Raystown Ray
By
Cole Herrold
Sketch of the Creature by Author
In my article on the Wolf Pond Monster, I
had written about the struggle I had in trying to find a Pennsylvania lake
monster. The Wolf Pond Monster was the only creature of this variety ever
mentioned and for many years thought that this was the only creature that we
could truly count as a Pennsylvania Nessie. It wasn't until some years later
when reading Ken Gerhard's, A Menagerie of Mysterious Beasts, that a new
page would be added to my knowledge of aquatic Pennsylvanian monstrosities. The
book described a creature in Raystown Lake dubbed Raystown Ray.
Raystown Lake is a lake nestled in the
wooded regions of Huntington County. The lake is twenty-eight miles long or
8,300 acres and can reach a maximum depth of two hundred feet. The lake was
made in 1905 by the US Army Corps of Engineers when a dam was created to help
maintain flooding. In 1971 the dam was updated. The lake stretches like a long
winding serpent, and both the Susquehanna River and the Juniata river connect
the man-made lake to the Atlantic Ocean. The lake is an ideal fishing and water
sports location and home to striped bass, trout, catfish, Atlantic salmon,
perch, crappie, muskellunge, panfish, walleye, and possibly something
mysterious.
The creature known as Raystown Ray is described as a
large serpentine type creature that is said to be approximately 20ft in length.
The creature is often described as slow-moving and dark in color. Not unlike
most known reported lake monsters. Ray is believed to be either a vegetarian
eating the known vegetation at the bottom of the lake or a carnivore feeding on
the fish that dwell in the lake. Yet Ray has not been known to be too shy of
people, unlike other lake monsters.
Ray was officially first sighted in 1962. This sighting almost resulted in the canceling
of the Raystown Ski Club Water Show. The creature was described as
approximately fifty feet in length and was seen swimming in the area where the
show was supposed to occur. The creature is often described as a stereotypical
lake monster with a long serpentine neck and reptile-like head. On a website
called Raystown Ray, which is dedicated to researching and sharing
information on the lake monster, has two photos of something large and dark
swimming in the water. One is black and white with an old-time boat in the
foreground and a dark figure in the back under the water. The second appears to
of been taken in the 60s or 70s and also shows an undefined figure under the
water. While all this is interesting and should be included as a portion of the
evidence for the beast, it does need to be said that we live in a technological
age where videos, photos, and even audio can be faked extremely easily with
tools like photoshop. So, I take these particular images with a grain of salt.
While the 60s water ski sighting is the most
regurgitated in the few books that do manage to mention him, Ray's history is
as shrouded in darkness as the water he dwells in. Aside from this account, in
the 60s, Ray was supposedly seen on and off throughout the time all the way to
the modern-day, but any sighting from 1963 till 1994 is unaccounted and
uncatalogued. Whether these accounts were told in hush tones by the townsfolk
and city-goers that surround the lake is likely, but unfortunately, there are
no written accounts detailing these encounters. Many who are locals acknowledge
that the creature was seen during this time, but no one seems to have any
specifics.
July of 1994 marks the first of modern
accounts of Raystown Ray. John R. Pendel of Pittsburgh at 9 am was out on a boat
cruise on the placid lake on this July day. It was his first time on the lake.
He had come up to enjoy the rich woodland areas around the lake and do some
camping. His friend commandeered him, his wife, and his friend's wife and
mother, and father-in-law to join him on his boat. Surely not wanting to miss
such an opportunity on such a warm day, the six-set off on the nautical trip.
The boat coasted through the water at 20 knots. He and his wife stood on the
stern of the boat, looking out at the tranquil water while his friend and his
family were on the bow. His friend navigating the boat was truly in his
element, drinking coffee and even having idle chit chat with him while he
steered the floating vessel. They had been on the water for a mere twenty or twenty-five
minutes when all of a sudden, there was a disturbance on the water about forty
or fifty feet away. Dark ripples occurred and broke the stillness. It was then
that the ripples extended, and a large black, slimy, form arose and seemed to
spin on the surface. This dark form was as long as at least 10-12ft long. The
creature, after a short time, descended and returned to the murky abyss below.
John's friend shut the boat off in amazement of this maritime visitor. Three of
the six saw the creature and were at a loss for words after their encounter.
Returning to the shore, they told the other campers about their encounter and
were unsurprisingly ridiculed about their "fish story." Yet evidence
of the creature would appear partially vindicating John's account; it would
just take twelve years.
