Marilyn Inglis, 72, came across the animal while taking a stroll along a beach in West Sussex – and has since noted its striking resemblance to another creature found on the coast of Dorset
A mysterious sea creature with a spiked tail has puzzled locals after washing up dead on a beach in the UK.
Marilyn Inglis, 72, came across the “alien-like” animal while taking a stroll along a beach in Littlehampton, West Sussex last year.
She has since noted its striking resemblance to another creature pictured along the coast of Dorset in December.
Both animals have a translucent head – similar to that of a jellyfish – and at least two fins of varying sizes with a long tail.
Each of the bodies are dark grey in colour, while the one found in Sussex appears to have spikes running from its head all the way down its spine.
Marilyn told the Mirror: “You don’t see too many things like that – we just stood there looking at it for a while. It appeared alien-like.
“I’ve shown the pictures to loads of people but no one seemed to know what it could be.
“Even if it had been eaten a bit, it was still quite big – over two feet long. It didn’t look boney, but was quite muscly, and didn’t look like it had an alligator tail.
“It’s hard to know how long it had been dead for, and whether it had been bloated after being in the water for so long.
“When I showed it to people who go fishing no one seemed to have an idea of what it is, but they didn’t see it in real life, which was more spooky than just seeing the photo.”
Marilyn, from London, was visiting her friend when she made the baffling discovery in March last year
She added: “If it had been April Fool’s Day then I would think someone had created it, but it looked too real. If we weren’t so nervous we may have got it up the beach somehow, but you never know what you’re dealing with.
“I hope someone ended up taking it away and investigating it.”
The RSPCA was left equally stumped by the creature, saying it was unable to identify it.
However, researchers at the Marine Conservation Society believed it could be a species of ray fish.
After being shown pictures of the creature, a spokesperson said: “Our experts believe this is a thornback ray that has been fished and had its wings removed.”
Previously, Reddit users suggested that the creature found in Dorset could be a stingray “without any wings”.
Giving her thoughts on the animal in Sussex being a ray, Marilyn said: “I was hoping it would be something more unusual. I still wouldn’t eat it!”
Her comments come after a mysterious claw confused experts after turning up in a Welsh woman’s front garden.
Laura Moorcroft said she “instantly thought it was from a dinosaur” when she and her husband discovered the remains.
Sharing her photo online, Laura got locals weighing in with their guesses.
Some said it was from a bird or poultry, but others suspected something reptilian like an alligator, crocodile or tortoise.
Seeking a more informed opinion, Mrs Moorcroft reached out to Chester Zoo and a nearby vet. Apparently, they both said it came from a bird, but even they couldn’t agree on the species.
And earlier this month, a dog walker was left spooked after finding a rubbery pile of strange, worm-like creatures on a beach in Anglesey.
After making the unusual discovery, Katie Tootell told North Wales Live: “I came upon it while walking my dogs on Traeth Lligwy on Monday morning.
“The dogs spotted it first and when they started to sniff it I thought they’d just come across a jellyfish, but when I saw it up close, I didn’t have a clue what it was.
“I’ve been coming to the beach for 12 years and I’ve never seen anything like it before.”
While not an everyday sight in the area, it is believed the small white dots inside the capsules are actually squid eggs.
Squid eggs are normally anchored to the seafloor and must have become loose to wash up on the beach.
