USA: A 40-ton skull of a creature washed ashore

Authorities in the US state of North Carolina warned residents not to move a mysterious object that washed up on the beach, and is believed to be a piece of the skull of a marine animal weighing 40 tons.

Vacationers on Hatteras Island had the opportunity to touch the object, but local authorities issued a notice not to touch it.

Sharing the discovery on social media, the Cape Hatteras National Park Facebook page posted a photo of the bone, which is believed to belong to a humpback or minke whale.

“We’re only halfway through the week and we’re still making exciting discoveries on the beaches of Cape Hatteras,” they wrote.

“Check out this large section of the skull of a humpback whale on Hatteras Island.”

Park officials have since explained that the portion of the skull recovered was part of the “cranial cavity” of a sea creature. The average length of a humpback whale is 18.3 meters and it weighs about 40 tons.

“Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) have specialized skull structures to support their unique feeding behaviors,” zoo officials explained.

“Their skull is relatively flexible, especially around the jaw joints, allowing them to open their mouths widely to consume large amounts of water and food. They also have jaws that are not attached to their skulls.”

Such finds are common in the area, with the park adding that the area is a “hotspot for marine mammal activity.”

“At any given time, a wide range of marine mammals are moving and feeding near the shores of Cape Hatteras, influenced by the collision of the southern Gulf Stream and the northern Labrador Current off our coast,” they add.