This article does not cite any references or sources. (April 2008) Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed.

This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. WikiProject Mythology or the Mythology Portal may be able to help recruit one. Image File history File links Question_book-3. ... If a more appropriate WikiProject or portal exists, please adjust this template accordingly.(April 2008)

This article or section includes a list of references or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. You can improve this article by introducing more precise citations.

Sea Serpent
A sea serpent from Olaus Magnus's book History of the Northern Peoples (1555).
Creature
Name:	Sea Serpent
AKA:	Various
Classification
Grouping:	Legendary Creature
Sub grouping:	Sea monster
Data
Country:	Various
Habitat:	Sea
Status:	Unconfirmed

This article is about sea serpents in mythology and cryptozoology. For actual, well-known sea-living snakes, see Sea snake

A sea serpent is a mythological sea monster either wholly or partly serpentine. Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links Sea_serpent. ... Olaus Magnus, or Magni (Magnus, Latin for the Swedish Stora -- great -- is the family name, and not a personal epithet), reported as born in October 1490 in Linköping, and died on August 1, 1557, was a Swedish ecclesiastic and writer, who did pioneering work for the interest of Nordic... A legendary creature is a mythological or folkloric creature (often known as fabulous creatures in historical literature). ... For the television series about extinct sea animals, see Sea Monsters. ... For sea snakes in mythology and cryptozoology, see Sea serpent. ... For the television series about extinct sea animals, see Sea Monsters. ... For other uses, see Serpent (disambiguation). ...

Sightings have been reported for hundreds of years, and recent work by Bruce Champagne identifies more than 1,200 reported sea serpent sightings.^[1] Sea serpents have been seen from both ship and shore, and by multiple people at once, and sometimes by reputable scientists.

Despite the numerous sightings, no credible physical evidence has been recorded and it is believed by many scientists that the animals can be best explained as misidentification of known animals such as whales.

Some people have suggested that the sea serpents are relict plesiosaurs, mosasaurs or other Mesozoic marine reptiles, a theory often associated with lake monsters such as the Loch Ness Monster or Lake Champlain's Champ. The term relict is used to refer to surviving remnants of natural phenomena. ... Plesiosaurs extinct marine reptile with a small head on a long neck a short tail and four paddle-shaped limbs; of the Jurassic and Cretaceous period, they are best known for killing Fred Flintstone. ... Subfamilies Mosasaurinae Plioplatecarpinae Tylosaurinae A mosasaur was not a dinosaur, but rather an ocean-dwelling serpentine marine reptile more closely related to snakes than to to monitor lizards (Lee 1997). ... The Mesozoic Era is one of three geologic eras of the Phanerozoic eon. ... Orders  Crocodilia - Crocodilians scary crocodiles. ... Lake monster or loch monster is the name given to large unknown animals which have purportedly been sighted in, and/or are believed to dwell in freshwaters, although their existence has never been confirmed scientifically. ... For other uses, see Loch Ness Monster (disambiguation). ... For ships named after the lake, see USS Lake Champlain. ... Map of Lake Champlain Champ is the name given to a reputed lake monster supposedly living in Lake Champlain. ...

Examples from mythology

Olaus Magnus's Sea Orm, 1555

The first American sea serpent, reported from Cape Ann, Massachusetts, in 1639.

In Norse mythology, Jörmungandr, or "Midgårdsormen" was a sea serpent so long that it encircled the entire world, Midgard. Some stories report of sailors mistaking its back for a chain of islands. Sea serpents also appear frequently in later Scandinavian folklore, particularly in that of Norway. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 387 pixelsFull resolution (1103 × 533 pixel, file size: 398 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Olaus Magnuss Sea Orm, 1555 Source: Ellis, R. 1998. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 387 pixelsFull resolution (1103 × 533 pixel, file size: 398 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Olaus Magnuss Sea Orm, 1555 Source: Ellis, R. 1998. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 434 pixelsFull resolution (998 × 541 pixel, file size: 316 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) The first American sea serpent, reported from Cape Ann, Massachusetts, in 1639. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 434 pixelsFull resolution (998 × 541 pixel, file size: 316 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) The first American sea serpent, reported from Cape Ann, Massachusetts, in 1639. ... Cape Ann, Massachusetts Landsat satellite photo of Cape Ann Cape Ann is a rocky peninsula located in northeastern Massachusetts on the Atlantic Ocean. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... Norse, Viking or Scandinavian mythology comprises the indigenous pre-Christian religion, beliefs and legends of the Scandinavian peoples, including those who settled on Iceland, where most of the written sources for Norse mythology were assembled. ... Thor goes fishing for the Midgard Serpent in this picture from an 18th century Icelandic manuscript. ... For other uses, see Midgard (disambiguation). ... Scandinavian folklore is the folklore of Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, the Faroe Islands, and the Swedish speaking parts of Finland. ...

