Lake Hopatcong Monsters

 Lake Hopatcong Monsters

By Cole Herrold

New Jersey is known for several things in the Fortean world; the infamous Jersey Devil, for example, of the Pine Barrens, is sort of the state mascot of all things weird there. There are numerous reported ghost roads filled with phantom hitchhikers, ghostly apparitions, and the occasional demon. UFOs and Men in Black have been reported there as well, and one particularly weird MIB report happened there that was interconnected with the infamous Mothman flap. There are semi-transparent mantis men, creatures seemingly ripped from the pages of mythology like the Blackwood Pigtaur and the Blackwood Centaur, Lizardmen and Gatormen, Bigfoot, Monkey Men, and even dragons. The one thing, though, that New Jersey is not exactly known for is aquatic monsters which is not accurate, to say the least, there had been several reports of sea serpents in areas like Cape May and near Atlantic City, and another strange creature known as Tommie was said to of roamed the Tom's River. Of all of them, though, there's one lake, in particular, that is said to be the most active in regard to aquatic anomalies, and that is Lake Hopatcong.

Lake Hopatcong is the largest lake in the state of New Jersey and is nestled between both Sussex and Morris Counties and is approximately 4 square miles in total area. This lake was enlarged in the 18^th century when a dam was erected in the Musconetcong River on the south end. This caused the water to rise by about 6ft which caused the original bodies of water in the area known as the Great Pond and Little Pond to come together to form the Lake Hopatcong that we now know today.

Tales of something large and mysterious lurking in the depths of the waters were first said to of been rumored by the Lenape Natives who had lived for a time along the shore of the lake, yet specific accounts seem to have gone unreported. Yet as the area began to be more and more utilized and used as a commercial zone, sightings and possibly dangerous interactions with a mysterious creature became more frequent and led to an overall acceptance of a colossal creature that locals have come to call "Hoppie." The earliest reports of this creature outside of the ambiguous Lenape acknowledgment of the creature began some 200 years ago when people coming around the area of the lake reported seeing a large, colossal form break the surface with a gigantic splash of the now pond joined lake. The creature was said to have a giant elephantine body so large that it could make "an ox look like a fawn" and a large, long neck ending in a horse-like head that was topped with a pair of large, colossal pair of 10ft long antlers. The creature was so ferocious in appearance and assumedly in behavior that the creature caused excessive panic to anyone in the region, and this was added to the fact that the creature was also capable of leaving the lake and walking on land. This reign of terror seemed to of gone on for some time until a harsh winter hit the region, and the creature afterward had seemed to of disappeared. The locals were both curious and at peace at the sudden departure of the creature, but they still wondered just what happened to the creature. They wouldn’t have to wait long for an answer as a group of Lenape Natives passing through the area told just what happened to their semiaquatic neighbor. The Natives would state that during the winter, the creature was crossing the now frozen lake, and as it reached a particularly thin patch, the creature broke the ice and had proceeded to fall into the frozen water of the lake, where the creature seemingly perished. Whether the creature's death was due to the temperature of the lake or some physical trauma to the body of the creature, the Natives did not say. A short time later, while the lake had dethawed, several of the locals took a boat out to the area where the creature was said to of died and, upon peering into the water, could see the slowly rotting remains of the colossal monster. Its skull and antlers being the most noticeable feature that they could make out in the creature's watery grave.

