When vast, unidentifiable masses of organic material wash ashore, they often spark speculation about unknown sea creatures. These forms, dubbed “globsters,” are a subject of both scientific investigation and popular fascination.
What Defines a Globster
A globster is an unidentified organic mass that washes onto a coastline, lacking readily recognizable features of a known animal. These amorphous finds lack clear shape or form. They are generally pale, from ivory to grayish-white, with a rubbery or fleshy texture. Globsters lack a defined head, visible eyes, or apparent bone structure.
Many globsters have a fibrous or stringy texture, sometimes mistaken for hair or fur. This “hair” is tough connective tissue remaining after other parts decompose. Globsters often weigh several tons and emit a strong, unpleasant odor due to their advanced state of decay. Their unidentifiable nature often generates speculation.
Scientific Explanations for Globsters
Most globsters are highly decomposed remains of known marine animals. Decomposition significantly alters a carcass, causing it to lose its original shape and features. As bacteria break down soft tissues, gases can build up, causing the body to bloat and distort, sometimes appearing balloon-like. Over time, skin can slough off, leaving behind a resilient mass of blubber, muscle, and connective tissue.
The most common sources are large whales, particularly their blubber, which is rich in collagen and decays slowly. Other identified sources include large sharks, such as basking sharks, and occasionally giant squid. Scientific analysis, especially DNA testing, aids identification. By examining microscopic, biochemical, and molecular characteristics, scientists can often trace the remains back to known species, even from highly degraded samples.
Documented Globster Discoveries
Numerous globsters have washed ashore throughout history, initially baffling observers but later identified scientifically. One of the earliest examples is the St. Augustine Monster, which appeared on a Florida beach in 1896. Initially believed to be a giant octopus due to its size, later analyses confirmed it was a large mass of whale blubber, likely from a sperm whale.
Another notable case is the Tasmanian Globster, discovered in western Tasmania in 1960. This popularized the term “globster.” Decades later, electron microscopy and collagen fiber analysis confirmed it was also the remains of a whale.
The Chilean Blob, found in Los Muermos, Chile, in 2003, was another significant globster, 40 feet long and weighing 13 tons. DNA analysis subsequently revealed it to be tissue from a sperm whale.