Throughout the world, there are hundreds of lakes, rivers, and seas that harbor large animals that are unrecognized by standard zoology. Although monsters might not be the best description of them, it is perhaps the most common, so we will use it here.
Claims of unknown water-based monsters have a long history in mythology and folklore, although they have been known my many names, such as sea serpents, great serpents, water dragons, water horses, worms, and others.
We don't hear so much about sea serpents anymore but, until the 20th century, they were the subject of lively debate, even in mainstream scientific journals.
Sea serpents have a long history in mythology throughout the world, although they weren't addressed scientifically until the mid-16th century. A survey of Scandinavian zoology, published in 1555, acknowledged the presence of serpents of vast magnitude, two hundred feet long and more than twenty feet thick, which would emerge from caves along the shore to devour anything in their paths.
The Natural History of Norway, published between 1752 and 1753, also attested to the presence of large serpents in the North Sea.
In the 17th century, Americans in the Massachusetts Bay Colony spoke of sea serpents that could be seen from both ship and shore. The American gunship, Protector, fired on a sea serpent in 1779, during the Revolutionary War, and the captain of the frigate, Boston, reported sighting a sea serpent at least forty-five to fifty feet in length in 1780. In 1819, Samuel Cabot reported sighting a sea serpent with a head like a horse's head, elevated about two feet above the water, and a body that was at least eight feet in length.
Apart from distant mythology, there are several contemporary reports of lake monsters, perhaps the most famous being the Loch Ness Monster in Scotland. Although none of these claims have been authenticated by conventional zoology, there is an amazing similarity between the appearance of these creatures in reports from different regions of the world. Descriptions of Nessie, in Loch Ness, for example, are very much like those of Champ in Lake Champlain, which borders the U.S. states of New York and Vermont and the Canadian province of Quebec. Sightings of the Flathead Lake Monster in Montana are much like those of Nessie and Champ, and so on. If it should turn out that these creatures are real, then it is likely that they are of the same species.
Other lake monsters have been reported in Lake Seljord in Norway, in Lake Seljordsvatnet in Sweden, Arenal Lagoon in Costa Rica, the Dilolo Swamps in the Congo, Labynkar Lake in Russia, Lake Como in Italy, Tian Chi in China, Lake Abaya Hayk in Ethiopia, Lake Ainslie in Canada, Lake Albert in Uganda, Lake Bathurst in Australia, Lake Viedma in Argentina, and many others, including several lakes in the United States and Canada. Many, but not all, of them are described in much the same way.
Most water monsters are not named, but some of those that have been seen in the same body of water repeatedly have been given names, including Adelong, Aeronaut, Ah-Een-Meelow, Aidakhar, Altamaha-Ha, Amhuluk, Angeoa, Archie, ASA Monster, Ashuaps, Astor Monster, Atunkai, Auli, Back Bay Sea Serpent, Bear Lake Monster, Bessie, Big Walley, Block Ness Monster, Blue-Dillon Monster, Bozho, Brosnie, Buckinghamshire Serpent, Bu-Rin, Cadborosaurus, Cai-Cai-Filu, Camahueto, Canavar, Carabuncle, Cassie, Cecil, Champ, Chan, Chessie, Cheval Marin, Chitapo, Christina, Chunucklas, Con Rit, Crater Lake Monster, Cressie, Cuero Unudo, Dakwa, Elbst, Flathead Lake Monster, Flattie, Funkwe, Gambo, Gjevstroll, Guai Wu, Guirivilu, Haietluk, Hamlet, Hapyxelor, Havhest, Hide, Hippogriff, Hippoturtleox, Holadeira, Huillia, Igopogo, Illie, Inkanyamba, Issie, Kilindini Monster, Kinosoo, Klato, Kuddimudra, Kussie, Lake Como Monster, Lake Creek Monster, Lake George Monster, Lake Norman Monster, Lake Worth Monster, Loch Ness Monster, Madrona Monster, Maningrida Monster, Manipogo, Memphre, Messie, Migo, Mi-Ni-Wa-Tu, Mjossie, Morgawr, Mosqueto, Nampeshiu, Nessie, Ogopogo, Rassic, Rocky, Rommie, Saltie, San Clemente Monster, Scoliophis Atlanticus, Sharlie, Silwane Mazzi, Sisiutl, Spirit Lake Sea Monster, Taniwha, Teggie, Tessie, Tsinquaw, Tzartus-Saurus, Uktena, Ular Tedong, Vasstrollet, Waa-Wee, Wally, Wee Oichy, West Wycombe Monster, Whitey, Winnipogo, Wiwiliamecq, Wurrum, Zemo'hgu-Ani, and many others.
While still classified as cryptids, one theory is that some of these animals may be sea serpents who have adapted to freshwater over a long period of time. At least one biologist has suggested they could be zeuglodons, primitive, snakelike whales that disappeared from the record 20 million years ago.
However, there is little doubt that some reports are hoaxes, mirages, or commonplace objects that are not being seen clearly enough.
