December 23, 2024 11:05 AM

Bigeye Thresher Shark? Giant Mystery Eyeball Washes up On Florida Shore [PHOTO]

A huge eye of an unknown creature was found, washed up on the beach in Pompano Beach, Florida.

The Sun Sentinel reported that Gino Covacci found the eye when he noticed a ball-like object on the beach. He picked it up and put it in a plastic bag and left it in his refrigerator.

He said to the Sun Sentinel, "It was very, very fresh. It was still bleeding when I put it in the plastic bag."

The Sun Sentinel reported that Covacci notified a police officer who told him to call the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commision.

USA Today reports that the commission has sent the eyeball to study and to identify what animal it belongs to.

Carli Segelson a spokesperson for the commission said to the Sun Sentinel that it "will be preserved in formalin, a mixture of formaldehyde and water, before being sent for analysis to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute in St. Petersburg."

There are fish in the South Florida waters that could be big enough to have the eye. The Sun Sentinel reports that it could belong to fish like "swordfish, "tuna, sharks and whales." They also reported that giant squids are known for having huge eyes.

A professor at Nova Southeastern University's Oceanographic Center ,Charles Messing said that by looking at photographs of different underwater creatures he believes it could be from a swordwish, which are common in the area.

Other blogs and websites are having their guesses at what the species could be. George Burgess from the Florida musem of Natural History sent an email to petethomasoutdoors.com and said that he believes the eye could be from a bigeye thresher shark.

"My guess is that a fisher did a bit of dissection at sea then was reminded it was illegal to possess even 'parts,' " he said to the website.

Segelson said according to NBC News,"Right now it sounds like a large fish is the leading candidate," she said to

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