A weird piece of debris washed up on Navarre Beach. What Santa Rosa County says it could be

An unusual object washed ashore on Navarre Beach, Monday, leading to speculation about what it is.

The metal object resembled some kind of military equipment and when it was shared on social media locals weighed in on what it could be. Some suggested it looked like the nose of an F-16 fighter jet, others thought it could be a robot dolphin.

One person posted that it looked like a fuel tank from a fighter jet, and it turns out he’s right. According to Santa Rosa County spokesperson Sarah Whitfield, folks from the county’s Navarre Beach Department said it appears to be an old military jet fuel tank.

“The Navarre Beach Department Wastewater Plant Chief said these old tanks wash up from time to time,” Whitfield said. “The Santa Rosa Sheriff’s Office called it in and we had it removed from the beach for safety reasons. It was then placed in a dumpster.”

Old objects and debris occasionally wash up on the shores of Northwest Florida’s beaches. Just last June, a couple discovered a possible Civil War era sword in the sand just below the surf on Pensacola Beach.

Related: Relic or replica? Discovery of sword in sand on Pensacola Beach goes viral.

They contacted the Florida Public Archeology Network about it’s authenticity. Archaeologists couldn’t confirm either way since they were not able to inspect the sword in person, but said while it appeared to be an 1840s era sword, it did not appear to have been in the water very long.

If you do find what could be a historical artifact, you can email Florida Public Archeology Network by visiting its website.

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Navarre Beach debris leaves people guessing about what washed up