A photograph was taken in 2006- 2007 by a
fisherman who saw the creature from the other side of the lake on a marina. It
has since become famous and, in many ways, is the Mansi Photo of PA. Those who
believe in the existence of Ray point to this particular piece of evidence as
to the best evidence for the creature. Yet there are those who, upon viewing
the photo, believe it to be a hoax or, much like the Mansi photo, believed to
be a piece of serpentine driftwood. Regardless of the conclusion of the photo,
though throughout 2006, Ray had a decent string of sightings during the spring
and summer months. Adding a touch of verification to the photo.
On May 14, 2006, an individual known only
as John reported that at 2:00 am. He noticed a long dark form swimming
approximately forty yards away. He and his friend stared at this slow-moving
monstrosity and estimated its total length to be about 8-12ft. The two
attempting to get a better look at the creature since they could not make out
ahead or any other feature, decided two shine a flashlight at the unknown
beast, and upon doing so, the creature proceeded to duck back down into murky
brine.
On
June 16th, 2006, Lee, Lea, and their family had a sighting of what they
believe to be Raystown Ray on the last day of their vacation in the area. While
on their boat, which was docked near Panther Cove. They saw a strange shape
approximately one hundred yards behind their boat. The object slowly swam away
from the boaters and proceeded to make its way just behind what is known as
Marty's Island—finally disappearing out of sight as it entered a small inlet.
Unlike many who encountered the strange and unusual Lee, Lea and their kin were
extremely thrilled by their encounter, finding it to be an appropriately
fitting end for their vacation.
On June 20, 2006, a witness known as
Walter G. was out fishing across from the 7 points marina. It was early in the
day, and the sun had just started to make the lake seem like a lively world as
opposed to a dark, dank stagnant pool. The fish were beginning to jump as though
in tune with the song of the sun. While enjoying the sight and setting up for
the day, he noticed a very peculiar fish that began to surface. It caught his
attention, for this particular animal seemed to have risen to the surface and
grab a stick floating in the water in its mouth. Originally thinking it might
be a musky, he began to watch it closer and took several notes about its size
and description. He noted that the stick was around three to four feet in
length itself. He could see the creature
was around the same length as the stick out of the water. He described it as
though a massive leg had come out of the water and grabbed the branch.
The next Ray sighting would take place a
little over two years after Walter’s. On a bright sunny August 3, 2008, Mike
Seiber, his girlfriend, and parents were just getting off the lake after
enjoying the day water skiing. As they began taking the skis out of the water
to dry, Mike heard his girlfriend cry out, "Look its Raystown Ray!
"spinning around to see what she was talking about, Mike ran in to the
shock of his life. There out in the water, was the picturesque visage of a head
and neck sticking three to four feet out of the water. The animal was moving
serenely towards a boat coming into a no-wake zone at the 7 points marina. They
watched the animal for about three minutes observing wakes coming from the head
and neck and wakes coming from some unseen section of the body 15-20ft behind
as the creature grew closer to the boat whether its curiosity was satiated or
that it was done being admired proceeded to dip back down into the darkness.
In late August 2008, Penny Foor had an
encounter with the creature, which could have ended badly. One night she and an
anonymous cohort had decided to go out on the lake for a little night fishing.
They were near what is known as the Senoi sites, which is just a short distance
from the 7 Points Marina. Penny and her companion had, in the way of turning
the tides in their favor in their fishing, decided to try and use what is known
as a "fish drawing light." Essentially it is a bright-colored light
that attracts fish. The light is held with a weight and a 30ft rope to hoist
the light back when the fishing has concluded. The two dropped their light into
the murky depths and proceeded to do the patient waiting that all who have done
this outdoors activity know. The water that night while they waited looked like
black glass, reflective yet still obscuring the world underneath. It was as
though the world was holding its breath while they waited. There was only calm.
No breezes to distort the surface, just silence, and serenity.
It was around 11 or 12 that night when the
two friends had decided they wanted to head in from the night as there seemed
to be no fish out in this area. The two getting up from the stern were about to
pack everything up when all of a sudden they heard a great whooshing sound as
though water had been dispelled by something. The two, thinking it was a boat,
paid no real mind to this oddity. Until the sound continued, and as they looked
into the murky darkness realized that there were no lights or motorized noise
or anything that would indicate that a boat was drawing near. Just the
whooshing sounds of something moving in the water. Penny's friend got up,
grabbed a spotlight, and there about 100 feet away was the answer to their
query. There coming towards them was a large mass like an overturned canoe. It
was enormous, but the most unsettling thing about it was that it was picking up
speed and coming straight for their boat. It was at that moment that Penny's
compatriot had yelled, "Penny, get the fish light up now! Get it up!"
