A mystery object that washed up on a New Zealand beach continues to baffle officials.
Environment Southland is trying to identify a 100-metre long object that washed up with an incoming tide on Te Waewae beach, west of Invercargill, this week.
More World News Videos
- Video duration
- 01:50
What is this beached sea monster?
What is this beached sea monster?
An alien, a creature from the deep, or a beach Christmas tree? These are just a few guesses as to the mysterious object that washed up in New Zealand.
Up Next
China agrees to return US drone
- Video duration
- 00:27
- Video duration
- 00:27
China agrees to return US drone
China agrees to return US drone
An underwater drone seized in the South China Sea will be returned after Donald Trump waded into the diplomatic row. (Video courtesy: ABC News 24)
Up Next
Trump just 'having fun' with 'vicious' comment
- Video duration
- 01:32
- Video duration
- 01:32
Trump just 'having fun' with 'vicious' ...
Trump just 'having fun' with 'vicious' comment
At the final rally on his 'Thank You Tour', US President-elect Donald Trump says he was joking when he said his supporters were 'vicious' and 'violent' before the election.
Up Next
Pope celebrates 80th birthday
- Video duration
- 00:49
- Video duration
- 00:49
Pope celebrates 80th birthday
Pope celebrates 80th birthday
Pope Francis celebrated his 80th birthday by presiding over a mass for 60 cardinals.
Up Next
South Korean protesters demand president's resignation
- Video duration
- 01:08
- Video duration
- 01:08
South Korean protesters demand ...
South Korean protesters demand president's resignation
South Koreans continue a massive candlelight protest against President Park Geun-hye, demanding the leader, impeached over a corruption scandal, step down immediately.
Up Next
Santa goes for a swim
- Video duration
- 01:11
- Video duration
- 01:11
Santa goes for a swim
Santa goes for a swim
Father Christmas makes some early stops at aquariums in South Korea and France, to hand out treats to the marine inhabitants, and delight visitors of all ages.
Up Next
Powerful earthquake strikes PNG
- Video duration
- 00:24
- Video duration
- 00:24
Powerful earthquake strikes PNG
Powerful earthquake strikes PNG
Residents fled to higher ground after a 7.9 magnitude earthquake struck east of PNG, triggering a tsunami warning. (Video courtesy Network Seven)
Up Next
Giant lego statue smashed in seconds
- Video duration
- 01:12
- Video duration
- 01:12
Giant lego statue smashed in seconds
Giant lego statue smashed in seconds
Earlier this year a 100,000 piece lego artwork was destroyed by a roaming child. Unfortunately, it's not the first time.
What is this beached sea monster?
An alien, a creature from the deep, or a beach Christmas tree? These are just a few guesses as to the mysterious object that washed up in New Zealand.
Deputy harbourmaster Ian Coard has appealed to the public for help with figuring out where the object came from and to who it belongs.
The object is man-made - long, black, made of some kind of plastic and with metal loops on either end.
Environment Southland is keen to identify the object and its owner so it can be claimed and removed.
On Friday, Mr Coard said the huge object posed a navigational hazard, but a local farmer had since helped move the pipe-like object well away from the tide line.
While Environment Southland was yet to identify the object, it was starting to narrow down the possibilities.
Mr Coard said a lot of people had contacted him suggesting it was used as part of a mobile fishing operation, possibly for salmon fishing.
Other suggestions of it being from a farm had been disregarded, due to the object's size.
"I think it's from the fishing industry. But what part, I have no idea."
Debbie Stone of the Marine Farming Association said the object did not look much like a mussel-farm boom, as some had suggested.
"Our out lines are more like ropes."
However, many other experts and hobbyists wrote in to say it was a standard pipe, probably made of high density polyethylene - with the blue lines indicating it carried water.
Most suggested it was an airtight boom of some sort.
"It's like someone welded up a new water pipeline, was ready to pull it back through the hole they'd drilled for it and it ended up in the ocean? It must have been used for a boom for some bloody thing, if it was ever installed as a pipeline, the tapered cap would have been cut off," wrote reader Chris.
The hook at the end was likely used for towing the pipe while at sea.
"That pipe isn't from anywhere on land in Southland, that's for sure!"
Most agreed that it definitely wasn't used as on-land piping. Some suggested it could be part of a floating oil-containment boom.
Another mystery
This isn't the first mystery object to wash up on a New Zealand beach.
Earlier this month, a barnacle-covered object washed up on Auckland's Muriwai Beach.
People flocked to see the "Muriwai monster", which turned out to be barnacle-clad driftwood.
And in 2013, a similar long, pipe-like object was found on Whatipu Beach, also on Auckland's west coast.
The long object was also black but did not have any lines like the Southland object.
It is understood the mystery object remains at Whatipu.