This dead body clearly, however, was not the end of the creature as in pure classic monster film fashion, the "Son of" or "Daughter of" Hoppie would continue to be reported in the Lake. The next report of a large aquatic monstrosity in the lake occurred on November 11, 1999, when a witness known only as Pete and his unnamed friend were hanging out at the lake. The two had spent most of the chilly day on the lake and, upon deciding to call it a day, began to work their way towards the shore. Getting very close to the shore, the two hopped onto a deck and began to pull the boat into the shore. As the two strained to pull the boat in, Pete noticed that as he looked out on the water, he saw a colossal black 6-7ft wave come straight towards their dock. This colossal wave eventually hit their dock, and the impact of the water onto the dock was so strong that it almost knocked them off into the dark water. As they followed the direction of where the wave was headed, the two noticed a large object bobbing up and down in the lake. As they stared, they at first thought the object was a buoy but wondered just how a buoy would have made it to that area since they had never noticed one before. During this time, Pete's neighbor had left his home after seeing the colossal wave splash on the nearby dock. The trio of men debated about the form seen in the water the neighbor from a much safer distance than the other two, and when the buoy hypothesis was brought up again, Pete's neighbor said that this was impossible since the object was much too big. They watched as the object eventually submerged and hid in the murky water disappearing from sight altogether. During this time, the unthinkable happened to Pete's friend for some untold reason, be it fright, loss of balance, or some other possibility Pete's friend ended up plunging into the murky depths and disappearing for a brief period of time. When his friend resurfaced, he was some 10ft away from the dock and noticeably terrified as he cried out that during his time underwater, something had grabbed him and pulled him away from the dock. They were able to get his friend back to land and assumedly were more than hesitant to go back into the water for years later.

Now there had been rumors for years later of something strange and bizarre lurking in the lake, and these reports did not go unnoticed as they would be collected by the Fortean magazine Weird NJ; on one occasion, the magazine received a letter from a man residing in Sussex County who claimed that he had seen and experienced the creature on the lake countless times starting from when he was a boy. The witness stated that the reason he chose to write the letter was that creature was large and carnivorous and that while he did not want the creature hunted, he wanted others in the area to be aware of the creature and to be careful when swimming, boating, and fishing in the area. He claimed that the first time he saw the creature was when he was a boy fishing with his uncle. While out, he saw a bunch of splashing on the water and saw a large, colossal creature that released chirping sounds from a mouth filled with curved backward-facing razor-sharp teeth and began to hit the water with large paddle like fins. His uncle would later tell him more about the creature as he too had experienced it multiple times on the lake and noted that the creature had a habit of swallowing hooked fish, which he had experienced firsthand, and that upon biting them would swim away, remaining submerged the entire time. This unnamed letter writer would detail a full wildlife fact file on this creature and the knowledge of the behavior of the creature. The creatures he claimed are covered in brown and green slimy scales; they are usually about the size of a large dog but can reach the size of a cow with a long slender snake-like head and neck; they have forked tongues, long thin tails, and also have paddle-like fins that are tipped with claws. The creatures also have a terrible odor that smells like rotting fish or sulfur. The man would claim that the creature was not dangerous while left alone, but he does know that the creature is carnivorous as he had seen the creature on one occasion swallow two geese whole and that on one occasion it attacked his dog, which tore threw his beloved pet like a chew toy. On that occasion, the dog attacked the creature when the man was out fishing. The man was reeling in a large fish he had caught on the line when the creature rose from the depth biting the fish he had just caught. At this moment, the dog seeing that his owner's quarry was being intercepted, rushed out into the water and began to attack the creature in an attempt to have it drop the fish. The creature turned and proceeded to drop the fish and attack the dog, and in a brief skirmish, the creature ended up killing and eating the dog. As the man watched as the creature continued to consume his canine, he saw a peculiar behavior as the creature would spit out the bones, something one would indicate as a sign of intelligence. This creature, he realized, is an ambush predator and frequently utilizes the shoreline to capture and eat animals coming near the water, much like a crocodilian. He noted that the creature tends to do this more before and during the first light of day. It was in this interaction that he realized the potential danger this creature could have towards humans and shuddered to think about what the creature could do to children. He did note that the creature did not seem to be aggressive to creatures initially outside of fish, as in the two times that the creature did attack another organism, it was in self-defense, and this includes the instance with the geese. The man also noted that this creature was not alone and seemed to have a mate and that these creatures seemed to be more active on nights of a full moon. The creatures do have offspring as well, which are about the size of ducks and that the larger of the offspring tend to hang out towards Lify Island. He, while knowing the animals were breeding, he had no clear indication as to the breeding population or the exact number of creatures in the lake. The creatures have a preference of hanging out near-deserted tree-lined coves and rarely near docks; however, on at least one occasion, he did encounter the creature stealing his fish while fishing off a dock. It's from this that he recommends people to avoid deserted coves, especially at sunrise, and to stay at home at night, especially during the late fall and early spring, which is the creature's mating season and also when they appear to be more aggressive. The creature's the man would claim had unique eyes; they were a shiny color, and that these eyes are so bright that they can be seen even when the creature is underwater. His uncle would claim that these eyes have difficulty in seeing those wearing green camouflage. He would claim that the creature would also have a habit of hanging around deserted cove areas known for being local lover's lanes and "smooch parks" and that the creature had a habit of waddling ashore and peering into the windows of cars. The man ended up after becoming seemingly an expert on the creature, christening the beast Xepeciup Uqsejtjux Cemupiz or simply Cemupiz, which according to him, was the native name for the creature, which means "flesh-eating lake monster" and that the natives who knew of the creature forbade the killing of it seeing it as a sacred creature. During his research of the creature, he claimed to of captured the creature on camera; the photo he took came from a disposable camera from a Pathmark. He also, much like the native tribes, feels that we should protect the species from overall assault and extinction and that we should also attempt to protect others from the creature by making the public aware of the creature.

