Giant 'whale penis' washes up on Aussie beach
An Australian woman's trip to the beach led to a bizarre discovery which she shared in a series of now-viral videos on TikTok.
Among the "warm crystal clear waters" and the "long beautiful beaches" at North Queensland's Magnetic Island, she stumbled upon what she thought was a "giant random animal part" that had washed up onto the sand.
"The strangest thing I’ve seen wash up," she wrote alongside a video showcasing the unusual find.
"It is massive, look!" the Queensland woman adds using her foot for scale.
Video sparks speculation: 'What is that?'
The video triggered hundreds of responses from people who became invested in the discovery.
Many shared their own thoughts on the matter as speculation grew.
Some admitted they thought it was a human leg, or potentially an arm. But others were quick to shut down claims insisting it was definitely part of an animal.
One person claimed it was an octopus' tail while another drew comparisons to a Pokemon character.
"Am I the only one that seems Slowpokes tail in this," one said, referencing the video game franchise.
But it was one particular suggestion made by many that sparked an investigation. Many concluded that the strange object found on the Queensland beach is a whale's penis that somehow became detached.
"Willy lost his Willy," one person mocked in response to the claim.
"He’s just called Moby now," said another referring to the tale of Moby Dick.
'Whale penis' discovery explained by expert
In a follow-up video, the Queensland woman claims she received confirmation from experts who allegedly agreed the object she found is in fact a whale appendage.
And Yahoo News Australia can confirm it's likely to be true, with wildlife scientist Dr Vanessa Pirotta agreeing "it does look like a whale penis" although it remains a mystery.
"It's hard to know exactly what this object is without seeing it in the flesh. As a scientist we want to have as much information on the size, and also how it looks from every single angle so we just don't know at this stage," she told Yahoo News Australia.
She did note that where the object was found is where there are lots of humpback whales currently. They're there to breed as they continue to migrate, she said.
Whales 'don't bite off other males' penises'
In her recent video, the woman who made the discovery claimed that the "penis" was most likely "bitten off" by another whale before washing up on the beach.
But Dr Pirotta said she's not aware of whales "biting off other males' penises", especially since they do not have teeth.
"These whales do not have any teeth but rather long hair-like strands known as baleen. It is unlikely they would be able to bite another male's penis off," she said.
In a video shared on TikTok after speaking with Yahoo News, Dr Pirotta suggested it could have been bitten off by a killer whale instead.
"But again, I am not aware if they engage in penis-biting behaviour," she reiterated, insisting it all remains a mystery.
Loch Ness theory debunked
She also addressed suggestions that the alleged whale penis strikes an uncanny resemblance to the Loch Ness monster — a famous creature in Scottish folklore that is said to inhabit a lake in the Scottish Highlands.
The theory is that Loch Ness could really be a whale and not a mystical creature.
"It could well be," said Dr Pirotta. "But we just don't know."
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