A pastry chef who was walking along Cley Beach in Norfolk was left with a big surprise after noticing a large furry sea creature with sharp teeth which resembled a mermaid
A mysterious looking creature described as a “mermaid” with “sharp teeth” has washed up on a British shore.
Onlookers at Cley Beach near Salthouse in Norfolk were left bamboozled after spotting the strange sea creature which had a dog-like head, flippers and furry body. After it washed up it was described by some having a striking resemblance to the mystical creature.
Catherine Sabbarton-Wright was taking stroll along the beach when something large caught her eye high up the shore. Describing the odd moment, she explained: “The size is initially what caught my attention. I would say it was the size of a large deer or small cow. At first I thought it was a deer, until I noticed the teeth – it had canines.
“The body seemed heavily decomposed, with parts of the flesh and fur remaining, but the skeleton showing through. I was intrigued – it’s not common to come across such a large animal, even though here in Norfolk it’s common to see animals, dead or alive.”
Catherine took a few snaps of the creature which had a furry body and didn’t look natural. She immediately messaged her sister who is a vet and shared the pictures to a naturalists Facebook group and asked people what it could be.
One person suggested a mermaid, while another likened it to a dinosaur. It was even compared to the black shuck – a demonic black dog said to prowl East Anglia in local folklore.
Speaking about the answers she received, the pastry chef said: “Someone thought it was a cow from the nearby fields. A dog and a deer were also theories.”
Most guesses on Facebook suggested it was a seal, while some experts said it was to difficult to pinpoint exactly what species the create was.
Rob Deaville of the UK Cetacean Strandings Investigation Programme said: “This looks like a seal to me. But it’s not totally clear which species, grey or common, as it’s a little bit too far gone unfortunately.”
Catherine, 29, added: “I had recently been to visit the seals at Blakeney point and I’ve seen them many times before, happily swimming along the beach. I thought it may be a seal due to location but I didn’t imagine it would be that size.”
