Species unknown

Weird doings in the animal kingdom. Is Gaia at work?

First of all, a strange, writhing blob washed up on a beach in Thailand. No one seems to know what it is. The specimen was about five inches in length and rubbery in consistency. A couple of British tourists snapped a picture of it, which you can view at the link. Believing it belonged in the sea, one of the tourists returned it to the water. The pinkish blob immediately turned around and returned to the beach is if repulsed by the water. Observers even claim that the strange creature even looked like it was fighting to stay above water and breathe air.

"It seemed to have something inside which was moving around. The skin was almost transparent and you could see something else inside," one of the witnesses said.

Locals claim to have seen several of them on the beach, but its only been in recent weeks that these wiggly globs have appeared.

It won't be long, if it hasn't happened already, before claims of the paranormal will emerge. I can just imagine the stories now: This blob creature is an unknown species, perhaps not native to this Earth. It has existed for centuries deep in the sea and away from our notice. Of course that doesn't match with the creature's apparent revulsion with water, but let's not let that get in the way of a good story.

Or it's evidence of the Gaia principle, a new organism that has emerged to help get the environment back in balance.

But wait! There are more discoveries!

I missed this the first time around, but a story came out last January that orange crocodiles have been discovered in a cave in Gabon. Previously unknown, these crocodiles live in complete darkness, feeding on bats and crickets. They were thought to possibly be one of a few other species of crocodile, but it's now thought that they are mutations...entirely new species.

What other new, weird lifeforms is the Earth kicking out?

Speaking of the paranormal, discoveries such as these are likely to embolden proponents of cryptozoology. One of the arguments against cryptids is that we have long since discovered all the animals we're ever going to. Somehow, however, we keep finding ones hitherto unknown. Granted, there's a distinct difference between finding a five-inch blob and say...Bigfoot, but the principle is the same.

As a writer, it's giving me plenty of ideas, but I'm warning you, few of them are good. Maybe it's because I've been watching so much Svengoolie, but I think it would be fine to write a line of monster books. You know, adventure/horror stories that are non-serious and far more in the tradition of Kong and Gorgo than slasher fare such as Jaws or Alien.

A group of scientists crash land their helicopter in Gabon. While attempting to survive in the jungle, they are taken captive by bipedal, orange crocodiles and taken into the pitch-black depths of a cave where the orange crocodiles have their own civilization. Certainly isn't Moliere, but it sounds like more fun than I could handle. Is there an audience for it? Who the hell knows. One thing is certain, I think I might welcome the brief respite to write about something that isn't so personal and crushing for a change.

I have a writing partner in mind but I've yet to pitch it to him. I'll let you know what develops.


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