In Swedish ecclesiastic and writer Olaus Magnus's Carta marina, many marine monsters of varied form, including an immense sea serpent, appear. Moreover, in his 1555 work History of the Northern Peoples, Magnus gives the following description of a Norwegian sea serpent: This article is about the Christian buildings of worship. ... Olaus Magnus, or Magni (Magnus, Latin for the Swedish Stora -- great -- is the family name, and not a personal epithet), reported as born in October 1490 in Linköping, and died on August 1, 1557, was a Swedish ecclesiastic and writer, who did pioneering work for the interest of Nordic... The Carta Marina (latin: the book of the sea) is the earliest map over the Nordic countries containing details and placenames. ... Events Russia breaks 60 year old truce with Sweden by attacking Finland February 2 - Diet of Augsburg begins February 4 - John Rogers becomes first Protestant martyr in England February 9 - Bishop of Gloucester John Hooper is burned at the stake May 23 - Paul IV becomes Pope. ...

Those who sail up along the coast of Norway to trade or to fish, all tell the remarkable story of how a serpent of fearsome size, 200 feet long and 20 feet wide, resides in rifts and caves outside Bergen. On bright summer nights this serpent leaves the caves to eat calves, lambs and pigs, or it fares out to the sea and feeds on sea nettles, crabs and similar marine animals. It has ell-long hair hanging from its neck, sharp black scales and flaming red eyes. It attacks vessels, grabs and swallows people, as it lifts itself up like a column from the water. County Hordaland District Midhordland Municipality NO-1201 Administrative centre Bergen Mayor (2004) Herman Friele (H) Official language form Neutral Area  - Total  - Land  - Percentage Ranked 215 465 km² 445 km² 0. ... An ell, when used as a unit of length, is usually 45 inches, i. ...

The Tanakh contains references to Leviathan and Rahab, both Biblical sea serpents. For the musical collective, see Tanakh (band). ... This article is about the biblical creature. ... In Jewish folklore, Rahab is the name of a sea-demon, a dragon of the waters, the ruler of the sea. Rahab is or was the angel of insolence and pride, responsible for shaking the waters and producing big waves; he is also responsible for the roaring of the sea. ...

Recent history and notable cases

Sea serpent reported by Hans Egede, Bishop of Greenland, in 1734. Henry Lee suggested the giant squid as an explanation.

The "Great Sea Serpent" according to Hans Egede.

Maned sea serpent from Bishop Erik Pontoppidan's 1755 work Natural History of Norway.

The Gloucester sea serpent of 1817.

A curiously hairy sea serpent.

Albert Koch's 114-foot long "Hydrarchos" fossil skeleton from 1845. It was found to be an assembled collection of bones from at least five fossil specimens of Basilosaurus.

The "long black creature" sighted by the crew of HMS Plumper off the Portuguese coast in 1848.

The sea serpent spotted by the crew of HMS Daedalus in 1848.

Another of the original illustrations of the HMS Daedalus encounter

Oarfish that washed ashore on a Bermuda beach in 1860. The animal was 16 feet long and was originally described as a sea serpent.

