What are these?

[Lupy]

So today when I was hiking around with a friend we saw some very strange objects or lifeforms on the shore of the Lake (Lake Jordan, for those who know North Carolinian geography). The look like they are made of jelly with a hard crust, which feels like hide (we poked them with a stick).

We do not know if they are lifeforms, pollution, or God knows what else, but I took a photo with my mom's carkeys next to the thing for scale.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3657/3639397655_409bb28700.jpg?v=0

Does anyone know what these are? The Park Ranger didn't.

[Thajocoth]

Looks similar to the gel found inside wrist-rests... Though not as long and a bit browner.

Maybe it's the first ooze creature to spawn in the real world?

[Lord Fullbladder, Master of Goblins]

It is clearly the recently-produced eggs of some large local amphibious monster. Most lakes have them. They drag themselves ashore to lay their eggs every few decades or so, after breeding in the vast subterrainean aquifers that, despite the fact that science denies it, connect all lakes in North America.

Or, more likely, it is the gel from some sort of gel-filled pillow or something. I've seen it that colour.

[Winter_Wolf]

They look like silicone breast implants. It completely begs the question what they'd be doing on the shores of a lake, but with my morbid mind, I could speculate a few unfortunate things involving evidence and forensics.

But seriously, definitely some kind of silicone/gel filling for something. Could just as easily be the washed up remains of someone's gel-filled pillow fallen overboard as anything else.

[averagejoe]

I don't know what they are, but I've seen one once, near the Santa Barbara shore. Someone at the time knew what they were, though, and said they're not anything to worry about.

[Rawhide]

It looks exactly like a jellyfish. The washed up non-stinging variety are not an uncommon sight at all on Australian beaches.

[Lupy]

It looks exactly like a jellyfish. The washed up non-stinging variety are not an uncommon sight at all on Australian beaches.

But in Fresh Water?

[Mando Knight]

Obviously, it's a bit of goo sliced off of a Gelatinous Cube. :smalltongue:

[Lupy]

I have a picture of another one I found. It has algae inside of it and sand on top.

http://photos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs104.snc1/4774_1013851124920_1784326742_26042_2221109_n.jpg

[Rawhide]

But in Fresh Water?

Well, that doesn't change the fact that it looks like one :smalltongue:. Though there are such things as freshwater jellyfish (http://www.environment.gov.au/ssd/new/jellyfish.html). Note, as a coastie I'm used to lakes being tidal in nature :smalltongue::smalltongue:.

[Lupy]

Well, that doesn't change the fact that it looks like one :smalltongue:. Though there are such things as freshwater jellyfish (http://www.environment.gov.au/ssd/new/jellyfish.html). Note, as a coastie I'm used to lakes being tidal in nature :smalltongue::smalltongue:.

Lake Jordan is about 100 miles inland, that rules out Jellies...

So thus far it's between an artificial pillow or breast? I'm glad I didn't touch it. :smallyuk:

[golfmade]

Does look like something made of silicone.

[Trog]

Flumph! srsly.

[jamroar]

But in Fresh Water?

Some kind of freshwater sponge, maybe?

[Rutskarn]

It could be:


A lump of evil
The eye-paste of a squid
Ectoplasm
Necroplasm
Android vomit
Ground soul
A slain water elemental

[Jack Squat]

From a search, it looks like it might be bryozoa, a kinda freshwater coral moss colony thing.

Pretty harmless.

[The Extinguisher]

This thread has inspired me on a new search engine. Picture search. You upload a picture, and someone tells you what it is and where to find it.

[Zeb The Troll]

It's clearly a body snatcher pod.

[daggaz]

Its fish eggs, probably a species of bass. Largemouth bass lay huge clumps that look at first like frog eggs, except the clump is rigid like a silicon implant and the embryos are all on the outside surface. These are usually affixed to weeds, and range in size from the size of your fist to as large as a volleyball.

Smallmouth bass, which are far more common in your area and which prefer rocky lakebottoms as opposed to weedy ones, lay smaller egg clumps in a very similiar manner.

Your clump looks like one where the embryos have died very prematurely (not surprising as it has ripped loose from its moorings) and so are not entirely visible.

[Jamin]

I think it be a car key :smallbiggrin: oh you might the blob no idea

[Generic Archer]

I'm with Rawhide, it looks exactly like a jellyfish...
whether it is a fresh water variety or one that had an argument with a portal or was carried by a swallow i can't say though

Dane

[Lupy]

Its fish eggs, probably a species of bass. Largemouth bass lay huge clumps that look at first like frog eggs, except the clump is rigid like a silicon implant and the embryos are all on the outside surface. These are usually affixed to weeds, and range in size from the size of your fist to as large as a volleyball.

Smallmouth bass, which are far more common in your area and which prefer rocky lakebottoms as opposed to weedy ones, lay smaller egg clumps in a very similiar manner.

Your clump looks like one where the embryos have died very prematurely (not surprising as it has ripped loose from its moorings) and so are not entirely visible.

That sounds like a reasonable explanation!

Have a cookie.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/34/HTTP-Cookie-Google.png

[Fin]

I'm gonna have to say stringless jellyfish too but if your certain it isn't one it could be some kind of microbe mass, like large amounts of bacteria or a big amphibians egg pouch... Or it could be ambrosia! Go eat some and report back to us!