The dusky grouper, one of the major predators in the Mediterranean sea, used to be so large in antiquity that it was portrayed as a "sea monster," a new study into ancient depictions of the endangered fish has revealed.
"Amazingly, ancient mosaic art has provided important information to reconstruct this fish's historical baseline," Paolo Guidetti of the University of Salento in Italy, told Discovery News.
Considered one of the most flavorful species among the Mediterranean fish, the dusky grouper (Epinephelus marginatus) is a large, long-lived, slow-growing, protogynous hermaphrodite fish (with sex reversal from female to male). It can be found mainly in the Mediterranean, the African west coast and the coast of Brazil.
Having faced harvesting for millennia -- grouper bones have been found in human settlements dating back more than 100,000 years -- this species has been decimated in recent decades by commercial and recreational fishing. It is now categorized as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.
The recovery of endangered fish species requires a careful evaluation of some key elements, such as abundance, size structure, and spatial distribution. Such evaluation usually involves comparing unfished areas with unprotected sites.
"But most such marine protected areas are too small and 'young' (established a few decades ago, at most) to provide information on 'pristine' conditions," Guidetti and colleague Fiorenza Micheli, a professor of marine ecology at Stanford's Hopkins Marine Station, wrote in the current issue of Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment.
To look farther back into the grouper's history, the researchers examined hundreds of Etruscan, Greek, and Roman paintings and mosaics depicting fishing scenes and fish.
At the end, they focused on 23 mosaics which represented groupers. In 10 of the 23 mosaics, dating from the 1st to 5th centuries, groupers were portrayed as being very large.
Indeed, the ancient Romans might have considered groupers some sort of "sea monsters" able to eat a fisherman whole, as shown in a 2nd century mosaic from the Bardo National Museum in Tunis.
The mosaics also indicated that groupers lived in shallow waters much closer to shore, and were caught by fishermen using poles or harpoons from boats at the water's surface.
"It's a technique that would surely yield no grouper catch today," said the researchers.
Although there are no known instances of dusky groupers attacking human swimmers, the art depictions are very "informative," said the researchers.
"These representations suggest that groupers were, in ancient times, so large as to be portrayed as sea monsters and that their habitat use and depth distribution have shifted in historical times," Guidetti and Micheli wrote.
Ancient Roman authors such Ovid (43 B.C. – 18 A.D.) and Pliny the Elder ((23 A.D. – 79 A.D.) reported that groupers were fished by anglers in shallow waters, where they are now rare if not completely absent.
According to their accounts, fish were so strong they could break fishing lines.
The researchers noted that grouper populations in marine reserves now show signs of returning to their historical sizes and depths, with groupers moving into shallower waters.
Achieving population abundances five to 10 times greater than those in unprotected areas of the Mediterranean, groupers in no-take reserves can reach sizes of 35-40 inches (versus 20-24 inches for groupers at fished sites).
"Ancient art provides a link between prehistorical and modern evidence and suggests that shallow near shore Mediterranean ecosystems have lost large, top predators and their corresponding ecological roles," the researchers concluded.
Rossella Lorenzi
http://news.discovery.com/history/ancient-mosaics-marine-conservation-110913.html
Showing posts with label sea monsters. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sea monsters. Show all posts
Friday, September 16, 2011
Friday, July 29, 2011
articles on misidentifications of mystery aquatics (1) (Via Chad Arment)
July 23, 1955 — Diver solves mystery of 'sea monster': The mystery of Green Bay's "sea monster" apparently has been cleared up, thanks to the sharp eyesight of diver Wayne Truttman.
Truttman, who spends some of his leisure time in a cottage on the bayshore, said he definitely established the identity of the "monsters" (plural that is) Friday evening. He said the monsters are in reality two sturgeon, each about seven feet long, which apparently have been feeding in shallow water near the bay shore.
"I had a good look at them Friday evening," Truttman said. "They're definitely sturgeon."
Truttman said the appearance of a "double-humped monster" apparently was caused by the fins of the sturgeon protruding from the water.
Sheriff's Deputy Ray Delforge and other sheriff's officers said they had noticed the fish before, but were unable to establish their identity.
http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/article/20110723/GPG0101/107230610/Today-history
Truttman, who spends some of his leisure time in a cottage on the bayshore, said he definitely established the identity of the "monsters" (plural that is) Friday evening. He said the monsters are in reality two sturgeon, each about seven feet long, which apparently have been feeding in shallow water near the bay shore.
"I had a good look at them Friday evening," Truttman said. "They're definitely sturgeon."
Truttman said the appearance of a "double-humped monster" apparently was caused by the fins of the sturgeon protruding from the water.