Hans Egede, the national saint of Greenland, gives one of the 18th century descriptions of a sea serpent. On 6 July 1734 his ship sailed past the coast of Greenland when suddenly those on board Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 422 pixelsFull resolution (1002 × 529 pixel, file size: 244 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Sea serpent reported by Hans Egede, Bishop of Greenland, in 1734. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 422 pixelsFull resolution (1002 × 529 pixel, file size: 244 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Sea serpent reported by Hans Egede, Bishop of Greenland, in 1734. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 483 pixelsFull resolution (1053 × 636 pixel, file size: 346 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) The Great Sea Serpent according to Hans Egede. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 483 pixelsFull resolution (1053 × 636 pixel, file size: 346 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) The Great Sea Serpent according to Hans Egede. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 412 pixelsFull resolution (983 × 506 pixel, file size: 278 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Maned sea serpent from Bishop Erik Pontoppidans 1755 work Natural History of Norway. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 412 pixelsFull resolution (983 × 506 pixel, file size: 278 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Maned sea serpent from Bishop Erik Pontoppidans 1755 work Natural History of Norway. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 485 pixelsFull resolution (912 × 553 pixel, file size: 328 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Gloucester sea serpent of 1817. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 485 pixelsFull resolution (912 × 553 pixel, file size: 328 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Gloucester sea serpent of 1817. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 720 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (815 × 679 pixel, file size: 404 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Nineteenth century sea serpent. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 720 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (815 × 679 pixel, file size: 404 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Nineteenth century sea serpent. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 455 pixelsFull resolution (1052 × 598 pixel, file size: 467 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Albert Kochs 114-foot long Hydrarchos fossil skeleton from 1845. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 455 pixelsFull resolution (1052 × 598 pixel, file size: 467 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Albert Kochs 114-foot long Hydrarchos fossil skeleton from 1845. ... Species Basilosaurus (King Lizard) was a genus of cetacean that lived from 39 to 34 million years ago in the Eocene. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 508 pixelsFull resolution (992 × 630 pixel, file size: 378 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) The long black creature sighted by the crew of the HMS Plumper off the Portuguese coast in 1848. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 508 pixelsFull resolution (992 × 630 pixel, file size: 378 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) The long black creature sighted by the crew of the HMS Plumper off the Portuguese coast in 1848. ... Image File history File links Daedalus. ... Image File history File links Daedalus. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1017x455, 303 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Sea serpent Oarfish ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1017x455, 303 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Sea serpent Oarfish ... Genera Agrostichthys Regalecus Oarfish are large, greatly elongated, pelagic Lampriform fish comprising the small family Regalecidae. ... Hans Egede Statue in Nuuk Hans Egede (January 31, 1686, Harstad, Northern Norway–November 5, 1758, Falster, Denmark) was a Norwegian Lutheran missionary, called the Apostle of Greenland. ... Saints redirects here. ... (17th century - 18th century - 19th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 18th century refers to the century that lasted from 1701 through 1800. ... is the 187th day of the year (188th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events January 8 - Premiere of George Frideric Handels opera Ariodante at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. ...

"saw a most terrible creature, resembling nothing they saw before. The monster lifted its head so high that it seemed to be higher than the crow's nest on the mainmast. The head was small and the body short and wrinkled. The unknown creature was using giant fins which propelled it through the water. Later the sailors saw its tail as well. The monster was longer than our whole ship", wrote Egede. (Mareš, 1997) Crows Nest is the name of more than one place: Crows Nest, Indiana, United States Crows Nest, New South Wales, Australia Crows Nest, Queensland, Australia See also: Crowsnest Pass in Canada Crows Nest is also the name given to a structure on top of the mast of a ship... The mast of a sailing ship is a tall vertical pole which supports the sails. ... For the band, see 1997 (band). ...

In the 19th century there were several major sea serpent sightings on the Gloucester and Maine coasts of New England, which spawned a rather silly mix-up. On August 18, 1817, a meeting of the New England Linnaean Society went so far as to give a deformed terrestrial snake the name Scoliophis atlanticus (thinking it was the juvenile form of a sea serpent that had recently been seen nearby). After the Linnaean Society's misidentification was discovered, it was frequently cited by debunkers as evidence that the creature did not exist; when in fact, the only thing proven by the incident was that the Society had made an embarrassing public error. Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about Gloucester, Massachusetts, U.S.A.; there are other places called Gloucester Location in Essex County in Massachusetts Coordinates: , Country State County Essex Settled 1623 Incorporated 1642 Government  - Type Mayor-council city  - Mayor Carolyn Kirk Area  - Total 41. ... Official language(s) None (English and French de facto) Capital Augusta Largest city Portland Area  Ranked 39th  - Total 33,414 sq mi (86,542 km²)  - Width 210 miles (338 km)  - Length 320 miles (515 km)  - % water 13. ... This article is about the region in the United States of America. ... is the 230th day of the year (231st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1817 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... The Linnean Society of London is the worlds premier society for the study and dissemination about taxonomy. ... For other uses, see Snake (disambiguation). ...