In the ruckus, Penny had forgotten about the fish light, but in a swift motion,
her hand grabbed the coarse rope and frantically began to trudge the rope up as
the creature continued to get closer and closer to their boat. Her friend
monitored the beast's movement with the aid of the spotlight and watched as the
creature kept coming nearer. Penny struggling to get the rope and light into
the boat, eventually manage to feel the cold, wet plastic and grab it aboard.
As soon as the device was in her hands, she shut the glowing tool off. The two
stood there watching the beast as it got within 30 ft of their boat. The
creature seemed to slow, and as suddenly as it came, it dipped back down into
the darkness. The boat rocked from the waves as this creature submerged. The
boat bobbed and rocked and was moved by the force of the wake of this beast
that they were almost to shore. The two, then on the safety of dry land, tried
to make sense of their encounter, yet even with all their experience on the
water and with rod and reel in hand, they had no idea what it could be.
In March
of 2009, another supposed photo of Ray was taken. This photo shows the back or
the hump of a strange creature. It is similar to sketches drawn by Tim Dinsdale
of the Loch Ness Monster's back, as well as bearing a strong resemblance to the
Van Lake Monster video. The dark gray slick or slimy color, however, is much
like that seen with videos of Canadian lake monsters like Ogopogo. Now I must
say while the photo is interesting, there is the chance it could be an otter
diving in the water since the motion is similar to what has been reported with
lake monsters swimming.
On August 29th, 2009, a father
and son from Altoona were out fishing on the lake one cool summer evening. It
was around 6:45, and the two, after a long day of enjoying the tranquility of
the Snydertown section of the lake, had decided to call it quits and proceeded
to return to their boat launch. While crossing the section heading south on the
lake, the father had noticed that his son was trying to get his attention. His
offspring was pointing towards where the western shore on this particular
section of the lake was where there appeared a great disturbance on the water.
The terrified son and father watched in awe as a black serpentine form was seen
writhing up and down in the water. The father to observe this anomaly proceeded
much to the discomfort of his son to approach this strange object. Turning off
the motor and grabbing his binoculars, the man, through the magnified view,
proceeded to see the creature in full detail from fifty yards away. The
creature he said moved with a great many humps or snake-like coils swimming,
not unlike the stereotypical sea serpent. The animal, interestingly enough,
bore no fins and had a diamond-shaped head much like an eel or snake, however
with however the son would later add catfish like barbs or whiskers of a brighter
color on the face and bottom of the jaw. Yet unlike these aforementioned
species, this particular creature had small dark slanted eyes that were located
on the front of the face and not on the side like a reptile or fish. The animal
he said was around twenty feet in length and was silent as it moved its head
from side to side as it came up from the depths. The father, during this time,
had attempted to take a photo of the beast, but due to the distance and color,
the creature seemed to blend into its environment, and the subject of the image
became indiscernible. The father and son watched this monstrosity for about two
to three minutes before the creature just as quickly and silently as it came
submerged into the calm lake. This
account is perhaps the most detailed and interesting account I have come across
with this particular aquatic enigma. The description is very hodgepodge. It is
similar to a black snake, catfish, eel, and of course, plesiosaur.
In May of 2015, Stephen Holoviak,
while camping near Senoia, would report seeing a strange occurrence that
fateful spring. Holoviak, who had often thought the tale of Ray was a cute
bedtime story for children and a quaint folktale, had spent several times out
near the lake and decided while camping to go look for other spots for him and
his wife to set up camp for later trips in the summer. When reaching the top of
one particular hill, he stopped and stood to enjoy the view. While looking out
on the lake and the surrounding woodlands, his attention was drawn to a
disturbance on the lake. This long-form was slowly meandering its way towards
the closest marina. He stood awestruck and, when posting his account on the Raystown
Ray website, summed it up like this "Lots of room for doubt here for
anyone reading this. But it creates a
space for adventure while I keep an eye out on all my subsequent visits.”.
A lot of explanations for what Ray is have
occurred over the years, and of course, they've gone from log or branch in the
water, boat wakes, natural optical illusions like otters swimming in tandem,
fish, a swimmer, vegetarian plesiosaur, catfish, sturgeon, musky, and of course
the whimsy and overactive imagination of man.
