But the very best thing we can see on the photo are the teeth.

We see incisors, quite big upper canines, premolars and molars. There are four incisors in the lower jaw on each side, a trait which is typical for mammals with a quite “primitive” dentition, like those of an opossum. In contrast, dogs have only three incisors on each side of the jaw.

Furthermore, the premolars of dogs and opossums look quite different (if you take a close look at them. Opossum have typical vertical ridges on their molars. Opossums have four molar ans three premolars on each side of the jaw, which are all of comparably similar size, but dogs have two molars and four premolars, from which the fourth one is highly enlarged. This clearly shows the animal in question is by no means a dog at all.

Take a look at the dentition of an opossum and compare it with those of the carcass:

Now look at those of a dog:

So the animal has the shape and size of an opossum, it has the dentition of an opossum (and clearly not those of a dog!), so why is it so hard to imagine, that is is just a dead opossum, especially if you keep in mind that opossum are living in this area anyway?

The lack of hair and the unusual surface of the skin is quite easy to explain, and there is no need to mystifiy it, or to think it is a fake. It´s obvious this carcass was floating in the see for some time, and it is a quite common phenomen, that fur becomes lost during decomposition in water. If such a nearly hairless carcass floats to the beach, and dries, the already hairless and somewhat bloated and waxy skin dries, and can look quite plastic-like, similar to anatomical models made from real tissue.

Somebody has commented the presence of eyes. Well, it´s really that eyes are sometimes among the first things which are eaten by scavengers, but not always. Eyes are actually quite though and durable, and even if you try to pierce an eye with a very sharp knife, this can be quite hard.

It looks too fake, and unless it is an optical illusion in the photo, it still has eyes. Those are usually the first thing to go, especially as fishies like to nibble at them. I agree the shape of the skull and excessively large canines do resemble an Opossum and perhaps that is what it was based off of.

But considering the fellow who forwarded the photos described stink and flies and I see no flies on this at all, not even in the oral cavity, I have to question whether this creature was ever alive to begin with. Either that or we’re not getting accurate reports from the 19 year old in question. Although it doesn’t look fantastical enough to be the work of Cabana or someone trying to mimic him. His artwork is notable for being otherworldy yet still being within the realm of possible.

Learned a few things about opposums though, like the fact that I have mistakenly called them possums all along! The single greatest thing about my interest in cryptozoology is how many related things about regular animals I have had to learn by accident!

I would say it looks more like a small dog. Pacific beach, where the body washed up, is only a little bit North of dog beach, a place where dogs are allowed on the beach and too swim. It is not unreasonable that maybe someone’s small dog got caught in a riptide, drowned, and came ashore on pacific beach.