The carcass found entangled in ropes on a Chinese beach is reportedly over 17 meters long and unidentifiable. Unidentifiable carcasses often end up getting identified as basking sharks, which decay in a peculiar fashion that leaves them looking like monsters with long necks and small heads. I can't make any certain identification from this photograph, although it has something of a basking shark carcass look to it. Still, if the measurement is accurate, it is one heck of a big shark. 14-15m is usually considered the basking shark record, although there are claims of 20m and more.
Update: Cryptozoologist Markus Hemmler reports this has been identified as a decomposed baleen whale. Darn.
The bones should tell the tale! Unfortunately if it turns out to be nothing special species wise we will probably never hear about it. Keep us posted if you ever get a final verification.
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