Zuiyo-maru carcass

Record summary

In 1992, the Japanese fishing vessel Zuiyo-maru recovered a decomposing marine carcass southeast of New Zealand. Crew photographs and descriptions led some commentators to propose a plesiosaur-like animal, while zoologists generally identified it as a badly decomposed basking shark. The case matters because it is a well-documented example of ambiguous marine remains, photographic interpretation and rapid cryptozoological classification. The carcass was not preserved for later examination, leaving disagreements dependent on photographs, notes and recollections rather than decisive physical evidence.