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Monday, October 25, 2021

Raystown Ray

 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.

Photo I took of Raystown Lake during my first trip to the lake in 2018

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.

Photos of the Alleged Track of Raystown Ray. Top original photo. Bottom the outlined impressioned track

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.

The alleged photograph of Raystown Ray

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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