Bizarre ‘mermaid’ creature with sharp teeth & flippers washes up on UK shore leaving beachgoers baffled

A STRANGE "mermaid" creature with canines and flippers has been spotted washed up on a beach in Norfolk.

The animal was likened to a dinosaur and the black shuck - a demonic black dog said to prowl East Anglia in local folklore.

Catherine Sabbarton-Wright, 29, was walking along Cley Beach near Salthouse when something large caught her eye, high up on the shore.

The mysterious animal had a furry body, a dog-like head, pointed teeth and what looked like flippers.

She said: ";The size is initially what caught my attention. I would say it was the size of a large deer or small cow.

"At first I thought it was a deer, until I noticed the teeth - it had canines."

The creature's body appeared "heavily decomposed" with only some part of the flesh and fur remaining.

"I was intrigued - it's not common to come across such a large animal, even though here in Norfolk it's common to see animals, dead or alive," added Catherine.

In the hope of finding out more about the animal, Catherine's sister, a vet, shared the images on a Facebook group for naturalists.

This is when someone suggested it might be a mermaid.

But when Catherine took the pictures to work, someone suggested that the animal could have been a dog, a deer - or even a cow from the nearby fields.

Rob Deaville, an expert in marine mammals - or cetaceans - believes the creature is most likely a seal but admits it's difficult to tell.

"But it's not totally clear which species, grey or common, as it's a little bit too far gone unfortunately," he said.

Catherine added: "I had recently been to visit the seals at Blakeney point and I've seen them many times before, happily swimming along the beach.

"I thought it may be a seal due to location but I didn't imagine it would be that size."