A particularly famous sea serpent sighting was made by the men and officers of HMS Daedalus in August, 1848 during a voyage to Saint Helena in the South Atlantic; the creature they saw, some 60 feet long, held a peculiar maned head above the water. The sighting caused quite a stir in the London papers, and Sir Richard Owen, the famous English biologist, proclaimed the beast an elephant seal. The Daedalus' serpent has since been classified as a Super Eel or Type 2C animal. Another skeptical suggestion for the sighting proposed that it was actually an upside down canoe, or a posing giant squid. The Daedalus sea serpent of 1848 Another of the original illustrations HMS Daedalus was a nineteenth century warship of the Royal Navy. ... Year 1848 (MDCCCXLVIII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a leap year starting on Monday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... For other uses, see Atlantic (disambiguation) The Atlantic Ocean is Earths second-largest ocean, covering approximately one-fifth of its surface. ... Look up mane in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Sir Richard Owen and Dinornis bird skeleton Sir Richard Owen (July 20, 1804 - December 18, 1892) was an English biologist, comparative anatomist and palaeontologist. ... A biologist is a scientist devoted to and producing results in biology through the study of organisms. ... Species M. leonina M. angustirostris Elephant seals are large, oceangoing mammals in the genus Mirounga, in the earless seal family (Phocidae). ...

Another sighting took place in 1905 off the coast of Brazil. The crew of the Valhalla and two naturalists, Michael J. Nicoll and E. G. B. Meade-Waldo, saw a long-necked, turtle headed creature, with a large dorsal fin. Based on its dorsal fin and the shape of its head, some experts (such as Heuvelmans) have suggested that the animal was some sort of marine mammal. It has since been classified as a Super Eel or Type 4B. A skeptical suggestion is that the sighting was of a posing giant squid, but this is hard to accept given that squids do not swim with their fins or arms protruding from the water. For other uses, see 1905 (disambiguation). ... Edmund Gustavus Bloomfield Meade-Waldo (1855 – 1934) was an English ornithologist and conservationist. ... Dorsal fin of an orca A dorsal fin is a fin located on the backs of fishes, whales, dolphins, and porpoises, as well as the (extinct) ichthyosaurs. ... This article is about the animal. ...

More serious sightings from the same place and time have since been classified as Many-Humped Serpents, Classic Sea Serpents, monsters of the deep, or Type 3 animals (see classification systems). Skeptical suggestions for the sightings include giant squid, misidentified snakes, or a wave phenomenon.

On April 25, 1977, the Japanese trawler Zuiyo Maru, sailing east of Christchurch, New Zealand, caught a strange, unknown creature in the trawl. Photographs and tissue specimens were taken. While initially identified as a prehistoric plesiosaur, analysis later indicated that the body was the carcass of a basking shark. is the 115th day of the year (116th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also: 1977 (album) by Ash. ... The Zuiya Maru was a a Japanese trawler that caught a creature initially claimed to be a prehistoric plesiosaur off the coast of New Zealand in 1977. ... Families Cimoliasauridae Cryptoclididae Elasmosauridae Plesiosauridae Polycotylidae Plesiosaurs (pronounced ) (Greek: plesios meaning near or close to and sauros meaning lizard) were carnivorous aquatic (mostly marine) reptiles. ... Binomial name (Gunnerus, 1765) Range (in blue) The basking shark, Cetorhinus maximus, is the second largest fish, after the whale shark. ...

What makes sea serpent sightings different from sightings of other unconfirmed creatures is not only the sheer number of sightings, but the fact that many of these sightings have been made by multiple people at once for sustained periods of time. Instead of just one to a few witnesses purporting to have witnessed the creature for just a few moments, some sightings involve dozens, or even hundreds, of people claiming to have seen the creature over the course of a couple to a few hours. In many cases, these sightings are well documented in the newspapers of the day, although most occurred before any kind of photographic technology existed.

Sea serpent sightings continue today, with reports coming in from the Pacific Northwest and California; the most notable of recent occurrences is the alleged filming of sea serpents by the brothers Bill and Bob Clark in San Francisco bay. In October 2004, the giant squid, long associated with sea monsters and perhaps the source of many mistaken sightings, was for the first time caught on video^{[malformed URL]} off the Bonin Islands, revealing for the first time the appearance in life of this "cousin" of sea serpents. The Pacific Northwest from space The Pacific Northwest, abbreviated PNW, or PacNW is a region in the northwest of North America. ... Film refers to the celluloid media on which movies are printed Film — also called movies, the cinema, the silver screen, moving pictures, photoplays, picture shows, flicks, or motion pictures, — is a field that encompasses motion pictures as an art form or as part of the entertainment industry. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the animal. ... A map of the Ogasawara Islands south of Japan The Ogasawara Islands ) are an archipelago of over 30 subtropical islands some 1,000 km directly south of central Tokyo, Japan. ...

