What is this weird thing I found in the pond?
August 17, 2022 6:57 PM Subscribe
My 6yo and I found this thing on the edge of Jamaica Pond in Boston, MA. I'm about 80% sure it's organic, but couldn't even guess what kingdom we're talking.
Further clues:
Further clues:
- About 8" long. Could be a segment of a longer thing, but does have kind of an elliptical overall shape that implies this is most-of-a-thing.
- It's heavy & rubbery. Feels like if I were to take a bite out of it, I could bite through but it would be real chewy. (But sorry, didn't try.)
- It has a flexible center stem-looking thingy.
- FWIW, the water is unusually low in the pond, so all sorts of stuff that wouldn't usually make it to the edge is showing up in the muck.
Looks like an underwater plant to me.
posted by mekily at 7:12 PM on August 17, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by mekily at 7:12 PM on August 17, 2022 [1 favorite]
I'm going to guess it's a conch egg case, or something like that.
posted by alex1965 at 7:31 PM on August 17, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by alex1965 at 7:31 PM on August 17, 2022 [2 favorites]
What a fascinating find!
I don't think it's a conch or whelk egg case. Jamaica Pond is freshwater, and those require saltwater. Also, each "paddle" is dense and rubbery, whelk egg cases have hollow "paddles" where the eggs develop.
It it organic, or is it styrofoam/human created foam-stuff? It's hard to tell from the photos.
posted by Guess What at 3:25 AM on August 18, 2022 [1 favorite]
I don't think it's a conch or whelk egg case. Jamaica Pond is freshwater, and those require saltwater. Also, each "paddle" is dense and rubbery, whelk egg cases have hollow "paddles" where the eggs develop.
It it organic, or is it styrofoam/human created foam-stuff? It's hard to tell from the photos.
posted by Guess What at 3:25 AM on August 18, 2022 [1 favorite]
Oops, sorry, missed the part where you said you were pretty sure it was organic. Still no idea! - a former New England naturalist.
posted by Guess What at 3:27 AM on August 18, 2022
posted by Guess What at 3:27 AM on August 18, 2022
A guerilla art installation?
I've seen artists do the whole place-something-unnaturally-natural-in-an-environment thing. What you found is certainly giving off vibes that it shouldn't be there in an alien sort of way.
posted by RonButNotStupid at 5:38 AM on August 18, 2022 [1 favorite]
I've seen artists do the whole place-something-unnaturally-natural-in-an-environment thing. What you found is certainly giving off vibes that it shouldn't be there in an alien sort of way.
posted by RonButNotStupid at 5:38 AM on August 18, 2022 [1 favorite]
I say this as someone who has spent many seasons around that pond: possibly cooling fins from a kind of engine or radiator? For instance, like this or these. Some are silicone.
posted by cocoagirl at 6:13 AM on August 18, 2022 [3 favorites]
posted by cocoagirl at 6:13 AM on August 18, 2022 [3 favorites]
Some sort of silicone mechanical part was my guess, too. Embedded dirt and partial degradation could explain the organic appearance.
If you have it in hand, could you cut through one of the fins and see whether the material is smooth and uniform inside?
posted by Bardolph at 6:34 AM on August 18, 2022 [1 favorite]
If you have it in hand, could you cut through one of the fins and see whether the material is smooth and uniform inside?
posted by Bardolph at 6:34 AM on August 18, 2022 [1 favorite]
Also, since that pond is stocked regularly, I wonder if there are any skate. Skate is a cartilaginous fish and can be found in freshwater. Maybe some of the remains look like that.
posted by cocoagirl at 6:38 AM on August 18, 2022
posted by cocoagirl at 6:38 AM on August 18, 2022
Last guess: pieces from within a sailboat hull, for either structure or flotation?
posted by cocoagirl at 6:45 AM on August 18, 2022
posted by cocoagirl at 6:45 AM on August 18, 2022
If you have it in hand, could you cut through one of the fins and see whether the material is smooth and uniform inside?
Yeah, let's make the alien mad - that's a great idea!
posted by Furnace of Doubt at 8:32 AM on August 18, 2022 [7 favorites]
Yeah, let's make the alien mad - that's a great idea!
posted by Furnace of Doubt at 8:32 AM on August 18, 2022 [7 favorites]
Maybe try - https://www.reddit.com/r/whatisthisthing/
posted by roaring beast at 8:39 AM on August 18, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by roaring beast at 8:39 AM on August 18, 2022 [1 favorite]
Someone upthread mentioned skate, so I looked up various parts of the skate fish. Check out these skate wings prepared for cooking. Some of them look similar to your thing.
posted by OrangeDisk at 8:52 AM on August 18, 2022
posted by OrangeDisk at 8:52 AM on August 18, 2022
Since the water level is low, could it be some form of root from a water-based plant?
Water lily roots look really weird and I had never seen them until I visited the Stony Brook Wildlife Sanctuary in Norfolk where the swans apparently like pulling them up.
posted by RonButNotStupid at 1:54 PM on August 18, 2022 [1 favorite]
Water lily roots look really weird and I had never seen them until I visited the Stony Brook Wildlife Sanctuary in Norfolk where the swans apparently like pulling them up.
posted by RonButNotStupid at 1:54 PM on August 18, 2022 [1 favorite]
One of the suggestion from using Google lens …. Egg case Cephaloscyllium laticeps, Whitefinned Swellshark
posted by SunPower at 7:43 PM on August 18, 2022
posted by SunPower at 7:43 PM on August 18, 2022
I think it's a cabin air filter from a car. Like this for example. It's been worn down a bit, so the edges look more round and organic.
posted by miles1972 at 9:42 PM on August 18, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by miles1972 at 9:42 PM on August 18, 2022 [1 favorite]
Saw this and thought of you, jeffjon.
posted by rongorongo at 1:31 AM on August 20, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by rongorongo at 1:31 AM on August 20, 2022 [2 favorites]
This thread is closed to new comments.
I hope that is super helpful to you.
posted by bondcliff at 7:04 PM on August 17, 2022 [40 favorites]