Edgewater homeowner Phil Davis headed down to his dock on Thursday to take his boat out for the evening. He never got around to the boat ride. Instead, he found a 14-foot animal carcass in the water.

It kind of looked initially like a piece of fabric or weathered tarp, but after poking and prodding it with a fishing gaff, Davis decided it was definitely some sort of animal.

Along with his 16-year-old son Austin, they guessed it to be one of a dozen things from a whale to a cownosed ray to a sturgeon to a manatee. Parts of the dead critter fit with each of the guesses, but never completely matched the description.

Then Davis called Edgewater Patch. We didn't know either. But we shot video and called local Riverkeeper Chris Trumbauer who promised to forward the video to a Department of Natural Resources Fisheries scientist to hopefully help us nail down an answer.

We'll let you know if we get one.