In 1977, a Japanese trawler hauled up a large unidentified carcass in these waters, causing speculation that it was a plesiosaur.
Sighting & Incident Site
Off the South Island of New Zealand
Please note Trespassing on private property or restricted areas is prohibited by law. Please be considerate of local residents.
Positions on the map are a rough guide to the area where a legend or sighting is set. Most pins are placed at representative points of a municipality or prefecture (outside Japan, a city position rounded to about 10 km, or the country), not at the exact place.
Municipality points: Geolonia address data (CC BY 4.0), based on the Address Base Registry (Digital Agency of Japan) / Country points: Natural Earth
| Encyclopedia | New Nessie (Zuiyo-maru Carcass) |
|---|---|
| Location | New Zealand Off Christchurch |
| Type of place | Sea |
| Map position | Approximate position (City, rounded to about 10 km), not the exact place |
The carcass of a huge long-necked creature hauled up by a Japanese fishing boat off New Zealand in 1977. It caused a sensation as a possible surviving plesiosaur, but the leading theory is that it was the rotting carcass of a basking shark.