Mystery Skull Washes Ashore in Alaska

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game reports this mysterious skull was found washed up on a beach in Lisianski Inlet in Southeast Alaska. The skull is reportedly cartilage, not bone, and looks like plastic but feels rubbery. 

If you have a suggestion on what it is, Fish and Game would like to hear from you on their Facebook page.

One commenter seemed to have a good fix on the specimen.

“This is the chondrocranium (skull) of a shark, or possibly a ray or other cartilaginous fish. What look like eyesockets are actually nasal cavities (sharks have an excellent sense of smell); the upper & lower jaws are not directly attached and come loose when the animal decomposes…” wrote John Boggan.

Photo credit: Facebook/Alaska Fish and Game