A couple skating on a frozen lake was surprised after spotting something unexpected beneath the ice.
Luc Mehl, 46, was skating on Walrus Lake in Chugach State Park, Alaska, with his wife, Sarah Histand, when the couple made the discovery, which they showed in an Instagram video that has amassed more than 19 million views since it was first posted on October 24.
“The rocks at the lake bottom are dark, so I knew something was usual when I saw a flash or white,” Mehl told Newsweek.
The video shows the couple stopping to take a look at what they spotted beneath the ice: a baby sheep. Despite the carcass’ unusual appearance, the animal remained recognizable by its hooves and unique body shape.
“New candidate for the wildest thing we’ve seen under ‘wild’ ice!” Mehl wrote in the video’s caption. Graphic images from the video are shown below.
Mehl told Newsweek: “This is a special time of year in Alaska. We don’t always get skateable ice. But if the weather stays cold and clear (without snow), we get amazing conditions like this—crystal clear ice that allows us to see the lake bottom.
“My wife and I were skating along the perimeter of the lake. This is how we always start; exploring the edge and measuring the ice strength before deciding to skate over deeper water.”
It was near the lake’s edge that the pair spotted the baby Dall sheep. “My first guess was that it was a garbage bag or part of a tent—unfortunately, we do often see garbage, especially beer cans,” Mehl said.
“I was sure surprised to realize it was an animal,” he continued. “It is fairly usual to see fish carcasses, and we’ve seen other piles of bones. In fact, this same lake, different location, has a pile of bones that I assume are from an adult Dall sheep. I’ve skated over fish, beavers, and muskrat. But this was the strangest thing for me, by far.”
Alaska is home to more than 3,000 lakes, many of which freeze over in the winter. As ice rescue instructors, Mehl and Histand are trained to determine whether ice is safe to skate on.
According to Alaska’s tourism board, popular spots for skating on frozen lakes include Portage Glacier, Eklutna Lake, Nancy Lake and Wasilla Creek. Prospective skaters should consult local authorities’ ice safety advice before going out on a frozen lake.
Instagram users took to the comments section of Mehl’s video to share their thoughts on what he found under the ice.
One user wrote: “It’s so beautiful for some reason I can’t put my finger on it. It’s so sad, but beautiful at the same time.”
“I hope he is somewhere in a big field with the sun warming his face and his mama next to him,” another commenter said.
“Wild! Once in the Wrangells we walked across a frozen lake and there was a caribou frozen in the lake with the antlers sticking out above the ice,” a user commented.
Another added: “That is creepy! Crazy but beautiful.”
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