To this day, there are people who whisper about the creature, but as for officially documented sightings, there are none. The creature, however, has been picked up by the region as a kind of mascot for the tourist trade, not unlike Nessie or Champ and the other various lake and river monsters across the world. Just what the Lake Hopatcong Monster is, is difficult to establish as looking at the descriptions over the years, there seem to be several different creatures reported. This indicates a couple different things; the first would obviously be that this could be simply an urban legend. We have no official interviews or study of this creature, and all the sightings are either anonymous or so antediluvian that we do not have a way to find the beginning of the account. This could also explain why in the 1700s, the creature was described as being a semiaquatic deer monster, whereas now it's more of a traditional lake monster with notable plesiosaur-like features since that is what is ingrained in the culture of lake monsters.

Let's say, however, that all of the reports are accurate and that what the witnesses saw actually occurred. Right off the bat, I would say Cryptid as there are no UFOs associated with the creatures, and the fact that they can be killed, at least in regard to the original antlered version, implies a more physical existence as opposed to some ethereal entity like an Ultraterrestrial, tulpa, thoughtform, ghost, demon, faerie, or any other ethereal option. Now just what could this creature be, though, if it is a physical animal. Interestingly enough, with the original account and upon reflection while writing this, perhaps what was seen was not a lake monster or anything we would associate with a lake monster but perhaps a surviving Megaloceros. Megaloceros are giant elk that are approximately 7ft in height at the shoulder with an antler spread of, interestingly enough, almost 10ft, so exactly the same as the creature initially reported. The large elephantine-like body would make sense if the creature was wadding in the water, and perhaps this creature, much like moose, was capable of diving or surviving for some periods of time in and around water, adding to the lake monster mythos of the creature. Now I love this theory, and I will say that while Cenozoic prehistoric survivors are more likely than, say, Mesozoic era survivors, there is one major problem with this particular possible identification, and that is that Megaloceros was a Eurasian species from what we know in the fossil record hence the other alias the Irish Elk, so one has to wonder if this is the case just how one of these colossal creatures managed to get their way to New Jersey.

Megaloceros in comparison to a Human

Now, as for the modern Lake Hopatcong Monsters, they seem to be more akin to plesiosaurs or some other type of aquatic reptile which the closest Id argue based on description Id have to say would be a Tanystropheus or some smaller variation of a giant turtle. Yet unlike other cryptids like Nessie or Champ, where the lakes became landlocked shortly over time, ergo trapping such prehistoric remnants in the lakes. Lake Hopatcong did not have that, at least in the same way as the others; the lake does flow into another body of water, the Musconetcong River, which itself is home to another creepy critter known as the Musconetcong Mantis Man (see entry for more information) yet this leads into a possibility that perhaps the river allowed some creature to enter the lake back before the area was dammed and then afterward the creatures were trapped there. Now, of course, this is all speculation, and the creatures would, of course, have to follow such biological rules as the 50-500 rule, which, if the size of the creatures given is accurate, does not seem likely for a lake only 4sq miles in total. So perhaps these creatures are more terrestrial than we realize.

