Beachgoers in Southern California were confused and horrified after a creepy, pale snake-like creature with sharp, jagged teeth washed up onshore last weekend. Photos of the creature have since surfaced online where it captured the collective imaginations of the internet, before it was eventually identified.
“Dead marine animal washed up on shore near Dana Point, CA. What is this thing?” a Reddit user posted earlier this week, adding: “It’s giving me nightmares.” The boated carcass was partially wrapped up in seaweed, with its mouth frozen in what appeared to be a ghoulish-looking grin.
Dead marine animal washed up on shore near Dana Point, CA. What is this thing?
by u/ZJM in animalid
However, as many users pointed out, the animal is actually a pretty common moray eel . “If the moon hits its eyes like a big pizza pie that’s a’moray,” quipped one user. California Department of Fish and Wildlife spokesperson Tim Daly likewise confirmed as much to SFGATE , noting that the creature “looks a little bleached out from being dead.”