Zarafasaura oceanis was a plesiosaur belonging to the elasmosaurid group and existed during the Late Cretaceous period, specifically in the Maastrichtian age. These marine creatures could grow to impressive lengths of up to 12 meters. They possessed a sleek, streamlined body and fins that were well-suited for efficient navigation in the ocean. Notably, Zarafasaura oceanis had an elongated neck and a set of sharp teeth in its jaws, making it excellently adapted for capturing fish and other marine prey.

While Zarafasaura is known solely from a skull, it represents one of the last elasmosaurid plesiosaurs to thrive in the North African region. This is significant because North Africa has traditionally yielded relatively few plesiosaur remains, likely due to the harsh climate that can rapidly degrade exposed fossils. The discovery of Zarafasaura in Late Cretaceous rocks from the Maastrichtian age suggests that elasmosaurid plesiosaurs may not have experienced as sharp a decline as previously believed by the end of the Cretaceous period.

Zarafasaura's distinguishing features include a palate and squamosal that differ from those of other known elasmosaurids. The reconstructed skull of Zarafasaura reveals numerous long and sharp teeth that interlocked when the jaws closed. This arrangement formed an effective mechanism for trapping prey, especially marine creatures like fish and squid, which were likely swallowed whole since the teeth were not suited for slicing prey into smaller portions.

The name Zarafasaura is a combination of the Arabic word for "giraffe" and the Greek word for "lizard." The species name, Z. oceanis, originates from the Latin term meaning "daughter of the sea."