from the anatomist - George Cuvier - who first described its imperfect skull, in 1804.
Researchers have recorded the whale staying up to two miles below - around the depth of just under seven Empire State Buildings on top of one another - for 138 minutes
The whale gets its name from the anatomist - George Cuvier - who first described its imperfect skull, in 1804
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