Image of Tanystropheus

One problem with lake monster reports from smaller lakes obviously is population if these creatures are, in fact living in the local. But perhaps lake monsters are more terrestrial in behavior and utilize lakes as feeding, breeding, and hiding spots. I've mentioned this before with Aquatic humanoid cases as well as with cryptids that appear to be more like giant snakes like Raystown Ray or the Wolf Pond Monster since there are reports of similar giant snake-like creatures seen on land. Now I venture this option again since where are all of these dinosaurian or reptilian-like cryptids going? They cannot be hanging out in the lake wed see them more often, so I wonder perhaps these creatures spend most of their time on islands or woodlands surrounding lakes. There are several cases throughout the years of colossal reptiles or quadrupedal dinosaurs living in the woodlands, yet much like these lake monsters, they are exceptionally rare; it's from this I ponder whether the two are interconnected and that when these creatures are seen on land its because they're moving to another water source or that they are utilizing other resources in the area. This is not an altogether farfetched idea; there are reports of dinosaurian-type creatures on land in areas where river and lake monsters are reported. I covered the Astor Monster, a ceratopsian-type dinosaur that lived both on land as well as the St. Johns River, and the William Lake Lizard, a colossal seemingly monitor type reptile that charged a car in 1973. So, such reports have occurred that do seem to lend credence to this idea, but of course, the accurate identity of such creatures is anyone's guess.

Another possibility I feel that needs to be addressed is the possibility of a time slip. Time slips in regard to cryptids are, to me, hit or miss as when looking at sighting reports of creatures said to be from another time like Pterosaurs, for example, they often are missing important features such as feathers or bright colors and this to me seems to be more evident of losing a feature through years of evolution to adapt to a certain environment or possibly a totally new species. Now there is an ever-shifting view on prehistoric life as we are always finding new features or rediscovering how these organisms were actually built since fossils are basically puzzles without instructions or original artwork to compare to hence why some dinosaurs like Spinosaurus are drastically different in form compared to how we originally thought they were built. So perhaps the reason these creatures were seeing seem to not match with our current animals is that they are accurate animals that are dropped here through a time slip but again, just what they'd be is anyone's speculation.

Another possibility for these creatures, of course, would be the interdimensional route; if these creatures are popping in and out from another dimension, then that would explain why we don't see them as much or why there's no evidence for their existence. The interdimensional aspect also offers an outlet for all sorts of possible evolutionary lineages that we currently are unaware of, and in the infinite dimensions of the multiverse, there is guaranteed to be at least one where a creature like this would exist. Now just the how and whys these dimensional shifts would occur is anyone's guess, but it is certainly much more likely than many of the other alternative Fortean ideas out there.

With New Jersey Cryptids, there is perhaps more skepticism when one thinks about the state and the incredibly high populated areas therein, but when one actually drives through the state, especially the backroads, it is entirely possible for things to remain hidden there. The same can be said about the waterways. We as a species are always discovering new animals or new ecosystems that we did not know were at the tip of our fingers. Perhaps we will find out that there might be some hidden glen or grotto where these creatures remain elusive; its interesting to note that many feel that there are certain waterholes that are seemingly bottomless in New Jersey known as Blue Holes, and many legends are interconnected with them one of the most famous is that they have underground caverns in them that reach to other places in the state perhaps Lake Hopatcong has one such entry/exit way. We can only guess and speculate, as with almost all cases. I've thought of checking the lake out myself on numerous occasions, so perhaps there might be more to this case, but until then or until more information can come to light, this is all we know about the infamous Hoppie.

Quick Facts:

Species/Potential Species: Reptile, Mammal, Fish, Multiple Creatures

Location: Lake Hopatcong, Sussex, and Morris Counties, New Jersey

Sighted: Lenape legends around the 1700s to at least 1999 to possibly modern times

Works Cited:

Jersey Devils, Bizarre Beasts And Other Creatures of Weird NJ By Mark Moran and Mark Sceurman

Monsters of New Jersey By Loren Coleman and Bruce G. Hallenbeck

Weird NJ By Mark Moran and Mark Sceurman

 

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 16^th, 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 29^th, 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 29^th 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.

