Phantom eel? Diver encounters ghostly clear sea creature that strikes like a ‘dancing ribbon’ – and its id has specialists divided

  • Amy Wainman, 36, was diving off the coast of Cape City in South Africa
  • She encountered a ghostly eel-like creature that’s virtually completely clear
  • Footage of the creature has divided specialists, with claims it’s a ‘sort of jelly’ in addition to an eel larva that had not but developed 










Unbelievable footage exhibits the second a diver encounters a ghostly eel-like creature that’s virtually completely clear.

Specialists are divided over the weird seabeast noticed by Amy Wainman, 36, off Simon’s City close to Cape City in South Africa.

In Amy’s footage, the creature is seen undulating by way of the water, its clear physique seemingly devoid of any organs.

The diver mentioned the ‘superb, magical’ creature was not like something she’d ever seen.

Incredible footage shows the moment Amy Wainman, 36, encounters a ghostly eel-like creature with an almost completely transparent body off the coast of Cape Town in South Africa's Western Cape

Unbelievable footage exhibits the second Amy Wainman, 36, encounters a ghostly eel-like creature with an virtually utterly clear physique off the coast of Cape City in South Africa’s Western Cape

‘After I first noticed it, it virtually regarded like some floating plastic,’ she mentioned. ‘However then it began swimming. It was like a dancing, clear ribbon.

‘I had no concept what it was, I had by no means even seen an image of 1 earlier than.’

Some specialists have prompt that the footage exhibits an eel larva.

Bradley Stevens, a retired marine science professor, previously of the College of Maryland Jap Shore, mentioned it appeared to be on the finish of its larval stage.

He mentioned: ‘Its dimension and site recommend that it’s nearing the top of its migration from the mid-oceanic spawning grounds, and can quickly grow to be a normal-shaped juvenile eel.’

'When I first saw it, it almost looked like some floating plastic,' she said. 'But then it started swimming. It was like a dancing, clear ribbon'

‘After I first noticed it, it virtually regarded like some floating plastic,’ she mentioned. ‘However then it began swimming. It was like a dancing, clear ribbon’

Diver Amy said the 'amazing, magical' creature was unlike anything she'd ever seen

Diver Amy mentioned the ‘superb, magical’ creature was not like something she’d ever seen

In Amy's footage, the creature is seen undulating through the water, its transparent body seemingly devoid of any organs

In Amy’s footage, the creature is seen undulating by way of the water, its clear physique seemingly devoid of any organs

However Kevin Kocot, an affiliate professor at The College of Alabama specialising in invertebrate zoology, believes it is truly a ‘very uncommon’ sort of jelly.

He mentioned: ‘Some child eels have larvae referred to as leptocephalus larvae that look superficially very related.

‘However if you happen to look intently, they’ve a head and mouth at one finish whereas this animal’s mouth is in the course of the physique.

‘This can be a cestum veneris, a really uncommon comb jelly or ctenophore.

‘Most comb jellies are more-or-less rounded in form and swim with ‘combs’ – rows of cilia – however this species (and one different within the household) swims by undulating muscle groups like a ribbon.’

'I had no idea what it was, I had never even seen a picture of one before,' said Amy (pictured). Some experts have suggested that the footage shows an eel larva

‘I had no concept what it was, I had by no means even seen an image of 1 earlier than,’ mentioned Amy (pictured). Some specialists have prompt that the footage exhibits an eel larva

Dr Kocot mentioned that the creature, higher often known as a Venus girdle, survives on a weight-reduction plan of ‘numerous planktonic animals like little crustaceans and barbecue’.

He mentioned: ‘This one appears to be like prefer it has a mouth filled with meals, however I can not make out what it is obtained from the video.’

He added that they’re protected to the touch, although to not eat, and that they reproduce by laying many tiny eggs.

For Amy, who lives in Cape City, the expertise was one a sort.

‘It was the primary and final time I’ve ever seen one,’ she mentioned.

‘It was one thing very particular to see; I’ve snorkelled everywhere in the world so it was nice to see one thing so cool in my hometown. I hope I’ll see one once more sometime.

‘It was an uncommon day of snorkelling as we truly noticed a number of various kinds of comb jellies that we had by no means seen and haven’t seen since.’

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