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It’s a seal! It’s an otter! It’s a … crocodile?

What do you see in this video of a strange creature in East Sooke?

Martin Ren spotted something odd looking in the waters off East Sooke last week. Something that looked … almost like a … could it be a crocodile?

Parts of a darkish head glided just above the water, while the body, obscured by reflections off the water, slithered below. Ripples looked almost like the hard, spiky scales on a crocodile’s back.

Ren caught some of it on camera and examined it closely looking for clues.

The above-water parts made him think of a snout with eyes set far back. More like a reptile than a seal or an otter, which are commonly seen near East Sooke. It’s slow and the head barely moves as the creature moves towards the rock.

To be sure, we checked with a local marine biologist Kim Juniper of the University of Victoria. He said it’s almost positively not a crocodile. But what is it? Juniper couldn’t really tell.

The answer still eludes.

What do you see in the video?

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