Mysterious sharp-toothed creature branded a ‘mermaid’ after washing up on Norfolk beach
Cley Beach walker intrigued by creature high on the shore
A STRANGE-looking creature with sharp teeth, a dog-like head, flippers and a furry body has been branded a “mermaid” after washing up in Norfolk.
Catherine Sabbarton-Wright was walking along Cley Beach near Salthouse when something large caught her eye, high up on the shore.
She said: “The size is initially what caught my attention. I would say it was the size of a large deer or small cow.
“At first I thought it was a deer, until I noticed the teeth – it had canines.
“The body seemed heavily decomposed, with parts of the flesh and fur remaining, but the skeleton showing through.
“I was intrigued – it's not common to come across such a large animal, even though here in Norfolk it’s common to see animals, dead or alive.”
Video courtesy Catherine Sabbarton-Wright
In Catherine’s photos, the creature has a furry body, a dog-like head, pointed teeth, and what seem to be flippers.
Looking for answers, Catherine’s sister – a vet – shared the images with a Facebook group for naturalists.
One person suggested a mermaid, while another likened it to a dinosaur.
It was even compared to the black shuck – a demonic black dog said to prowl East Anglia in local folklore.
Others were more pragmatic.
Catherine, a pastry chef, said: “I showed it to various people at work and I got a few suggestions.
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“Someone thought it was a cow from the nearby fields.
“A dog and a deer were also theories.”
The truth may be simpler.
Most guesses on Facebook suggested it was a seal.
Experts agree, but say it’s difficult to pinpoint the species.
Rob Deaville of the UK Cetacean Strandings Investigation Programme said: “This looks like a seal to me.
“But it’s not totally clear which species, grey or common, as it’s a little bit too far gone unfortunately.”
Catherine, 29, said: “I had recently been to visit the seals at Blakeney point and I've seen them many times before, happily swimming along the beach.
“I thought it may be a seal due to location but I didn't imagine it would be that size.”
This is a Grey seal Halichoerus grypus. The close-up photos show the dentition in superb detail. The animal is lying on its left side. The upper right canine is missing, as are the outer two upper right incisors. Some post-canine (cheek) teeth may be missing too, particularly the lower right first post-canine. From the wear on the teeth I'd say this is an older animal but I wouldn't like to say how old. It would be necessary to take a cross-section of a tooth and count growth rings, although this isn't always reliable and each ring may not represent a calendar year.
Toothed whales and dolphins do not have differentiated teeth; they are all a similar shape. British seals have incisors, canines, premolars and molars. However premolars and molars have the same shape so they are just called post-canine or cheek teeth. In Common (aka Harbour) seals Phoca vitulina each cheek tooth has three pointed cusps although the outer two cusps may be reduced. Grey seal cheek teeth have a single pointed cusp, i.e. each cheek tooth looks like a miniature version of a canine tooth.
These teeth have evolved to catch and hold fish prior to swallowing them whole. If the fish is too big the seal surfaces and shakes it's head to dismantle the fish into smaller pieces. Or the fish is held in the front flipper claws and and chunks torn off by the teeth and swallowed. Cheek teeth in seals are not designed for chewing. Land predators such as domestic dogs have carnassial cheek teeth which are narrow and serrated, perfect for slicing through flesh.