One supposed explanation for Ray's
existence is a common one for cryptids, and that is the old circus train motif.
Most people familiar with cryptids will know the tale, but for those who don't,
it goes a little something like this. Apparently, circus trains were the most
accident-prone trains in locomotion history. The resulting cataclysms ended
with the circus's animal occupants escaping their cages and boxcars and
meandering their way into the woods to breed with each other or start colonies.
It’s an old folkloric trope; it even shows up in pop culture like in The Rugrats
Movie, and it has been used to explain creatures as varied as big cat
sightings, the Pope Lick Monster, the Beaman Monster, and of course Raystown
Ray.
Ken Gerhard, along with Bill Hoolahan,
Phil Abernathy, and Dr. Cheska Burleson, had conducted a search for the
creature at one point. Their entire expedition was briefly cataloged in A
Menagerie of Mysterious Beasts, which is probably my personal favorite book
by Gerhard and a must-have for any wanting a truly useful tome. Their
expedition came up empty, and their quarry, it seems, managed to evade them.
Lake monster research is much more difficult than one would realize; true, the
animals are technically trapped in one location, but they are still moving
targets not bound to any of our whims. It was after reading this investigation that I
had decided at one point or another to try to research this phenomenon at least
once in the field.
It was 2018, and I had just gotten back
from a paranormal road trip, which was down to Kecksburg, PA, Point Pleasant,
and Flatwoods, West Virginia. I was tired but receiving my schedule for the
next week at my job, I had discovered I had off for an additional two days. I
figured I'd take a day research trip to a location near me. Going through my
files, which at the time was about four manilla folders and an ungodly amount
of post-it notes and notecards, I came across the waterways folder, which
included all the aquatic denizens supposed to dwell in the state and while
flipping through beasts like Ogua and Lake Erie's monster I came across my file
on Ray. Raystown lake is about two hours from my home, and I figured it would
be a nice time out in nature and a unique chance to study something not focused
on by a lot of researchers.
My first stop on my research trip was the
Raystown Lake Visitor's Center. Which much like a variety of wildlife visitor's
centers I had visited either for other cryptozoological or camping trips bore
an exquisite amount of exhibits about the formation of the lake, the local
flora and fauna, and of course, a gift shop. While entering and looking through
the pamphlets for some information, I was approached by two younger women
working at the front desk. I told them my reason for visiting the lake and
asked them whether they knew about a supposed footprint that was on display. One
of the girls led me to the gift shop where hanging on a wall alongside the
famed 2006 picture was a plastered three-toed track of what was supposedly
Raystown Ray's big foot.
The track was interesting, but my thoughts were similar to what Ken Gerhard wrote in his book; it seemed suspicious and totally unlike what had been reported. True other lake monsters like Champ and Nessie have been reported on land from time to time, but this track was more dinosaur-like than a marine reptile. The track reminded me almost of those Mokele-Mbembe were supposed to make in shape but dwarfed in size and certainly not as deep as a creature Ray’s size should be. The cast, though, was odd for another reason, unlike the countless tracks of bigfoot where you can hold it, and it looks like a footprint. This looked more like a mold, as though someone made a copy of a cast. I inquired about the track a little bit more to the girls, but they really couldn't tell me too much about it in particular, but they did tell me that many people see this animal in the summer and not in the winter, which I took a note of and found interesting.
While there, I had also examined the photo
of Ray, and it looked too good. There's a real Sturgeon's Photo-esque quality
to it when you see it either online or in person. It looks just detailed enough
to possibly be a real animal but just undefined enough to possibly be a
misidentified log. It has none of the quality that the Bodette film or the
Sandra Mansi photo, which to me are the BEST evidence of a large yet to be
discovered aquatic lake monster. Yet the photo is interesting none the less.
In 2010 the SYFY television show Fact
or Faked: Paranormal Files actually did an episode attempting to recreate
the famous 2006-2007 photo as well as investigate the lake. When recreating the
photo, they made a very close duplicate with a log, so there is a very good
chance that was the answer to the photo’s mystery. However, even though it was
a close match, there is still the possibility that it could have been a
biological creature. I tend to think it probably is not Ray, however, and that
the team probably came to the correct conclusion.
One thing I did notice about the area
where the footprint and photo were kept was that there was a surprising lack of
merchandise for Ray. When researching the sightings, I came across the Raystown
Ray website, and my skeptical ears perked when I saw that the creature's name
was both copyrighted and trademarked—arriving at the center though I found two
patches that had drastically different depictions of Ray, one depicting a
cartoon sea serpent and the other an herbivorous otter like plesiosaur type
creature. Of course, I purchased both for my collection, yet looking everywhere
else in the gift shop, there were no t-shirts or bumper stickers or plushes or
anything else to market the creature that might give off an air of commercial
tourism.
