Strange Creature Washes Ashore in Georgia, Baffles Scientists
A bizarre animal washed up on shore in southeastern Georgia on Friday, that some say resembles the Loch Ness monster or a prehistoric marine reptile, like the Plesiosaur. The green, seafaring creature appears to have a small head, long neck, two fins, and a frilled tail.
The Jacksonville, Florida Fox affiliate reports that the animal was spotted by local resident, Jeff Warren, while he was fishing with his son on the coast of Wolf Island National Wildlife Refuge. Warren said he first thought the creature was a dead seal, but later described it as more of a “Loch Ness-type thing.”
Cryptozoologists are intrigued by the recent find, due to the legend of the Altamaha-ha, a Loch Ness-type cryptid, fabled to inhabit the waters around southeastern Georgia. Sightings of the creature are common in the many tributaries and streams flowing in from the mouth of the Altamaha River.
Some have speculated that the creature could be a rarely seen frilled shark, similar to the one spotted off the coast of Portugal last year. Frilled sharks do live in the waters around Georgia, though the specimen in question doesn’t appear to have the animal’s typical razor teeth.
Experts have ruled out the possibility that the creature is a cetacean, the group of marine mammals that includes whales, dolphins and porpoises. Often in these scenarios, the animal in question turns out to be a cetacean, such as the case last year, when a massive, grey animal washed ashore on an Indonesian island, mystifying locals, until it was determined to be a decomposing whale.
Unfortunately, Warren was unable to capture the specimen and only posted a single, slightly blurry video of the creature, leading some to call it a hoax. There are, however, a multitude of new species discovered each year, with one estimate predicting that 24 to 31 percent of marine species have yet to be discovered.
Does the Legendary Mapinguari of South America Exist?
All over the world there are tales of legendary creatures — sometimes magical and mischievous, such as fairies, sometimes ferocious and deadly, like yowies. Within these creatures’ respective cultures are numerous people who not only believe in them, but are positive that they’ve seen them firsthand.
Deep in the Amazonian rainforest lurks one of these creatures — the Mapinguari, which is often referred to as a “sloth monster.” It’s a popular figure within Brazilian culture, and tales of how fearsome it is have persisted into modern day, where reports of sightings continue to mount, as does evidence of the destruction left in the Mapinguari’s wake.
According to most legends, the sloth monster began its life thousands of years ago, as an Amazonian shaman who stumbled upon the secret to immortality. Because of his findings, however, he became smug, an attribute that angered the gods. As a punishment for his hubris, they transformed the shaman into a giant, sloth-like creature and left it to wander the forest for eternity.
Description: The Sloth Monster
When people think of sloths, they generally think of sweet, peaceful, slow-moving creatures that delight in hanging from branches and delicately eat flowers. It’s hard to imagine a fearsome sloth.
But the mapinguari is giant, exceeding seven feet in length when it stands on its hind legs, which it apparently does, on occasion, though it is said to travel on all fours. And when it assumes this posture, the unfortunate person beholding it can bear witness to its second mouth, located on its belly.