Misidentifications?

Skeptics and debunkers have questioned the interpretation of sightings, putting forward in place of serpents cetaceans (whales and dolphins), sea snakes, eels, basking sharks, baleen whales, oarfish, large pinnipeds, seaweed, driftwood, flocks of birds, and giant squid as the creature or creatures seen (see Notable Cases, above, on giant squid and basking sharks). Suborders Mysticeti Odontoceti (see text) The order Cetacea includes whales, dolphins and porpoises. ... Sea snakes of several different species belong to a group related to the cobras but aquatic rather than land dwelling. ... For other uses, see Eel (disambiguation). ... Binomial name (Gunnerus, 1765) Range (in blue) The basking shark, Cetorhinus maximus, is the second largest fish, after the whale shark. ... Families Balaenidae Balaenopteridae Eschrichtiidae Neobalaenidae Scientifically known as the Mysticeti, the baleen whales, also called whalebone whales or great whales, form a suborder of the order cetacea. ... Genera Agrostichthys Regalecus Oarfish are large, greatly elongated, pelagic Lampriform fish comprising the small family Regalecidae. ... subfamilies Otariidae Phocidae Odobenidae Pinnipeds are large marine mammals belonging to the Pinnipedia, a family (sometimes a suborder or superfamily, depending on the classification scheme) of the order Carnivora. ... Ascophyllum nodosum exposed to the sun in Nova Scotia, Canada Dead Mans Fingers (Codium fragile) off Massachusetts coast For the band, see; Seaweed (band) For the rock musician, see; Seaweed (musician) Seaweeds are any of a large number of marine benthic algae. ... A piece of waterlogged driftwood Driftwood is wood that has been washed onto a shore or beach by the action of the waves. ... For other meanings of bird, see bird (disambiguation). ... This article is about the animal. ...

While most cryptozoologists recognize that at least some reports are simple misidentifications, they point out that many of the creatures described by those who have seen them look nothing like the known species put forward by skeptics and claim that certain reports stick out. For their part, the skeptics remain unconvinced, pointing out that even in the absence of out-right hoaxes (such as the infamous "Surgeon's Photo" of the Loch Ness Monster), imagination has a way of twisting and inflating the slightly out-of-the-ordinary until it becomes extraordinary. Cryptozoology is the study of rumored or mythological animals that are presumed to exist, but for which conclusive proof does not yet exist; or are generally considered extinct, but occasionally reported. ... For other uses, see Loch Ness Monster (disambiguation). ...

Classification systems

Cryptozoologists may further argue for the existence of sea serpents by pointing out that people see similar things, and it is possible for them to classify the different "types". While there have been different classification attempts with different results, they all share several common characteristics.

Anthonid Cornelis Oudemans

• Megophias megophias : A large (200+ feet) sea lion-like creature with a long neck and long tail. Only the male has a mane. It is cosmopolitan.

Anthonid Cornelis Oudemans was a Dutch scientist. ... A cosmopolitan distribution is a term applied to a biological category of living things meaning that this category can be found anywhere around the world. ...

Bernard Heuvelmans

• Long Necked or Megalotaria longicollis: A 60 foot, long necked, short tailed sea lion. Hair and whiskers reported. Cosmopolitan. Interestingly, a long necked seal is now known from the fossil record.
• Merhorse or Halshippus olai-magni: A 60 foot, medium necked, large eyed, horse-headed pinniped. Often has whiskers. It is also cosmopolitan.
• Many-Humped or Plurigibbosus novae-angliae: A 60-100 foot, medium necked, long bodied archaeocete. It has a series of humps or a crest on the spine like a sperm whale's or grey whale's. It only lives in the North Atlantic.
• Super Otter or Hyperhydra egedei: A 65-100 foot, medium necked, long bodied archeocete that resembles an otter. It moves in numerous vertical undulations (6-7). Lived near Norway and Greenland, and presumed to be extinct by Heuvelmans.
• Many Finned or Cetioscolopendra aeliani: A 60-70 foot, short necked archeocete. It has a number of lateral projections that look like dorsal fins, but turned the incorrect way. Compare to the armor on Desmatosuchus, but much more prominent.
• Super Eels: A group of large and possibly unrelated eels. Partially based on the Leptocephalus giganteus larvae, later shown to be normal sized. [This is a controversial identification of a larval specimen made without benefit of actually examining the specimen. This "identification" was done by the paperwork and the actual specimen was missing by then.] Heuvelmans theorized eel, synbranchid, and elasmobranch identities as being possible. Cosmopolitan.
• Marine Saurian: A 50-60 foot crocodile, or crocodile-like animal (Mosasaur, Pliosaur, etc)
• Yellow Belly: A very large (1-200 foot) yellow and black striped tadpole-shaped creature. Dropped.
• Father-of-all-the-turtles: A giant turtle. Dropped
• Giant Invertebrates: Giant Venus's girdle and salp colonies. Added. It is not clear if Heuvelmans intended them to be unknown species or extreme forms of known species.