While visiting places like Lake Champlain,
Flatwoods, Whitehall, and Point Pleasant, it seemed you couldn't walk five feet
without running into some merch plastered with the town's local legend. While I
love it, and I believe in all the towns and locales mentioned that they did
encounter the creatures supposed to live in the area. I can see why people can
be skeptical that these creatures are made to make a quick buck by the town.
Raystown lake does not seem to be doing that, at least in the area where I
visited, which adds a curious bouquet of potential authenticity to it.
Leaving the visitor’s center, I began
searching the wooded areas around the lake. There were several paths made by
the forest service, but due to logging, the area in some sections was in total
upheaval. My main focus was to look for any extremely large game trails. If Ray
is a semiaquatic creature, there should be areas where he'd frequent to come in
and out of the lake or for food. I found very little indications of anything as
big as what Ray was supposed to be coming ashore, at least in the area where I
searched. I picked an area where the trees were thinly spread, and marsh plants
grew so I could see out onto the lake as well since this creature has almost
entirely been seen in the lake. I kept glancing up at the water, searching for
anything strange or peculiar, but nothing ever occurred, at least while I was
there.
While there, I found plenty of evidence of
animals in the woods and along the coast like deer, various birds, squirrels,
and all the other usual forest dwellers. I looked out upon the waters and,
taking the glorious view in. began the long trek back to my car and to go get
something to eat. Sitting at the restaurant, I looked through all the evidence,
accounts and began to formulate what this creature could be. I looked at all
the pre-established possibilities, and I decided the creature could be narrowed
down to the following possibilities.
I knew right away a plesiosaur or
some other prehistoric marine reptile was off the table. While I'd love for
that to be the case with this creature, it would be an impossibility. A large
marine reptile, even if it came up from the ocean, swam through the
Susquehanna, and somehow made its way to Raystown lake, would have several obstacles.
The main being the countless dams the creature somehow would have had to pass.
The second being able to escape the attention of the countless people on the
Susquehanna. The third being that this creature would need a breeding
population to survive, and with all the previous obstacles, a pod of Plesiosaurs
or Elasmosaurs would be even more difficult that someone would have seen
or reported at least one sighting. The Susquehanna has had its share of strange
mysteries from reports of alligators to aquatic humanoids but nothing like a
prehistoric reptile.
Another thing is this creature either
spends its entire life in water or is semiaquatic, coming into the water only
for food and to cool off. Most of the sightings, while skeptically speaking
could be sticks or debris of some kind, seem to appear to be a long dark
overturned boat or serpent shape. These accounts are not unlike some reports of
Nessie and other aquatic lake monsters. Yet some sightings, primarily the
August 29th case, the witnesses had an excellent look at the creature,
so this clearly is some kind of biological species. So, with that said, that
opens a lot of doors.
Looking for suspects for a creature yet
unknown to science is kind of like playing Guess Who? where both players are
blindfolded. There's a very good chance you can come up with a possible option
that would work, but then there's a whole section of gray of things you've
never even considered or thought about. This seems to be a constant trend with
cryptids, yet those that live in aquatic biomes seem to have tons of
possibilities. If you look at a lot of the older books on the loch ness
monster, the possibilities were everything from eel, snail, plesiosaur, ancient
invertebrate, giant fish, salamander, giant seal, elephant, and so on. Some
clearly are very good possibilities, and then there are others that are truly a
shot in the dark.
With Raystown Ray, I tried to think of
what would be the most plausible and seeing that this is a man-made lake, what
could have been either introduced or through mutation or even natural processes
reach the length Ray is supposed to grow. My list ultimately was brought down
to five possible subjects, but even with these, there is room for other
possibilities, just not a plesiosaur.
One major possibility that I'm very fond
of as an explanation for a lot of lake monster sightings, in general, is that
of a giant turtle. The giant turtle is a hypothesis with some cryptozoological
history in regard to lakes. The most famous giant turtle was an account with a
creature known as the Beast of Churubusco or Oscar of Falk Lake. The turtle was
described as a giant snapping turtle with a shell as large as a dinner table.