Categories
Bear Lake MonsterBessieChamp | Flathead Lake MonsterLoch Ness Monster |
Recommended Resources
Also known as Blue Dilly, the lake creature is said to have inhabited Lake Dillon, in Summit County, Colorado, for more than a century. Compiled by Dr. J.H. Alexander and published under the authority of the Blue-Dillon Research Society, the book may be purchased through the site, which also includes a preface to the book, a map showing the location of the lake, and a web form that can be used to report sightings. An online contact form is also available.
http://www.bluedillonmonster.com/
Known as Raystown Ray, the cryptozoological creature has been seen and photographed for decades in Raystown Lake in Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania. Its eating habits are said to be like that of a manatee, as there has been no evidence of feeding on fish, geese, ducks, otters, or other wildlife. Photos, videos, and graphics are posted to the site, along with sighting reports, trivia, and possible explanations as to what the creature might be.
https://cryptidz.fandom.com/wiki/Raystown_Ray
Denver Michaels: Altamaha-ha, The
Altamaha-ha is a variation of the classic lake monsters, reportedly living in the Altamaha River and adjacent creeks and marshes near Darien, Georgia. Sighted in Georgia and northern Florida for centuries, the water cryptid is said to have two or three humps, grayish-brown skin, and a very long neck and small head. Its estimated size varies from 10-25 feet in length, and about a foot in diameter. While the Mama Indians told stories of the beast, most documented reports were in the late 1960s.
https://www.denvermichaels.net/the-altamaha-ha/
Lake Monster Mysteries: Investigating the World's Most Elusive Creatures
Written by Benjamin Radford and Joe Nickell, and published by the University Press of Kentucky in 2006, Project Muse of John Hopkins University Press and the Sheridan Libraries makes the book available here in its entirety, downloadable in several files, including the cover, title, copyright, forward, acknowledgements, introduction, and chapters on seven lake monsters, a chapter on other notable lake monsters, a conclusion, four appendices, and an index.
https://muse.jhu.edu/book/12346
Lake Norman, in North Carolina, was created in 1963 by damming the Catawba River at a place called Cowan’s Ford, resulting in a fifty square-mile lake, as deep as a hundred feet in some places, and a nuclear power plant went operational there in 1981. Reports of a lake creature began in the 1970s. Normie sightings may be reported here, and reported sightings are posed to the site, along with books, including a children's storybook, and promotional material for sale through its online store.
https://lakenormanmonster.com/
The Lake Norman Monster is a Nessie-like water creature reported to have been seen in Lake Norman, a man-made lake created between 1959 and 1964 in North Carolina, and currently the largest man-made body of fresh water in the state. The article by Alastar Packer offers a perspective of the cryptid mystery monster, including reports of sightings, and speculations as to what it might be. Readers comments on the article are posted at the end.
https://exemplore.com/cryptids/The-Lake-Norman-Monster
Legends of America: Monsters and Sea Serpents
The publication features legends and folklore unique to the United States. Its section on lake and sea monsters reviews some of the better-reported sightings, including that of a sea serpent off the coast of Cape Ann, Massachusetts in 1817, and other nearby sightings, including serpent-like creatures seen in Devil's Lake, Wisconsin in 1892, that were said to be about fifty feet long. River creatures are also reported, such as one that was seen in the Wabash River near Huntington, Indiana.
https://www.legendsofamerica.com/ah-seamonsters/
Maritime Manual: Sea Serpent, The - An Unsolved Mystery
Maritime Manual is a source of news and information about seagoing and nautical topics. Published on August 17, 2021, its section on sea serpents acknowledges that early maps included instructions telling seafarers to avoid certain routes because of the danger of encountering sea monsters, and that cultures around the world made references to sea serpents. Reported sightings are discussed, along with possible explanations, such as exaggeration and mistaken identifications.
https://www.maritimemanual.com/unsolved-mystery-sea-serpent/
Strange creatures have long been said to inhabit the lakes and rivers of Ireland, some powerful enough to tear nets apart and to tow fisherman who happened to snag onto them. Some of these sightings have found their way into newspaper accounts. Based largely on investigations by the late F.W. Holiday and Captain Lionel Leslie, as well as research by Peter Costello, this site seeks to explore the unrecognized lake and river creatures of Ireland. Kills, captures, and sightings are reported.
https://mysteryanimalsofireland.com/
Native American Lake Monsters of Myth and Legend
Native American lake monsters from various tribes are listed here by type, and by the names given to them by the tribes. For each, the tribal affiliation, alternate spellings, pronunciation, alternative names, type of creature, and a description of the creature and where it was reported to have been seen, as well as other available details. Native American lake monster stories and legends are included, along with recommended books and sponsored links.
http://www.native-languages.org/lake-monsters.htm
Featured on the SYFY Channel, Raystown Ray is a cryptid said to inhabit Raystown Lake, a man-made reservoir which is the largest lake that is entirely within the State of Pennsylvania. As much of the property surrounding the lake is owned by the Army Corps of Engineers, most of the waterfront land is undeveloped. The site presents photos and artist's renditions of the creature, as well as older photos, sighting reports, and souvenirs apparel and other merchandise.
https://raystownray.com/
Offering an introduction to reported water monsters in both the seas and lakes of the world, including known hoaxes. Included are cryptozoological creatures from Africa, Argentina, Australia, Canada, the Caribbean, China, England, Germany, Iceland, Indonesia, Iraq, Ireland, Japan, Kazakhstan, Mexico, New Zealand, North Korea, Norway, Peru, Russia, Siberia, Scotland, South Africa, Sweden, Tasmania, Turkey Vietnam, Wales, and several places in the United States..
https://seamonster.org/
Highlighting a movie about Teggie, a lake cryptid reportedly inhabiting Llyn Tepid (Lake Bala) in northern Wales, near Gwynedd. The screenplay was based on the original novel, Teggie "Lucy's Story," by Roger David Francis. The British movie tells the story of Teggie, a prehisotoric sea creature who seeks a path from the water to the land every forty years, bringing death to anyone who gets in its way. Legends pertaining to the cryptid are featured, along with movie trailers, and awards.
http://teggie.co.uk/
