A 'Golden Orb' on the Ocean Floor Came From a Mysterious Animal | WIREDSkip to main contentMenuSECURITYPOLITICSTHE BIG STORYBUSINESSSCIENCECULTUREREVIEWSMenuAccountAccountNewslettersSecurityPoliticsThe Big StoryBusinessScienceCultureReviewsChevronMoreExpandThe Big InterviewMagazineEventsWIRED InsiderWIRED ConsultingNewslettersPodcastsVideoLivestreamsMerchSearchSearchJorge GarayScienceMay 23, 2026 5:00 AMA ‘Golden Orb’ on the Ocean Floor Came From a Mysterious AnimalA fascinating, unclassifiable orb found in the Gulf of Alaska is not an alien object, as some speculated, but the remains of a poorly documented animal.A golden orb found on the ocean floor.Courtesy of NOAA Ocean ExplorationCommentLoaderSave StorySave this storyCommentLoaderSave StorySave this storyThree years ago, during an expedition at the bottom of the Gulf of Alaska, a submarine detected a golden orb that contrasted with surrounding rocks. Its smooth, organic surface did not resemble that of any known animal; the team immediately retrieved it for study. Now, at last, we know what it was.The submarine retrieves the golden orb.
NOAA Ocean ExplorationA recent study, which is still awaiting peer review, rules out the extraterrestrial origin social media users suggested at the time. The researchers conclude that the mysterious orb is in fact the organic remains of Relicanthus daphneae, a giant and rare anemone that inhabits the deep sea.Relicanthus daphneae.
'National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) | Office of Exploration and Research (OER)'This species can reach 30 centimeters in diameter and live between 1,600 and 4,000 meters deep. Its biology baffles specialists because it does not quite fit the rules that define anemones and corals. Since its discovery, scientists have struggled to classify it, and its evolutionary origin remains uncertain.Relicanthus daphneae moves across the ocean floor.
'National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) | Office of Exploration and Research (OER)'Before the study, there was nothing linking the golden orb to the giant anemone. The report details that an initial examination found spirocytes—ultra-specialized cells that only cnidarians (the group of animals made up of anemones, corals, and jellyfish) have. This finding ruled out the possibility that it was an egg or a biofilm, as initially thought.The team then sequenced the DNA of the material to search for matches in databases. The complete mitochondrial genomes showed a 99.9 percent match to Relicanthus daphneae. The evidence pointed to the orb being part of a rare and poorly documented anemone. However, the remains did not match any known structures of this species or other anemones.Close up of a cuticle detached from the anemone.
NOAA Ocean ExplorationTo solve the riddle, the researchers revisited a specimen collected years earlier and studied it again. They found fragments of a multi-laminated, golden cuticle the anemone had produced around its base. They then looked at live specimens and discovered that, as it moves along the bottom, R. daphneae leaves behind this cuticle, which remains on the rocks until it disintegrates or is buried.Thus, the famous "alien object" in the Gulf of Alaska turned out to be the detached cuticle of a little-studied and deeply enigmatic animal. The finding made it possible to better characterize Relicanthus daphneae and explain why no specimen retained the golden coating: The anemone loses it as it moves, and sometimes that structure sinks and takes the form of a capsule that looks like something out of another world."These findings underscore the extent to which the biodiversity and organismal biology of obscure deep sea fauna broadly remain unresolved," the report concludes. According to scientific estimates, more than 80 percent of the ocean remains unmapped, unobserved and unexplored directly.This story originally appeared on WIRED en Español and has been translated from Spanish.CommentsBack to topTriangleYou Might Also LikeHow to find us: Add WIRED.com to your preferred sources in GoogleHow the Canvas hack threatened thousands of schoolsBig Story: I've covered robots for years—this one is eerily lifelikeOrbs, saucers, and flashes on the moon—here’s what’s in the UFO filesTake our survey: What does “home” mean to you?Jorge Garay is a contributor to WIRED en Español. He specializes in technology, cybersecurity, and the legislative impact of social media. He has worked in digital media for 10 years. He is passionate about geek culture, astronomy, and the development of new communication technologies. ... Read MoreContributorTopicsanimalsBiologyoceansmarine scienceRead MoreMexico City Is Sinking. A Powerful NASA Satellite Just Revealed How FastA new NASA map shows how the sinking of Mexico City is uneven, with areas registering up to 2 centimeters per month.Fernanda GonzálezHow Wet Weather in Argentina Helped Fuel the Cruise Ship Hantavirus OutbreakClimate change is helping create conditions that are driving the rodent boom—dubbed a ratada—in Argentina.María de los Ángeles OrfilaThe First Atomic Bomb Test in 1945 Created an Entirely New MaterialThe discovery from the Trinity nuclear test site shows how extreme conditions can result in materials never before seen in nature or in the lab.Marta MussoA Startup Says It Grew Human Sperm in a Lab—and Used It to Make EmbryosPaterna Biosciences says it has determined the set of instructions needed to turn sperm-making stem cells into "normal, mature" sperm.Emily MullinVenom and Hot Peppers Offer a Key to Killing Resistant BacteriaResearchers have developed three new antibiotics from scorpion venom and habanero peppers to combat tuberculosis and other drug-resistant pathogens.Fernanda GonzálezMeet Rassvet, Russia’s Answer to StarlinkWith the launch of the first 16 satellites, Russia begins construction of a network for satellite internet that aims to cover the entire country by 2030. But getting there won’t be easy.Lucia BellinelloNASA’s Curiosity Rover Got Its Drill Stuck on a Rock. Here’s How They Freed ItThis is the first time NASA has encountered a situation like this, and it took nearly a week to resolve.Marta MussoAsteroid 2026 JH2 Is About to Fly Right Past Earth—Relatively SpeakingOn May 18, an asteroid about the size of Chicago’s Cloud Gate will fly four times closer to Earth than the moon.Anna Lisa BonfranceschiA New Hantavirus Vaccine Is in the WorksSince 2023, Moderna and Korea University have been developing a new mRNA vaccine for hantavirus. The work has been promising so far, but a finished product isn't likely coming any time soon.Javier CarbajalNewly Deciphered Sabotage Malware May Have Targeted Iran’s Nuclear Program—and Predates StuxnetResearchers have finally cracked Fast16, mysterious code capable of silently tampering with calculation and simulation software. It was created in 2005—and likely deployed by the US or an ally.Andy GreenbergWhy Soccer Still Defies Statistical AnalysisSarah Rudd, who once ran analytics for Arsenal, made her name applying the tenets of probability theory to movements on the pitch. Even she admits not everything can be solved with data.Nick GreeneElon Musk Seemingly Admits xAI Has Used OpenAI’s Models to Train Its OwnWhile answering questions under oath, Musk argued it’s standard practice for AI labs to use their competitors’ models.Maxwell ZeffWIRED is obsessed with what comes next. Through rigorous investigations and game-changing reporting, we tell stories that don’t just reflect the moment—they help create it. When you look back in 10, 20, even 50 years, WIRED will be the publication that led the story of the present, mapped the people, products, and ideas defining it, and explained how those forces forged the future. WIRED: For Future Reference.More From WIREDSubscribeNewslettersLivestreamsTravelFAQWIRED StaffWIRED EducationEditorial StandardsArchiveRSSSite MapAccessibility HelpReviews and GuidesReviewsBuying GuidesStreaming GuidesWearablesCouponsGift GuidesAdvertiseContact UsManage AccountJobsPress CenterCondé Nast StoreUser AgreementPrivacy PolicyYour California Privacy Rights© 2026 Condé Nast. All rights reserved. WIRED may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Condé Nast. Ad ChoicesSelect international siteUnited StatesLargeChevronItaliaJapónCzech Republic & SlovakiaFacebookXPinterestYouTubeInstagramTiktok