Sheriff's Deputy Ray Delforge and other sheriff's officers said they had noticed the fish before, but were unable to establish their identity.
http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/article/20110723/GPG0101/107230610/Today-history
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Sea Monster Scare in Barbados
THERE’S A “MONSTER” in Barbados’ waters, says fisherman Joel Brooker.
“Monster” was the word Brooker used to describe a “strange looking species” he and his fishing partner Wendel Bryan encountered on Monday. They were fishing three-and-a-half miles from Shower Bank area, which is south west of Hilton Barbados.
As he described the experience to the DAILY NATION, Brooker said that the “monster” was 40 feet in length, with a flat head, two eyes and “a mouth which was opened for almost the entire time I saw it”.
“When we saw it coming towards us, we thought it was a sunfish.
But when I saw the length and look of this thing, I thought it was an unusual submarine.
“So then I started preparing myself to run into the cabin but when I looked and saw small fishes on this thing, I told myself this thing is alive.
“I could see that it was not a whale, a shark, or anything that looked like it belonged to the sea family . . . so I said this thing is a monster. I wanted to know what this thing doing in Barbados’ water at three-and-a-half miles,” said the fisherman.
“I took up a club that I beat sharks with to weaken them and I went and stand up by the engine and pelt this thing with all the strength and force I had and hit it at the top of it head and the club hit this thing so hard and this thing ain’t move.
“It took ten minutes before the Spirit told me to put the boat in gear. But the boat wasn’t moving because the anchor was on the ground. Then the boat started to move.”
He added: “I couldn’t run anywhere, but it’s a good thing I listened to the Spirit to get out the anchor, start the engine and head home – the fishing trip was over,” he said.
Brooker said he prayed that other fishermen “will see this thing and get away from it”.
He warned them to “don’t get scared and frightened like me, but take caution and beware of that monster”.
“While the boat was moving this thing was still coming, so then I turned to my second man and said I hope I am not Jonah that God give me a message and I disobeyed and God send this fish for me . . . . I think this fish is dangerous and I want other fishermen to be aware of this thing because it ain’t shunning boats, it coming right at right.
“I couldn’t sleep last night because all night I was studying this thing,” said Brooker, who was traumatised to the extent that he refused to go fishing with his partner yesterday.
“Monster” was the word Brooker used to describe a “strange looking species” he and his fishing partner Wendel Bryan encountered on Monday. They were fishing three-and-a-half miles from Shower Bank area, which is south west of Hilton Barbados.
As he described the experience to the DAILY NATION, Brooker said that the “monster” was 40 feet in length, with a flat head, two eyes and “a mouth which was opened for almost the entire time I saw it”.
“When we saw it coming towards us, we thought it was a sunfish.
But when I saw the length and look of this thing, I thought it was an unusual submarine.
“So then I started preparing myself to run into the cabin but when I looked and saw small fishes on this thing, I told myself this thing is alive.
“I could see that it was not a whale, a shark, or anything that looked like it belonged to the sea family . . . so I said this thing is a monster. I wanted to know what this thing doing in Barbados’ water at three-and-a-half miles,” said the fisherman.
“I took up a club that I beat sharks with to weaken them and I went and stand up by the engine and pelt this thing with all the strength and force I had and hit it at the top of it head and the club hit this thing so hard and this thing ain’t move.
“It took ten minutes before the Spirit told me to put the boat in gear. But the boat wasn’t moving because the anchor was on the ground. Then the boat started to move.”
He added: “I couldn’t run anywhere, but it’s a good thing I listened to the Spirit to get out the anchor, start the engine and head home – the fishing trip was over,” he said.
Brooker said he prayed that other fishermen “will see this thing and get away from it”.
He warned them to “don’t get scared and frightened like me, but take caution and beware of that monster”.
“While the boat was moving this thing was still coming, so then I turned to my second man and said I hope I am not Jonah that God give me a message and I disobeyed and God send this fish for me . . . . I think this fish is dangerous and I want other fishermen to be aware of this thing because it ain’t shunning boats, it coming right at right.
“I couldn’t sleep last night because all night I was studying this thing,” said Brooker, who was traumatised to the extent that he refused to go fishing with his partner yesterday.
Sea Monster Scare in Barbados
THERE’S A “MONSTER” in Barbados’ waters, says fisherman Joel Brooker.
“Monster” was the word Brooker used to describe a “strange looking species” he and his fishing partner Wendel Bryan encountered on Monday. They were fishing three-and-a-half miles from Shower Bank area, which is south west of Hilton Barbados.
As he described the experience to the DAILY NATION, Brooker said that the “monster” was 40 feet in length, with a flat head, two eyes and “a mouth which was opened for almost the entire time I saw it”.