Loch Hourn Monster

The Loch Hourn Monster

By Cole Herrold

Loch Hourn is one of the most bizarre lochs, I think I've come across in my research of Cryptozoology. When originally working on my article on The Beast of Barrisdale, I was under the impression that this particular monstrosity was the Loch's only resident. The tri-legged fiend even is known as the Loch Hourn Monster, indicating some aquatic nature even though reports of it seem to indicate a terrestrial or flying creature as opposed to something aquatic. Yet upon digging deeper into the history of this particular Loch, I came across a few reports of something slithering beneath the water of the Loch, meaning the Beast of Barrisdale is not the only Loch Hourn Monster.

The true Loch Hourn Monster was first reported to of been seen on August 20^th and August 21^st, 1872, and the encounter is extremely interesting not necessarily for what was seen but for the number of witnesses that had seen the monstrosity at the time. The encounter occurred one day when the cutter ship known as the Leda when at least six witnesses saw a large black creature with a line of large black humps about 45-60ft in length that ended in a long neck and head. Their account would be reported in a monthly natural history magazine called The Zoologist and would later also be elaborated on in both The Mythical Monsters by Charles Gould as well as the 1934 book the Loch Ness Monster and Others by R. T. Gould.

 It was August 20^th when Rev. David Twopeny, Vicar of Stockbury, from Kent and Rev. John McRae, Minister of Glenelg, from Inverness-shire, as well as two ladies known only as F and K, Mr. G. Bogle, and a highland “lad” were aboard the Leda and had just left Glenelg on a trip to Loch Hourn. The weather that day was calm and bright, and the surface of the water was as smooth as a mirror. The only exit to the northern point of the waterway was the Strait of Kylerhea which divides the Skye from the Mainland. It was around this area when they noticed a large shape approximately 200 yards to the north of them on the surface of the water. The group was confused about this object as they initially thought it was a log, but the object seemed to be moving on its own accord. It was around that time the boat goers proceeded in grabbing the three sets of glasses which were much akin to spyglasses or binoculars. Looking through the lenses, they noticed that this object was not something inanimate but a gigantic black-colored creature. The form had a head which was followed by several large dark-colored humps, each which had an interval space in between. The witnesses were certain that it was a single creature. The witnesses watched as the creature seemed to appear near the Leda, which moved slowly across the Leda's wake, and after it made it across the wake, it dipped down and disappeared. Yet this would not be for long as the creature’s head resurfaced as well as each coil. The lumps or coils would pop up sometimes in rows of three, other times four, five, or six, the most being seven, with the eighth being the head. The creature continued to submerge and reemerge to the surface, rising headfirst with the coils following, and when submerging it following the same way only occasionally there were some moments where only the head appeared. It was in this bizarre motion that the witnesses felt that the creature was "crooking up its back to sun itself." The witnesses, however, did not believe that this creature was serpentine as there appeared to be no undulation as it moved and as the humps or coils sank and rose, they did not enter in the area where the interval space had been implying that the creature had many large humps on its back. These humps appeared to be separated in the interval space as the creature rose about the same length of one standard hump on the creature, this measurement which they later used to estimate the total length of the creature, was six feet. The head was smaller and flatter than the creature's assumed humps, and the creature appeared to have a nose that was slightly visible above the water. The creatures head, as they would describe it, while noticeably different from the humps, never rose out of the water in the same manner of what we would expect in a lake monster or sea serpent encounter; instead, it seemed to just rise the top of its head up above the water its nose, and assumedly eyes being the only things breaching the surface, but the witnesses would not describe seeing the eyes. The creature would only move this way yet would sink almost as one would imagine a whale would. As they watched the creature on this day, while they admitted they could not estimate the creature with any true accuracy, they felt that the space between each hump was approximately six feet and that the total length of the creature, therefore, would have to be approximately 45ft in length. The creature seemingly returned as the boaters looked out on the ever still waters of the Loch that they noticed that once more, the colossal black form had risen from the Loch to sun itself or enjoy the warm weather. As the ship's passengers watched in awe of this frolicking giant, their awe soon turned to fear as the colossal creature proceeded in turning from its current course and head towards the Leda rather rapidly. This motion caused the waters of the Loch to froth and foam and appeared as though a great maelstrom had touched down. As the creature seemed to get nearer and nearer to the ship, it soon seemed to apparently notice the vessel and began to disappear into the water; while doing this, the head began to shoot a fine mist-like spray which was raised simply from the quick change in motion and not in the whale-like act of spouting. The woman known only as F was so disturbed by this that she proceeded in retreating to her room on the ship, "crying out that the creature was coming down upon us". The creature was only 100 yards when it made this turn and, in doing so, then changed course and began heading towards the direction of Skye. They could see the creature just under the waves as a dark black log form, and in so the observers could trace the course of the creature by the way it moved and the waves it would, in turn, bring up this continued for approximately a mile or so. While it moved, it began to raise itself up as it had before, only showing its head and back, almost never any other features. The only other feature that seemed to appear was a strange fin that seemed to pop up near the portion of the head, and this was seen by the two women and Mr. G. Bogle.