Bernard Heuvelmans (October 10, 1916 – August 22, 2001) was a scientist, explorer, researcher, and a writer probably best known as a founder of cryptozoology. ... Binomial name Linnaeus, 1758 Sperm whale range (in blue) The sperm whale (Physeter catodon) is the largest of all toothed whales, making them the Earths largest living carnivore and largest living toothed animal. ... Binomial name Eschrichtius robustus Lilljeborg, 1861 Gray Whale range The Gray Whale (Eschrichtius robustus) is a whale which travels between feeding and breeding grounds yearly. ... The Atlantic Ocean is Earths second-largest ocean, covering approximately one_fifth of its surface. ... The Many-finned sea serpent is an unverified species or group of species of marine animals which seem to possess numerous fins along their sides or backs. ... Desmatosuchus is an extinct genus of archosaur reptile belonging to the aetosaur order. ... For other uses, see Eel (disambiguation). ... Genera Macrotrema Monopterus Ophisternon Synbranchus The swamp eels (also written swamp-eels) are a family (Synbranchidae) of freshwater eel-like fishes of the worldwide tropics. ... Superorders Galeomorpha Batoidea Selachimorpha Elasmobranchii is the subclass of cartilaginous fishes that includes skates, rays and sharks. ... Subfamilies Mosasaurinae Plioplatecarpinae Tylosaurinae Mosasaurs (from Latin Mosa, the Meuse river where the fossils were first discovered + Greek sauros, lizard) were serpentine marine reptiles, more closely related to snakes than to monitor lizards (Lee 1997). ... Families Cryptoclididae Elasmosauridae Plesiosauridae Pliosauridae Plesiosaurs (PLEE-see-oh-SORES) were large, carnivorous aquatic reptiles. ... A salp is a barrel-shaped, free-floating tunicate that moves by pumping water through its gelatinous bodies by means of contraction, and strains the water, feeding on phytoplankton. ...

Loren Coleman and Patrick Huyghe

• Classic Sea Serpent: A quadrupedal, elongated animal with the appearance of many humps when swimming. Essentially a composite of the many humped, super otter, and super eels types. The authors suggest Basilosaurus as a candidate, or possibly Remingtoncetids.
• Waterhorse: A large pinniped, similar to the long necked and merhorse. Only the males are maned, but females appear to have snorkels. Both of their eyes are rather small. They are noteworthy for being behind both salt and fresh water sightings.
• Mystery Cetacean: A category of unknown whale species including double finned whales and dolphins, dorsal finned sperm whales, unknown beaked whales, an unknown orca, and others.
• Giant Shark: A surviving Megalodon.
• Mystery Manta: A small manta ray with dorsal markings.
• Great Sea Centipede: Same as the many finned. The authors suggest the flippers may either be retractile, and the "scaly" appearance could be caused by parasites.
• Mystery Saurian: Same as the marine saurian.
• Cryptic Chelonian: A resurrection of the father-of-all-turtles.
• Mystery Sirenian: Late surviving Steller's Sea Cow.
• Giant Octopus, Octopus giganteus or Otoctopus giganteus: A large cephalopod living in the tropical Atlantic.

Loren Coleman in a photograph featured in his profile on Cryptomundo. ... The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep is a 2007 fantasy film directed by Jay Russell and based on the novel The Water Horse by Dick King-Smith. ... For other uses, see Megalodon (disambiguation). ... Pen and wash drawing by malacologist Pierre Dénys de Montfort, 1801, from the descriptions of French sailors reportedly attacked by such a creature off the coast of Angola Carcass that washed ashore in St. ... The carcass as it appeared after being dug out of the sand. ...