A fascinating object discovered on the ocean floor of the Gulf of Alaska, initially speculated to be an extraterrestrial artifact, was ultimately identified as the organic remains of a poorly documented deep-sea animal. A submarine expedition three years prior detected this golden orb, which possessed a smooth, organic surface unlike any known creature. Subsequent research, conducted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office of Exploration and Research (OER), ruled out the extraterrestrial hypothesis.

The research involved examining the material and sequencing its DNA. Initial analysis revealed spirocytes, specialized cells unique to cnidarians—the group that includes anemones, corals, and jellyfish—suggesting the object originated from a related biological source rather than an egg or biofilm. The DNA sequencing yielded a 99.9 percent match to the giant and rare deep-sea anemone, Relicanthus daphneae.

Although the DNA matched Relicanthus daphneae, the actual remains did not correspond to any known structures of the species or other anemones, which posed a significant puzzle. To resolve this discrepancy, the researchers re-examined specimens. They discovered fragments of a multi-laminated, golden cuticle that the anemone produced around its base. The study concluded that as Relicanthus daphneae moves across the seafloor, it sheds this cuticle, which remains on the rocks until it disintegrates or is buried. This process explained why the remains did not match known anatomical structures; the golden orb materialized when this shed structure sank, taking the form of a capsule resembling an otherworldly object.

These findings emphasize the substantial unresolved aspects of deep-sea fauna, underscoring that more than eighty percent of the ocean remains unmapped, unobserved, and unexplored. The discovery provided a means to better characterize Relicanthus daphneae and offered an explanation for why specimens did not retain the golden coating, illustrating the complexity of deep-sea biology.