This, however, would not be the last time the creature was seen by these water-sent voyagers. The following day of the 21^st, the creature reappeared, yet unlike the previous day, it was much farther away. The Leda was on the north side of the opening of Loch Hourn, where the total space is only 3 miles wide. The weather, much like the previous day, was bright and warm, and the water once again had a mirror-like quality to it. As the ship was slowly putting along, the creature seemingly arose from the south side of their position and this time appeared as 3-4 long lines as opposed to several humps and an assumed head. The group, however, as they looked, noticed something that frightened them more than the previous day; while this creature was further away, they seemed to notice that the creature was even longer than the day before, reaching an even more absurd length of at least 60ft. The creature, however, seemed to be unconcerned with the ships on the water and began heading deeper into the waters of Loch Hourn and away from the entrance to the other waterways. Yet this would not be for long, for as the ship began to use the oars heading towards the island of Sandburg, the creature seemed to return this time, picking up speed and heading towards the mouth of the Loch. It was about 150 yards from the ship and went with great speed, its black head being the only thing seeable above the water as the rest of it caused a tremendous wake followed by the sound of throshing water. No flippers or fins were visible that could explain how this creature seemed to pick up speed that to the witnesses seemed twice as fast as a steamship which they had seen the previous day, implying it faster than the technology of the day, they had clocked the steamship as moving approximately 5 or 6mph so the creature would have to been going at least 10 to 12 mph. The creature also, as it moved, did not recreate the spraying effect as it had the previous day. The creature's movements were smooth, like something made for swimming in the water, which they would describe being similar to a log towed rapidly. The watchers continued to travel on the Loch as they headed toward the Sound of Sleat and were occasionally in sight until it started to get dark out. The creature’s body appearing only slightly at the surface. The two clergymen and the rest of the voyagers watched this aquatic anomaly for some time on the 21^st before it seemingly disappeared, stating later in the Zoologist, “we left our boat, wondering whether this strange creature had gone that way or turned back again to the south. We have only to add to this narrative of what we saw ourselves, the following instances of its being seen by other people, of the correctness of which we have no doubt”. Mr. G. Bogle, later on, did sketches of the object he saw, which would later appear in Gould's book The Loch Ness Monster and Others. The group, in reflection, felt that the creature might have been attracted to the sound of the boat's oars as it always seemed to be near their ship and specifically when the oars were in use.

Also, on the day of the 21st, the strange animal was seen once more when two ferrymen sailing in the evening on each side of Kylerhea, a village on the Isle of Skye, heard the heavy splashing and thrashing of some large object going through the dark waters. Both ferrymen were surprised and instinctively thought it might be a shoal of porpoises since occasionally they have made their way into the Loch, but the pair could not comprehend their going so quickly, yet as they discussed this strange event, they concluded that the speed and general bulk of the commotion on the water seemed to be of something altogether different.

