‘Poseidon’s throne?’ Mysterious chair washed up on beach sparks Texans’ imaginations

It’s a chair fit for a king. Or maybe a pirate captain. An irate cruise ship passenger, a burned out college student or possibly someone who angered the mafia.

Whatever the case, you wouldn’t want to sit on the barnacle-covered chair that washed up on a Padre Island beach.

It may not look like much, but since Padre Island National Seashore officials shared a photo of the chair on social media, it’s raising questions and fueling the imaginations of Texans.

“We’re not sure how the chair got into the ocean in the first place. What we do know is that it’s been floating long enough for gooseneck barnacles to attach and grow,” the post said.

It could be “Poseidon’s throne,” officials suggested.

Commenters have different theories.

“I think that’s Ursula’s throne,” one person wrote.

“Someone had too many drinks on the cruise,” wrote another.

Some suggested it could have been lost to sea during a hurricane.

Several people couldn’t help noticing the duct tape wrapped tightly around one of the chair’s legs. Could the chair have served a darker purpose?

“With the tape on the leg, it’s obviously a torture chair,” a commenter wrote.

“The mob [probably] taped some guy to it and pushed him off the back of a boat,” wrote another.

If the barnacles know anything, they can’t say. And they won’t last much longer on the shore.

“But they will be a beneficial food source for shorebirds and ghost crabs,” officials said. “Maybe not a thrilling end for the denizens of Poseidon’s throne but a useful end, none the less!”

This story was originally published June 5, 2023 at 9:08 AM with the headline "‘Poseidon’s throne?’ Mysterious chair washed up on beach sparks Texans’ imaginations."