10 Sea Monsters From Around the World
For years monsters have existed in folklore. These folklores have been told from generation to another and have been used to either correct bad behavior or promote good behavior among children. Among the folklores told are of giant monsters inhabiting lakes, several sightings of these monsters have been reported although no photographs or videos of these monsters have been captured. These are ten sea monsters from around the world.
10. Lake Champlain - Champy
"Champy" or "Champ" is a lake monster that dwells in Lake Champlain, at least according to American folklore. Lake Champlain is a 125-mile long fresh water body that is shared between Vermont and New York with some parts extending to Quebec, Canada. The folklore originates from native Americans tells of a 20- foot long monster with a head like a horse. Documents dating back to the early 17th century, as recent as 2005, people still claim to have seen Champ the monster although scientific research has concluded that no such animal exists in the lake
9. Muskrat Lake - Mussie
Lake Muskrat in Ontario, Canada is associated with a lake monster known as the "Mussie" or the "Hapyxelor". The gender, age, and physical features of the mussie varies with whoever is talking about it. Some people claim to have seen more than one Mussie creating a doubt of whether it is a single animal or a species. The current legend of the Mussie was developed in 1916 but records dating back to the early seventeenth century suggest that the legends told of spoke of a monster resembling the Mussie. Attempts to capture the creature have been futile, but the animal has become part of the culture and a major tourists’ attraction.
8. Heaven Lake - Lake Tianchi Monster
Heaven Lake, atop the volcanic Paektu Mountain in China, is home to a folklore monster known as the Lake Tianchi Monster. Reports of the buffalo-like monster were first reported in 1903 when it was alleged that it attacked a group of people and shot six times before it retreated to the lake. In 1962 several people reported seeing the creatures in the water, including a person with a telescope. The Buffalo-like creature is alleged to possess a human like head attached to a 5-foot neck.
7. Okanagan Lake - Ogopogo
"Ogopogo" is a lake monster that resides in Okanagan Lake in British Columbia, Canada, as told in a Canadian folklore. The folklore of Ogopogo has existed since the early 19th century, and the most common description is a 40 to 50-foot-long sea serpent. It is alleged that the first sighting of the sea serpent occurred in 1926 at an Okanagan Mission beach by inhabitants of a fleet of thirty vehicles. In 1968 while filming at the lake, Art Folden cameraman filled the alleged creature under water, and an analysis of the video revealed that it was a solid, three-dimensional object moving under the water. In 2011 a cellphone camera captured two large solid objects in the water but would later be revealed to be floating logs.
6. Congo Basin - Mokele
The Congo river basin also boasts of folklore that describes a water dwelling creature. The folklore describes the "Mokèlé-mbèmbé" as a creature that can turn into a spirit. In the local language Lingala, “Mokèlé-mbèmbé” means "one who stops the river." Several descriptions of the animal have been made, with the common description being that it has an elephant body with a very long neck resembling the extinct Sauropoda. In 2001 a team of researchers visited a village in the Congo and showed a picture of a rhinoceros to the villagers who identified it as "Mokèlé-mbèmbé" convincing the researchers that the folklore was developed at a time when rhinoceros roamed the Congo.
5. Lake Seljord - Selma
The "Selma" is a folklore monster that resides in Lake Seljord in Norway. According to legend, the monster is either a lindworm or a sea serpent. Those who have seen the monster says that it resembles the "Champ" of New York/Vermont. The legend of "Selma" dates back to the 18th century, and it is thought that it began when a young girl recording a video of her parent in the lake captures the serpent on camera. Several attempts to either capture her on modern recording equipment or physically capture her have not been successful.
4. Lake Memphremagog - Memphre
Along the trail leading to Lake Memphremagog in Quebec, Canada, visitors are advised to watch out for Memphre. Memhre is a folklore monster as told by a Canadian legend. Memphre is believed to be a Sea Serpent that lived in the lake which happens to be a popular swimming place for mountain bikers who claim that they haven’t come across such a serpent. In 2005 several people claimed to have seen the serpent although no authentic evidence was ever produced.
3. Loch Ness - Nessie
Nessie is an aquatic monster that inhabits the Loch Ness in Scottish Highlands. Those who claim to have seen the animal describe it as a large animal with a long neck and a hump protruding from the water. In 1933 the Nessie grabbed global attention when photographs and sonar readings claimed to prove the existence of such an animal. The most recent sighting of Nessie was in May 2017 when a sailor captured it on video. Unlike other sea monsters, the sighting of Nessie has been persistent over the years, and some researchers are convinced that it may actually exist.
2. Chesapeake Bay - Chessie
"Chessie" is a sea monster in an American folklore that inhabits the Chesapeake Bay. The serpent like creature with flippers is said to be 40 feet long and swims through the water like a snake. In the late 1970s sightings of the Chessie were rampant and researchers visited the lake hoping to get glimpse of the animal or capture it. However, no expedition was successful.
1. Lake Van - Lake Van Monster
According to legend, a monster resides in Lake Van, eastern Turkey. The Lake Van Monster, as it has come to be referred, was first reported in a newspaper on April 29, 1889, when it allegedly dragged a man into the water. In 1997 a man captured a video of what he described as the monster, but video analysis dismissed it as an edited video.