Also, on the 21^st, Finlay McRae, of Bundaloch, in the parish of Kintail, would claim to of had an encounter with the creature. McRae was within the mouth of Loch Hourn with other men in his boat when much like in the other sightings, he noticed a strange wake upon the water that seemed to come from nowhere. As he and his men watched, they noticed that a dark serpentine creature seemingly rose up from the depths and saw that the creature appeared to be swimming at approximately four hundred and fifty feet away.

Another sighting that was reported by an unnamed lady from Duisdale, in Skye, which is opposite the opening of Loch Hourn, said that she was looking out with a glass when she saw a strange object on the Loch, which she described as appearing like eight seals in a row. The time of her sighting was noted that it was around the same time as the reverends on the 20^th. Around the same time of this sighting, the same or a similar creature was reported by two unnamed witnesses near the island of Eigg, specifically between Eigg and the Mainland, and about twenty miles to the southwest of the opening of Loch Hourn. Further details on this account, however, are currently unreported.

While the Loch Hourn was quiet on the 22^nd, the nearby and interconnected Loch Duich was far from it. Alexander Macmillan, a boat-builder from Dornie and his brother Farquhar, were fishing in a boat in the entrance of Loch Duich, halfway between Druidag and Castledonan, when he saw a strange rippling in the water near his boat. As he watched, he noticed a long dark animal rise from the water. Macmillan was near enough to hear a strange noise that either seemed to be coming from the creature or the water and saw the ripples on the water as it moved around in the Loch. The Zoologist would describe Macmillan’s description in the following “He says that what seemed its head was followed by four or more lumps, or "half-rounds," as he calls them, and that they sometimes rose and sometimes sank altogether. He estimated its length at not less than between sixty and eighty feet. He saw it also on two subsequent days in Loch Duich”. The pair were promptly terrified, and each time managed to row towards the shore as fast as they could.

A similar creature had been seen in Loch Duich in the Summer of 1871, about a year before the rash of Loch Hourn sightings. It was said that a well-known gentleman of the area was crossing the Sound of Mull from Mull to the Mainland when he would have an encounter with the creature. The account in the Zoologist would go into details of this account, stating the following: "On a very calm afternoon when our attention was attracted to a monster which had come to the surface, not more than 50 yards from our boat. It rose without causing the slightest disturbance of the sea, or making the slightest noise, and floated for some time on the surface, but without exhibiting its head or tail, showing only the ridge of the back, which was not that of a whale or any other sea animal that I have ever seen. The back appeared sharp and ridge-like, and in color very dark, indeed black, or almost so. It rested quietly for a few minutes then dropped quietly down into the deep, without causing the slightest agitation. I should say that about 40ft of it, certainly not less appeared on the surface”.

Sightings of the creature seemed to have been nonexistent during the timespan after the 1870s, but sightings in other Lochs and in the surrounding seas were rather constant; however, in 1934, the Duke of Marlborough would add to this enduring mystery by telling of an encounter with a mysterious giant creature in Loch Hourn to the Scottish Inspector of Fisheries. The Duke and three other witnesses observed a 96ft long black swimming beast in the water whose body formed humps as it moved. The creature had a flat and eyeless head and a long black body; as it traversed through the murky depths, it would raise its back, generating ridges that curved in form when the body would flatten. The creature seemed to of returned and would continue to be reported sporadically from time to time.

In the 1950s 9yr old Willie McKenzie and Rob Foster would both report seeing a strange object rising from the Loch at around the same time. Willie was sitting on a grassy knoll looking out over the Loch. He was searching the water of the Loch, searching for his father to return from work delivering mail on his boat. The boy would watch until he saw a strange churning and disturbance on the surface of the water and would go on to report seeing a creature’s head that would pop up ten feet out of the water. He said that the creature, whose head looked like a big eel's and was moved its head side to side. The creature was about 250 yards in front of him, and while the boy's response to seeing such a bizarre beast is unrecounted, it is safe to say he either watched the creature until it submerged, or he ran away, not seeing the final course that the creature went.

