Marine Marvel

Ah, the mysteries of the deep. Anemones, catsharks and ... unidentified giant gelatinous sea creatures. A dead animal found washed up on Chile's southern Pacific coast was initially mistaken for a whale, but experts have since concluded that the 40-foot-long mass was an invertebrate. "We'd never before seen such a strange specimen. We don't know if it might be a giant squid that is missing some of its parts, or maybe it's a new species," said Elsa Cabrera, marine biologist with the Center for Cetacean Conservation. Some speculated the leathery mass might be whale skin, but Cabrera said it was too large and didn't have the right texture or smell. The center is currently seeking international assistance to identify the marine mammoth.