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Huge, gelatinous sea creature washed ashore in Chili

Chilean scientists are baffled by a huge, gelatinous sea creature found washed up on the southern Pacific coast and were seeking international help identifying the mystery specimen. The dead creature was mistaken for a beached whale when first reported about a week ago, but experts who went to see it said the 40-foot-long mass of decomposing lumpy gray flesh apparently was an invertebrate. Chilean scientists look at the creature near Puerto Montt, July 1, 2003. Scientists said on Wednesday that the huge mass may be a rare type of giant octopus or just discarded whale blubber. (Jose Luis Saavedra/Reuters)