The sighting of an unusual sea creature has been baffling social media users across the world this week.
The beast was caught in fishing nets off the coast of the island of Zhoushan in eastern Zhejiang Province, China. The footage, shot on a smartphone, shows the fishermen trying to examine the sea creature as it statically floats on the surface. The video was first shared on Chinese social media and news websites, where it has been viewed thousands of times.
A Chinese wildlife magazine has reportedly speculated that it is likely to be a member of the beaked whale family. However, it’s rare to find these whales in the East China Sea.
Speaking to the MailOnline, Dr. Stephen D. Simpson – a senior lecturer in Marine Biology and Global Change at the University of Exeter – supported this speculation, saying: ”This looks to be a male beaked whale of the species Mesoplodon densirostris.”
6
