Mysterious ‘golden egg’ found at bottom of the ocean baffles scientists

The golden object was found on the seafloor off the coast of Alaska (Image credit: @oceanexplorer/Twitter)

A mysterious ‘golden orb’ found at the bottom of the ocean has left researchers perplexed. Although it was discovered on August 30, its origins remain a mystery more than one week later, Sky News has reported.

The golden blob was discovered by marine biologists on the seafloor off the coast of Alaska. The researchers were on board a vessel run by USA’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

In the live feed of the discovery, scientists can be heard speculating that the golden orb may be an egg. “Something tried to get in... or to get out,” one researcher says in the live feed. “I just hope when we poke it, something doesn't decide to come out,” another responds

The NOAA later shared a picture of the object on Twitter, writing: “This golden orb, likely an egg casing, struck an imaginative chord for many watching yesterday.”

This golden orb, likely an egg casing, struck an imaginative chord for many watching yesterday.

Today we dive on Denson Seamount. ROVs are launching & will remain on the seafloor until ~ 3:45pm ADKT/7:45pm EDT.

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Join us! https://t.co/ScOhpINB18#Okeanos #seascapealaska #explore pic.twitter.com/Eq1sYeVQrr

— NOAA Ocean Exploration (@oceanexplorer) August 31, 2023

Rather than leaving it at the seafloor where it was found, scientists used a remotely operated arm to remove the ‘golden egg’ and bring it to the shore, where further tests, including DNA testing, may reveal what it actually is. The tests will only be conducted after the research expedition gets over in the next fortnight, as they require a full laboratory which is not available on board the vessel.

Kerry Howell, a professor of deep-sea ecology at the University of Plymouth, told the Daily Mail that she had never seen an object like this in the 20 years she has been exploring the deep sea.

“It's always exciting to see new things and I will wait eagerly for the analysis on the sample to understand what it actually is,” Howell said. “There are many many undiscovered species in the deep sea so this could be related to a new species quite easily.”