The giant turtle theory could explain the shape of the creature’s body, which
appears like an overturned boat, and the footprint, if authentic, that resides
at the visitor center. I have entertained the giant turtle theory on more than
one occasion for other lake monsters like the Lake Leelanau Monster of
Michigan. Now, this on the further end of the table in regard to a possible
answer to this creature mainly because Ray seems to be more serpentine in form
than round or box-like like a turtle. Also, when looking at the most detailed
encountered by the father and son, the head had a kind of "whiskers"
for lack of a better word. Now turtles are not known for having whiskers, but
these whiskers might not be something actually attached to the body and maybe
some river scum or vegetation the creature was eating but taking the encounter
as is this most likely is not the answer.
A more likely answer is that Ray could be
a kind of giant snake. Pennsylvania is riddled with cryptid serpents. The
amount of supposed giant snakes in Pennsylvania is enough to fill up every
reptile zoo in the continental united states. From the most famous member of
this serpentine squadron, the Broad Top Serpent, to the Devil's Den snake in
Gettysburg, to the Wolf Pond Monster, which is another aquatic denizen, to
countless giant black snakes that have supposedly been killed by those who had
encountered them. Pennsylvania is probably the cryptid snake capital of the
United States. A giant snake could really explain what people are seeing in
Raystown Lake. Ray's color is usually described as a dark black or gray. Many
reports of the giant snakes in Pennsylvania coincidentally enough are also
typically described as solid black in color. Snakes do, from time to time,
enjoy slithering and cooling off in the water and the most famous species being
the Anaconda. Ray, though seems more aquatic than the typical snake and usually
dives or only has its back out of the water as opposed to the entire form.
Also, much like with the giant turtle hypothesis, when looking at the father
and son's account of the face, it bears some resemblance to a snake in the
shape of it but has two features that sort of don't match. The eyes being
placed in the front is more of a predatory mammal quality than a reptile as
snake's eyes are set almost on the sides. Also, much like turtles’ snakes do
not have anything that could be perceived as whiskers.
With the most detailed encounter, the
whisker feature seemed to be the most startling and hard-pressed answer to this
creature. So, viewing it in these standards, I looked at it this way this
creature usually comes to the surface it looks like an upturned boat. It has a
whiskered face and eyes that seem to be towards the front of the face. The
shape and whiskers seemed to indicate that this creature could be a kind of
giant catfish. Giant catfish are a common cryptozoological creature reported in
a variety of locations around the world. They are a product of both fact and
fish stories, and the cryptozoological variety is in the gray area in between.
Pennsylvania is no stranger to cryptid giant catfish. The Monongahela River is
home to one such beast the creature dubbed Ogua is either described as a
semi-aquatic reptilian beast or a giant catfish, yet most reports seem to be of
the latter. Catfish are native to Raystown Lake and would be a logical answer
to this mystery, especially if one grew to the twenty feet that Ray is supposed
to be. Another reason this might be the answer is with Penny Foor's encounter.
In this encounter, the "fish light," if authentic, attracted the
animal until it was brought aboard the boat and subsequently turned off. If
this device does attract fish, a giant catfish, too, would be prey to its
siren's song. While there are a lot of reasons, this could be a plausible
answer. There, of course, are reasons that it cant. Catfish cannot come onto
land, so if the footprint is authentic, a catfish simply cannot be the answer.
Another thing is that the general shape that the creature is seen is serpentine
in form and that there is no report of a dorsal fin, which catfish do have. A
sturgeon would be more plausible in that way, but sturgeon are not native to
the lake and also do not match the reports seen.
Another fishy contender to what Ray could
be is a giant eel. Giant eels are a classic explanation for lake monster mysteries.
In fact, a recent eDNA study of Loch Ness seems to hint that this might be the
case. Their appearance is serpentine, and many have a kind of whisker-like
appendage that protrudes from the sides of the mouth. These match a lot of the
depictions of Ray. Eels assumedly would also be attracted to a light
specifically made for the attraction of fish. Eels, though, tend not to swim
with their necks up in the air like what has been reported in a few of the
sightings. Also, the footprint paradox of a more terrestrial beast makes the
eel an unlikely candidate. The father and son's account also seemed to
indicate, and an excessive amount of whiskers, which is different than what
eels of this variety would have.
