Brisbane Museum expert baffled by weird Noosa beach ‘creature’

Locals are debating the origins of a mystery ‘creature’ online and a zoology expert has also weighed in on the discussion. See the photos.

A creature or some kind of organic matter that washed up between Sunrise and Sunshine beaches on October 5, 2022. Picutre Rob Watson

A mystery “creature” that washed up on two separate Noosa beaches has caused much discussion on social media as one expert guessed at its origin.

Sunrise Beach resident Rob Watson was taking a lunchtime walk on October 4, 2022, when he stumbled across the “creature or organic matter” between Sunrise and Sunshine beaches.

He said it was about 0.5m long and guessed it weighed about 20kg.

Mr Watson said it was creamy white, it had no odour despite “sitting in the sun for a good few hours”, there was nothing attached to it and there was no blood.

“What I did spot there seemed to be puncture wounds in there so my gut feel is that a shark has attacked it and it’s been washed in,” he said.

Rob Watson found this washed up between Sunrise and Sunshine beaches on October 5, 2022. Picture Rob Watson

“It was a very rubbery strange consistency of organic matter.”

Mr Watson, who has lived at Sunrise Beach for three months, said he had seen other sea creatures like jellyfish wash up on the beach but nothing like this.

A close-up of the puncture wounds that Rob Watson says may be from a shark. Picture Rob Watson

Queensland Museum ichthyology biodiversity program collection manager Jeff Johnson said at a guess, and in the absence of a physical examination, its overall appearance seemed most consistent with the internal organs of a vertebrate.

A vertebrate is an animal with a backbone and ichthyology is the branch of zoology that deals with fish.

Another person also posted a photo to a Facebook Noosa community board on October 4, 2022, with a similar-looking creature they said they saw on Marcus Beach.

The post had attracted more than 100 comments from those who guessed that it was a whale or shark liver, or a sea cucumber.

Originally published as Brisbane Museum expert baffled by weird Noosa beach ‘creature’