Around the same time, Rob Foster, a fisherman from Corran, potentially had seen the creature. While details about his account are very scant, there are some behavioral elements that seem to indicate that he had seen some sort of creature. That particular day Rob refused to go out to the boat and would get nowhere near the water, only getting to the shore of the Loch. Yet still, even without his detailed report, rumors also said that the monster was seen in Sandaig by the MacDiarmid's. Yet, their report is also practically nonexistent and only briefly mentioned in almost all sources.

This is currently all the information we have on the Loch Hourn Monster, as the creature apparently has not been seen or at least recorded since the 50s. While we today have no idea what kind of creature this could be biologically speaking since it does not seem to match the appearance of any known whale or large marine life form, researchers during the time of the sightings definitely seem to of had an inkling of what kind of creature this was. The researchers during this time felt that the Loch Hourn Monster was an example of the Norwegian Sea Serpent, a kind of large black creature that frequented the oceans and other waterways that connected to the ocean. The Norwegian Sea Serpent had frequently had several harrowing encounters that included several which involved attacks from humans towards the beasts. The creatures had many similarities to the Loch Hourn Monster; one feature that the Zoologist focused on is that both creatures seem to prefer still waters and warm weather to appear and that they have been seen in several of the same areas around the United Kingdom. The idea was since Loch Hourn, and several of the other lochs in the area are sea lochs (a kind of inlet that may be partially landlocked) that these creatures enter them from time to time either accidentally or to utilize some of the resources in the area.

While the researchers of the time felt that the Loch Hourn Monster was, in fact, a sea serpent that made its way inland, there are some alternative ideas. Skeptically speaking, it could have been a variety of things from a phantom wake to some alternative aquatic natural phenomenon that could superficially make that there might be some large creature in the water. Another possibility is that perhaps it was a group of marine animals that, when lined up, made it appear that there was one large creature when really there were several smaller creatures helping create the illusion of a larger one.

Loch, Lough, and Lake Monsters have literally countless hypotheses as to what they may be some ranging from surviving or descended Basilosauruses to giant eels and catfish to surviving or descended plesiosaurs to giant long-necked seals. All of these possibilities have been written about, speculated, and recounted more than I care to. They are all interesting and do deserve some respect when analyzing this phenomenon, but the truth is that much like the Gigantopithecus hypothesis for Bigfoot, it's all speculation. While I am certain these sightings do occur without some conclusive DNA evidence or a specimen that we can run tests on, it is impossible to accurately state which is correct and which is not. Yet I have a feeling that we may never come to a true conclusion, the lochs, and oceans of our world are incredibly deep, and because of this, there are all kinds of creatures that could remain hidden from our watchful gaze simply because we were not on the same depth as they were. That being said, I'm a big supporter of not having an encounter with one of these colossal creatures, for while a ship might seem like a safe place if the creature was strong enough to capsize the boat, anyone on deck is simply just so much fish food.

SEE ALSO:

THE BEAST OF BARRISDALE -https://newworldexplorerssociety.blogspot.com/2021/02/the-beast-of-barrisdale.html

Quick Facts:

Species/Potential Species: Reptile, Fish (most likely a giant eel), Mammal

Location: Loch Hourn, Scotland

Sighted: 1872-1950s

Works Cited

Gould, Charles. Mythical Monsters. Cosmo Classics. 1886

Harrison, Paul. Sea Serpents and Lake Monsters of the British Isles. Robert Hale. 2001.

Selby, Lindsey “Loch Hourn Monster”. The Centre for Fortean Zoology. June 13, 2010. http://forteanzoology.blogspot.com/2010/06/lindsay-selby-loch-hourn-monster.html. Accessed February 1, 2021.

Tabitca “More Loch Hourn creature sightings” June 13, 2010. https://cryptozoo-oscity.blogspot.com/2010/06/more-loch-hourn-creature-sightings.html. Accessed February 1, 2021.

---“sea serpent sighting reported in the zoologist 1872” February 15, 2010. http://cryptozoo-oscity.blogspot.com/2010/02/sea-serpent-sighting-reported-in.html. Accessed February 1, 2021.

The Zoologist Volume 1, Issue 92 May 1873