“When we saw it coming towards us, we thought it was a sunfish.
But when I saw the length and look of this thing, I thought it was an unusual submarine.
“So then I started preparing myself to run into the cabin but when I looked and saw small fishes on this thing, I told myself this thing is alive.
“I could see that it was not a whale, a shark, or anything that looked like it belonged to the sea family . . . so I said this thing is a monster. I wanted to know what this thing doing in Barbados’ water at three-and-a-half miles,” said the fisherman.
“I took up a club that I beat sharks with to weaken them and I went and stand up by the engine and pelt this thing with all the strength and force I had and hit it at the top of it head and the club hit this thing so hard and this thing ain’t move.
“It took ten minutes before the Spirit told me to put the boat in gear. But the boat wasn’t moving because the anchor was on the ground. Then the boat started to move.”
He added: “I couldn’t run anywhere, but it’s a good thing I listened to the Spirit to get out the anchor, start the engine and head home – the fishing trip was over,” he said.
Brooker said he prayed that other fishermen “will see this thing and get away from it”.
He warned them to “don’t get scared and frightened like me, but take caution and beware of that monster”.
“While the boat was moving this thing was still coming, so then I turned to my second man and said I hope I am not Jonah that God give me a message and I disobeyed and God send this fish for me . . . . I think this fish is dangerous and I want other fishermen to be aware of this thing because it ain’t shunning boats, it coming right at right.
“I couldn’t sleep last night because all night I was studying this thing,” said Brooker, who was traumatised to the extent that he refused to go fishing with his partner yesterday.
“Monster” was the word Brooker used to describe a “strange looking species” he and his fishing partner Wendel Bryan encountered on Monday. They were fishing three-and-a-half miles from Shower Bank area, which is south west of Hilton Barbados.
As he described the experience to the DAILY NATION, Brooker said that the “monster” was 40 feet in length, with a flat head, two eyes and “a mouth which was opened for almost the entire time I saw it”.
“When we saw it coming towards us, we thought it was a sunfish.
But when I saw the length and look of this thing, I thought it was an unusual submarine.
“So then I started preparing myself to run into the cabin but when I looked and saw small fishes on this thing, I told myself this thing is alive.
“I could see that it was not a whale, a shark, or anything that looked like it belonged to the sea family . . . so I said this thing is a monster. I wanted to know what this thing doing in Barbados’ water at three-and-a-half miles,” said the fisherman.
“I took up a club that I beat sharks with to weaken them and I went and stand up by the engine and pelt this thing with all the strength and force I had and hit it at the top of it head and the club hit this thing so hard and this thing ain’t move.
“It took ten minutes before the Spirit told me to put the boat in gear. But the boat wasn’t moving because the anchor was on the ground. Then the boat started to move.”
He added: “I couldn’t run anywhere, but it’s a good thing I listened to the Spirit to get out the anchor, start the engine and head home – the fishing trip was over,” he said.
Brooker said he prayed that other fishermen “will see this thing and get away from it”.
He warned them to “don’t get scared and frightened like me, but take caution and beware of that monster”.
“While the boat was moving this thing was still coming, so then I turned to my second man and said I hope I am not Jonah that God give me a message and I disobeyed and God send this fish for me . . . . I think this fish is dangerous and I want other fishermen to be aware of this thing because it ain’t shunning boats, it coming right at right.
“I couldn’t sleep last night because all night I was studying this thing,” said Brooker, who was traumatised to the extent that he refused to go fishing with his partner yesterday.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Basking sharks are fascinating beasts who may just have launched the legend of Nessie
Published Date: 30 August 2010
By Kath Gourlay
Being classed as a hotspot for sharks doesn't always make for a tourist area, but visitors to the Western isles need have no worries. The bus-sized basking sharks cruising through the Minch this month have no interest in snacking on limbs or torsos. In fact, they're the ones who can be at risk, from the boatloads of tourists and film crews that gather to watch their activities.
"Basking sharks are slow-moving and harmless to humans and their sheer bulk makes them vulnerable when it comes to outmanoeuvring fast boats and the people in them," says Suzanne Henderson, marine advisory officer for Scottish Natural Heritage, Nets from fishing boats, and creel ropes are also a hazard, and SNH has published leaflets and water-resistant maps highlighting the areas around the West coast where large groups of these massive sharks are likely to be at this time of year. "These sites are really important, both nationally and globally, and consistently high numbers have been seen in the sound between Coll and Tiree, and the seas round Canna and Hyskeir," says Suzanne.
In recent summers, SNH recorded the presence of more than 80 basking sharks around Canna and even more around Coll. Shark expert Colin Speedie, who carried out much of the work, says that people have a lot to learn about the habits of these gentle giants.
