GUEMES ISLAND — Officials in Skagit County, Washington, are investigating after 21 canine carcasses washed ashore on Guemes Island between March 26 and Friday. Authorities began actively investigating the origins of the remains, which were discovered in waves along the shoreline of the small island community located about 80 miles north of Seattle.

The discoveries began when six carcasses were initially found washed ashore at an area called Kelly's Point on Guemes Island. Five additional canine carcasses were found on the island in the days following those initial discoveries, bringing the early total to 11. One dead canine was then found floating near the coast of Guemes Island on a Tuesday, and nine more carcasses were discovered on the island over the four days that followed, raising the total count to 21.

The canines appeared to be the same size, and two of them had orange twine wrapped around their necks. Skagit County investigators conducted necropsies on the canine bodies but have not been able to determine whether the remains are dogs, coyotes, foxes, or another species due to their deteriorated condition.

Guemes Island Fire Chief Olivia Cole said that the creatures had been skinned, though investigators said they were unsure whether the bodies had been skinned or were simply badly decomposed. "It's a creepy mystery out here. That's what I keep saying – it's like the start of a horror movie, honestly," Cole said.

Ellen Fitch, a resident who found some of the canine carcasses on the island, described the discovery. "It was like nothing I'd ever seen," Fitch said.

Residents on the island, which has approximately 600 people, were making assumptions about what happened to the canines, with a range of theories circulating through the community. "Or they're just exaggerating. People are saying, 'Oh, I heard they found wolves and foxes and coyotes,' or 'Oh, I heard there were witches involved,'" Fitch said.

Guemes Island is accessible by ferry from neighboring Fidalgo Island, which is home to Mount Erie. In the 19th century, Guemes Island was known as "Dog Island" due to its large population of woolly dogs. As of early April, authorities had not announced any conclusions regarding the source of the canine carcasses or the circumstances of their deaths.