The remains of a large animal believed to be a sea cow washed up on the shore in the Dinagat Islands on Wednesday afternoon, worrying locals.

Sufenia Chua of the Cagdianao Municipal Agriculture Office said that the carcass, which washed up on the beach along Kantigdaon, Poblacion, Cagdianao, Dinagat Islands, measured 15 feet in length.

According to the aquaculture technologist, it is likely that the carcass was that of a sea cow, based on skin found near the shore,. Chua added that there were also previous sightings of sea cows in the area.

The agriculture office and Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office (MENRO) were examining the carcass and investigating the animal's cause of death as of this writing.

Photos of the remains, which were not immediately recognized by residents as that of a marine animal, went viral on social media as netizens speculated on what it was.