A mysterious carcass, named the Pukehina Predator, washed ashore in New Zealand last week, fueling speculation about sea monsters and
dinosaurs. The rotting animal was discovered by a group on four-wheel vehicles speeding along the beach in Bay of Plenty. According to a story in New Zealand’s Sun Live newspaper, “beachgoers were stumped when they came across what they thought was a prehistoric creature on the shore … stretching about 9 meters (30 feet) in length with large teeth and rudimentary flippers.” Video of the fearsome-looking animal was soon posted to YouTube, asking the public for help in figuring out what it was.
Strange Pukehina sea creature
Footage of Pukehina Predator
According to New Zealand's SunLive, the mysterious remains were found by a group of beach-goers near Pukehina on New Zealand's Bay of Plenty. One of the group posted a video of the so-called "monster" to YouTube on April 28, along with this simple query: "Can anyone identify what it is?"
The video captured the imagination of viewers, who suggested in the comments section that the creature could be anything from a saltwater crocodile to a giant moray eel. But according to marine mammal expert Anton van Helden, the carcass is likely the remains of a killer whale.