Bruce Champagne

• 1A Long Necked: A 30 foot sea lion with a long neck and long tail. The neck is the same thickness or smaller than the head. Hair reported. It is capable of travel on land. Cosmopolitan.
• 1B Long Necked: Similar to the above type but over 55 feet long and far more robust. The neck is of lesser thickness than the head. Only inhabits water near Great Britain and Denmark.

• 2A Eel-Like: A 20-30 foot long heavily scaled or armored reptile. It is distinguished by a small square head with prominent tusks. "Motorboating" behavior on surface. Inhabits only the North Atlantic.

The Type 2A sea serpent according to Cameron McCormick. Drawn July, 2005.

• 2B Eel-Like: A 25-30 foot beaked whale. It is distinguished by a tapering head and a dorsal crest. "Motorboating" behavior engaged in. Inhabits the Atlantic and Pacific. Possibly extinct.
• 2C Eel-Like: A 60-70 foot, elongated reptile with no appendages. The head is very large and cow-like or reptilian with teeth similar to a crabeater seal's. Also shares the "motorboating" behavior. Inhabits the Atlantic, Pacific, and South China Sea. Possibly extinct.

• 3 Multi-Humped: 30-60 feet long. A possible reptile with a dorsal crest and the ability to move in several undulations. The head has a distinctive "cameloid" appearance. Identical with Cadborosaurus willsi.

• 4A Sailfin: A 30 to 70 foot beaked whale. It is distinguished by a very small head and a very large dorsal fin. Only found in the North West Atlantic. Possibly extinct.
• 4B Sailfin: An elongated animal of possible mammalian or reptilian identity reported from 12 to 85 feet long. It has a long neck with a turtle-like head and a long continuous dorsal fin. Cosmopolitan.

• 5 Carapaced: A large turtle or turtle-like creature (mammal?) reported from 10 to 45 feet long. Carapace is described as jointed, segmented, and plated. May exhibit a dorsal crest of "quills" and a type of oily hair. Cosmopolitan.

• 6 Saurian: A large and occasionally spotted crocodile or crocodile-like creature up to 65 feet long. Found in the Northern Atlantic and Mediterranean.

• 7 Segmented/Multi limbed: An elongated mammalian creature up to 65 feet long with the appearance of segmentation and many fins. Found in the Western Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific.

Image File history File links Download high resolution version (923x155, 26 KB) Summary Cameron McCormick/Natliskeliguten illustrated this picture under the guidance of Bruce Champagne circa July 2005. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (923x155, 26 KB) Summary Cameron McCormick/Natliskeliguten illustrated this picture under the guidance of Bruce Champagne circa July 2005. ... Genera Berardius Hyperoodon Indopacetus Mesoplodon Tasmacetus Ziphius A beaked whale is any of at least 20 species of small whale in the family Ziphiidae. ... For other uses, see Camel (disambiguation). ... Cadborosaurus willsi, nicknamed Caddy, is the name given in a formal description to a cryptid species. ...

External links

• mjoesormen.no, database of Norwegian sea serpents
• The Cryptid Zoo: Sea Serpents
• Cadborosaurus and the Naden Harbour carcass
• Swan necked seals

Sources

1. ^ Bruce Champagne. A Preliminary Evaluation of a Study of the Morphology, Behavior, Autoecology, and Habitat of Large, Unidentified Marine Animals, Based on Recorded Field Observations. Available at strangeark. Pages 99-118

• Loren Coleman and Patrick Huyghe. The Field Guide to Lake Monsters, Sea Serpents, and Other Mystery Denizens of the Deep. Jeremy P. Tarcher 2003.
• Bernard Heuvelmans. In the Wake of the Sea-Serpents. Hill and Wang 1968
• A. C. Oudemans. The Great Sea Serpent. Luzac & Co 1892. Available at strangeark
• J. Mareš, Svět tajemných zvířat, Prague, 1997

Bernard Heuvelmans (October 10, 1916 – August 22, 2001) was a scientist, explorer, researcher, and a writer probably best known as a founder of cryptozoology. ... For other uses, see Prague (disambiguation). ... For the band, see 1997 (band). ...

See also

• Jörmungandr
• Leviathan
• Lindworm
• Loch Ness Monster
• Stronsay Beast
• Ogopogo
• Selma
• Sea monster
• Globster
• Lake monster
• Sea snake
• Kraken