While aquatic and reptilian contenders are
a possibility, there is one other that I feel is a bit of a stretch but could
be what is seen, and that is a giant otter. In Ireland, there is a creature
known as the Dobhar-Chu it is essentially a massive otter around six feet in
length and extremely aggressive. A similar aquatic creature seen in old
petroglyphs of Mexican and Central America is of the Ahuizotl, a semi-aquatic
otter-like creature with a penchant for consuming the eyes, teeth, and
fingernails of its victims. A giant beaver-like creature is reported to lurk in
Bear lake along with its serpentine inhabitant. So, a giant aquatic mammal is
something not unheard of in the world of cryptozoology. There's even a
hypothesis of what is called the Seal-serpent, the idea that a lot of the
plesiosaur type creatures are actually giant seals or other pinnipeds and that
that could explain both why and how they can live in such frigid environments
and why they bear a resemblance to plesiosaurs. A giant otter could fit the
bill seeing as that Ray is supposedly semiaquatic and that its shape is long
serpentine and sleek, not unlike the otter. Even the father and son's
description or whiskers and forward-facing eyes seem to depict something more
mammalian than what is classically depicted. With that said, if this were a 20
ft otter, it would be frequently seen more on land, and almost all of the
sightings of Ray are in the water. If Ray were a mammal, he also would have to
come up to breathe much more than what the sightings seem to indicate, which
seem to be a more fish-like creature or something with better lung capacity
than an otter.
The final possibility is an as of yet
undiscovered species more different than any of the other options. This seems
to be the least likely plausible option. I would bet that this creature if it
does exist, is something previously mentioned a giant new species of a similar
species we already know exists. A semiaquatic long-necked whiskered tri clawed
creature is something that does not fit nicely into anything we know exists. If
this creature, though, is something new and yet uncatalogued, it would be an
important scientific find. A species that possibly evolved in a similar way to
marine reptiles, now whether this is an amphibian, mammal, reptile, or even
some kind of strange lungfish or mudskipper is anyone's guess. It is a
possibility that one must entertain until either a more mundane answer can be
found or that one of the previously stated alternative possibilities proves to
be correct.
The idea of a new undiscovered species in
a man-made lake is something that really has a lot of problems. This is
extrapolated to an even bigger issue when dealing with Ray or Rays. Yet this
would not be the first time a man-made lake has supposedly harbored a monster.
The most famous man-made lake monster would have to be Normie of Lake Norman.
Approximately ten feet long and described anywhere from a crocodilian type
creature, giant fish, or plesiosaur type creature. Normie has been seen
frequently enough that its garnered attention from a variety of researchers.
Yet much like Ray, the arguments for Normie's existence are very much debated,
especially since it's reported in a man-made lake. Yet, interestingly enough,
several nonindigenous animals have made their way into Lake Norman. Animals as
bizarre as freshwater jellyfish have taken up residence in the man-made lake,
and just how is a mystery since the species seen in the lake originates from
the Yangtze river in china. Alligators,
while indigenous to North Carolina, have also been seen to take up residence on
occasion in the lake, and how they got there is also a mystery. Some specimens
removed from the lake had reached lengths of 5-6ft. Invasive species are at
times a part of the greater biological world.
Emigrating and migrating animals are a common
occurrence in the animal kingdom. Even Homo Erectus, an early hominid, managed
to leave Africa and travel around to Asia and Europe. So, the concept of a
species moving from a different location is not unheard of. If whatever kind of
creatures Ray and Normie are, they clearly had to of migrated into the lake
since that is the only way they would be located there. Clearly, if this is the
case, these creatures are not invasive as they seem to not cause damage to the
ecosystems they currently reside in. Making them mysterious members of the
known flora and fauna of their respected lakes.
The final option for what Ray is needs to
be brought up, and it is the skeptical killjoy of the mystery. Ray possibly
could simply be a mixture of folklore and misidentification. The 2006-2007
photo, the "best" evidence of Ray when reproduced, was very similar
to a log. It also does not help that all of Ray's sightings come from the
internet, where it is always open for anyone to spin a good yarn. While some of
the accounts are fascinating reads and really interesting in describing what
Ray and it is not right to call someone a liar right out without proof of that.
It's something that does need to be put on the table. I mentioned the fact that
Raystown Ray was trademarked and copyrighted on the website that is the
headquarters for the creature. This does not bold well for the authenticity of
the creature.
I
love a good monster story; it's something that adds mystery to a world where we
make everything black and white. That touch of gray in the middle makes life
interesting. So even if coming up with Ray was invented for positive goals like
to attempt to brighten people's lives or better the local economy, which is a
solid reason for doing so, someone should simply come out and say this is
folklore. In Rhineland, Wisconsin, the Hodag is a known fictitious beast, and
yet the town is still booming because of it. So, addressing that it's a legend
would not hinder any of the goals. And much like the people who believe the earth
is flat or the moon is a projection, there would even still be people to
believe in it.
