Theories are flying after a video of a large, reptile-like animal swimming in a North Carolina inlet went viral last week.

Chaisin’ Tails Outdoors, a saltwater bait and tackle shop in Atlantic Beach, shared a clip of the mystery creature and its confusing movements on Facebook Tuesday.

“Something you don’t see everyday,” the shop wrote alongside a video taken by captain Daniel Griffee. “Whales or the Loch Ness Monster in the port this morning. Never seen one inside the inlet like this!

The 43-second clip shows the dark, shiny creature surface briefly and exhale before gliding smoothly through Bogue Sound.

Commenters chimed in with their guesses as to the animal’s identity, with suggestions ranging from giant eel to alligator. A number of Facebook users wrote that it looked like an orphaned whale calf.

“The more I look at it, the more I think it is a large gator,” one commenter wrote.

“It’s definitely a manatee,” another said.

“It’s a North Atlantic right whale calf, sadly by itself,” one popular comment reads. “All the proper folks are aware.”

According to The Charlotte Observer, most of those animals are uncommon in Bogue Sound this time of year, though right whales are migrating along the coast for winter. North Atlantic right whales have been listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act since 1970. It is believed that there are fewer than 350 currently remaining in the wild.

Whatever this animal is, we hope it gets to wherever it’s going safely!

source:southernliving