Tasmanian Globster
The Tasmanian Globster was a large unidentified carcass that washed ashore in western Tasmania, in August 1960. It measured 20 ft (6.1 m) by 18 ft (5.5 m) and was estimated to weigh between 5 and 10 tons. The mass lacked eyes and in place of a mouth, had "soft, tusk-like protuberances". It had a spine, six soft, fleshy 'arms' and stiff, white bristles covering its body.
The carcass was identified as a whale by L.E. Wall in the journal Tasmanian Naturalist in 1981,[1] and a later electron microscopy analysis of the collagen fibers confirmed this.[2]
The term globster was coined in 1962 by Ivan T. Sanderson to describe this carcass and the name Sea Santa coined by another journalist in the same year.
[edit] Second carcass
A similar find was reported by Ben Fenton, one of those involved in the earlier find, in 1970.[3] It was buried in the sand, but the visible part was 8 ft (2.4 m) long. Pictures taken of this carcass have since gone missing.
[edit] References
- ^ Harris, J.M. 2005 Mammal Records from the Tasmanian NaturalistPDF The Tasmanian Naturalist 127: 20-41
- ^ Pierce, S., S. Massey, N. Curtis, G. Smith, C. Olavarría & T. Maugel 2004. Microscopic, Biochemical, and Molecular Characteristics of the Chilean Blob and a Comparison With the Remains of Other Sea Monsters: Nothing but Whales.PDF Biological Bulletin 206: 125-133
- ^ Eberhart, George M. (2002). Mysterious Creatures: A Guide to Cryptozoology. ABC-CLIO. pp. 208–209. ISBN 979-1576072836. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=z9gMsCUtCZUC&pg=PA209&dq=Tasmanian+Globster+%22ben+fenton%22&hl=en&ei=nWfrTInPBsiDhQeV0aR1&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CDAQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=Fenton&f=false.
- Ellis, R. 1994. Monsters of the Sea. Robert Hale, London.
- Pinkney, J. 2003. Great Australian Mysteries. Five Mile Press, Australia.
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