I, however, after reviewing all the data,
going to the location, and looking at the history of similar phenomenon, do not
believe Ray to be a straight-out hoax. Maybe some sightings could be
misidentified logs or known animals. Some of the less detailed accounts could
very well this case. Yet there are those few that, if they are factual, seem to
indicate that something strange and different is down in Raystown Lake. I have
my hypotheses, of course, but none of them is concrete or conclusive. I plan on
doing in the relatively near future some more research on the lake, looking for
some evidence to the possible answer to this riddle. With the available
sightings, there's even a direction to try to check out, seeing as the 7 Points
Marina area is a favored hangout of Ray based on the sightings. This is, to me,
indicative of something more flesh and blood. Champ, for example, has often
been seen in Bulwagga Bay, and Ogopogo has been known to frequent the areas
near Rattlesnake Island. If all these creatures are similar in some way, one
would also think their behavior would be too. It's all just a matter of finding
the patterns. Until then, Ray is a mystery and an important part of
Pennsylvania history and legend, which someday may have an answer that comes to
the surface.
End Notes:
I had initially wrote this article towards
the end of 2020 and had only been up to the lake once at that time. When 2021
hit however I had traveled to the lake an additional three times and continued
to ask around about whether or not there was any sightings of the creature at
the visitor center and to some of the more seasoned fishermen in the area. From
what they told me Ray seemingly dropped off the radar and even upon going to
the visitor’s center the display of the footprint was gone. The footprint still
hung in its spot but the photo and the plaque describing just what is hanging
on the wall was removed. Perhaps my theory is correct, and Ray has left the lake
or perhaps the legend is dying for some reason. Most researchers seem to feel
that the creature is a hoax and not worthy of studying so perhaps researchers
like myself who have been attempting to study the phenomena missed our
particular window to investigate or encounter the creature. Taking a survey of
the area including hiking and one potentially perilous canoe ride onto the lake
where I almost capsized multiple times to my absolute terror I saw no
indication of a large creature the size of Ray being in the area.
Quick Facts:
Species/Potential Species: Mammal,
Reptile, Fish, Amphibian
Location: Raystown Lake, Huntingdon
County, Pennsylvania
Sighted: 1962-2015
Works Cited
Coleman, Loren and Patrick Huyghe. The
Field Guide to Lake Monsters, Sea Serpents, and Other Mystery Denizens of the
Deep. Tarcher.2003.
Gerhard, Ken. A Menagerie of Mysterious
Beasts. Llewellyn. 2016.
Hagerty, Andy. “Raystown Ray, Huntingdon
County Pa”. Night watch Paranormal.
https://www.nightwatchparanormal.com/raystown-ray.html. Accessed December 18,
2020.
Hoover, Stephanie. “DeBUNKED! Raystown
Ray™ - A Monster Mash of Fact and Fiction”. Hauntingly Pennsylvania. 2016.
https://www.hauntinglypa.com/Raystown_Ray_debunked.html. Accessed December 18,
2020.
Michaels, Denver. People are Seeing
Something: A Survey of Lake Monsters in the United States and Canada. CreateSpace
Independent Publishing Platform. 2016
Newton, Michael. Strange Pennsylvania
Monsters. Schiffer Publishing. 2012.
Offutt, Jason. Chasing American
Monsters: Over 250 Creatures, Cryptids, and Hairy Beast. Llewellyn. 2019.
O'Toole, Katie. “Raystown Lake Legends:
Which ones are true?” 6WJAC. November 9th, 2017,
https://wjactv.com/news/local/raystown-lake-legends-which-ones-are-true.
Accessed December 18, 2020
Schneck, Marcus. "Meet Pennsylvania's Loch Ness Monster,
the Raystown Ray: Monsters of Pennsylvania" Jan 05, 2019,
https://www.pennlive.com/wildaboutpa/2015/06/raystown_ray_seen_as_pennsylva.html.
Accessed December 18, 2020.
Strickler, Lon. Phantoms and Monsters:
Cryptid Encounters. Triangulum. 2016.
http://www.raystownray.com/
http://www.raystownray.com/index.asp?section=Sightings
http://www.raystownray.com/index.asp?section=About%20Ray
“Raystown Lake”. Wikipedia.
Wikimedia Foundation. October 22, 2020. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raystown_Lake.
Accessed December 18, 2020.
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