Huge mysterious object appears on Florida beach - these are four things it could be

A giant, mysterious object has been discovered on Daytona Beach Shores in Volusia County, Florida and everyone is wondering what it could be.

The 80-foot-long object that appears to be made of wood and metal object was first noticed by beachgoers after Hurricanes Ian and Nicole earlier this year.

"Unprecedented" beach erosion caused by the hurricanes unveiled the massive object which had been hidden underneath the sand.

"We haven’t seen this kind of erosion in a very long time,” Tammy Malphurs, Volusia Beach Safety Deputy Chief said. “I’ve been on the beach probably 25 years and that’s the first time I’ve seen it exposed.”

Volusia County

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Officials believe the object had been hidden in the sand for decades leading to some speculation about what it could be.

Here are four options people have hypothesized.

1. Shipwreck

Due to the wood and metal present on the structure, some believe it could be a piece of an old ship that was washed ashore years ago.

"I saw that a few days ago. It is probably an old ship that was shipwrecked. Very interesting," a Facebook commenter wrote.

Given how long it has been buried under the sand, some excitedly wondered if it could be from a historic ship.

2. Old Pier

Because hurricanes often hit Florida, it's not unlikely that the large object could be that of an old pier or dock that was washed away in a storm years ago.

"Too straight and narrow for a boat [in my opinion]. I think it's old dock or boardwalk," a commenter wrote beneath a news article from Click Orlando.

3. Spectator seating from old NASCAR races

Before the late 1950s, NASCAR held some of its races on the actual beach in Daytona Beach.

Some wonder if the massive object buried in the sand is that of an old piece of spectator seating, used when NASCAR held races on the actual beach.

4. Groyne

Another very real possibility is the mysterious object is a groyne.

Used to prevent beach erosion by limiting the movement of sediment and water flow, a groyne is a structure made of wood, concrete, or stone.

It's possible that an old groyne was broken in a storm worn down over time and then buried beneath the Dayton Beach Shores.

Either way, Florida's underwater archeological team is expected to investigate the mysterious object in the coming weeks.

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