A mysterious, glowing "sea creature" that showed up suddenly in a British harbor has for days baffled scientists with its creepy appearance. Was it an alien? A primitive squid? Or just an elaborate hoax?
Dubbed the "Bristol Alien" by some, the object was first spotted Tuesday on the surface of Bristol harbor, 116 miles from London, Grind TV reports. A crowd quickly gathered, and footage of the find was quickly posted online, where it inspired a host of different explanations -- some more serious than others.
Some wondered if the luminescent and tentacled "alien" might be a bizarre sea creature. Dr. Steve Simpson, a biological sciences professor at the University of Bristol, was called in to give an expert opinion on the phenomenon.
"It is very intriguing – I do not really know what to make of it," Simpson said, according to the Bristol Post. "There is a possibility that it is a special type of jellyfish or a marine salp. It is very unusual and I have not really seen anything like it before though. What makes it even more unusual is the fact that it showed up in the middle of a really busy area."
The Telegraph published its own list of possible explanations, including theories the object was a jellyfish, a Banksy art piece or an alien.
Alas, the mystery may have been solved Friday, Dec. 6, however, after UKTV entertainment channel Watch posted a press release claiming responsibility for the Bristol Alien, which it called "an elaborate marketing stunt" for a planned illusion series called "The Happenings."
Spoil sports.