"Basking sharks are huge – the size of a double decker bus – but they feed entirely on plankton. These minute creatures drift through the water and are filtered through comb-like gills in the shark's enormous gaping mouth.
In one hour an adult shark filters enough water to fill a 50m Olympic-sized swimming pool."
Basking sharks are most often seen in coastal areas during the summer and early autumn, when plankton are plentiful and they get their name from being seen "basking" at the surface of the water. The hotspot areas round the Western Isles are known to be mating sites and keen observers might get lucky and spot rare displays of courtship behaviour, such as "breaching" where huge sharks 20 or 30ft long and around six tonnes in weight leap clear of the water.
Another fascinating sight – again, rarely seen, though observed in the Western Isles – is when pairs of courting basking sharks swim along nose to tail for miles and miles in a seemingly trance-like state. This is the time, says SNH, when the sharks are most vulnerable and boat owners and fishermen need to be vigilant around these mating areas.
Previous generations were not so considerate. Basking sharks have been following the plankton drifts up the west coast for centuries, and in the 18th and 19th centuries were highly valued for the high oil content in their huge livers.
The curious story of a creature dubbed "the Stronsay Beast" suggests that a basking shark might have been behind the origins of the Loch Ness Monster legend. In 1808, an enormous carcass was found washed up on the Orkney island of Stronsay. It was measured in front of witnesses and found to be 55ft long. A drawing was made of it which is now in the Orkney museum. In the drawing, the massive creature appeared to have a very long neck.
Stronsay was a thriving herring fishing port, and trade flourished round the coasts and through the Caledonian Canal, where travelling fisherfolk told and retold the story.
A piece of the vertebrae stored in the Royal Museum of Edinburgh showed it was made of cartilage, not bone, so it had to be a shark. If the gill arches had fallen off and the soft tissue had rotted, then the backbone leading to the head and neck would be left looking just like a long neck with a huge body behind it.
Did "the Stronsay Beast" launch the legend of Nessie? We may never know.
Visit www.whalewatchscotland.com/trips for more information
This article was first published in The Scotsman on Saturday, August 28
http://living.scotsman.com/outdoors/Kath-Gourlay--Basking-sharks.6499739.jp
By Kath Gourlay
Being classed as a hotspot for sharks doesn't always make for a tourist area, but visitors to the Western isles need have no worries. The bus-sized basking sharks cruising through the Minch this month have no interest in snacking on limbs or torsos. In fact, they're the ones who can be at risk, from the boatloads of tourists and film crews that gather to watch their activities.
"Basking sharks are slow-moving and harmless to humans and their sheer bulk makes them vulnerable when it comes to outmanoeuvring fast boats and the people in them," says Suzanne Henderson, marine advisory officer for Scottish Natural Heritage, Nets from fishing boats, and creel ropes are also a hazard, and SNH has published leaflets and water-resistant maps highlighting the areas around the West coast where large groups of these massive sharks are likely to be at this time of year. "These sites are really important, both nationally and globally, and consistently high numbers have been seen in the sound between Coll and Tiree, and the seas round Canna and Hyskeir," says Suzanne.
In recent summers, SNH recorded the presence of more than 80 basking sharks around Canna and even more around Coll. Shark expert Colin Speedie, who carried out much of the work, says that people have a lot to learn about the habits of these gentle giants.
"Basking sharks are huge – the size of a double decker bus – but they feed entirely on plankton. These minute creatures drift through the water and are filtered through comb-like gills in the shark's enormous gaping mouth.
In one hour an adult shark filters enough water to fill a 50m Olympic-sized swimming pool."
Basking sharks are most often seen in coastal areas during the summer and early autumn, when plankton are plentiful and they get their name from being seen "basking" at the surface of the water. The hotspot areas round the Western Isles are known to be mating sites and keen observers might get lucky and spot rare displays of courtship behaviour, such as "breaching" where huge sharks 20 or 30ft long and around six tonnes in weight leap clear of the water.
Another fascinating sight – again, rarely seen, though observed in the Western Isles – is when pairs of courting basking sharks swim along nose to tail for miles and miles in a seemingly trance-like state. This is the time, says SNH, when the sharks are most vulnerable and boat owners and fishermen need to be vigilant around these mating areas.
Previous generations were not so considerate. Basking sharks have been following the plankton drifts up the west coast for centuries, and in the 18th and 19th centuries were highly valued for the high oil content in their huge livers.
The curious story of a creature dubbed "the Stronsay Beast" suggests that a basking shark might have been behind the origins of the Loch Ness Monster legend. In 1808, an enormous carcass was found washed up on the Orkney island of Stronsay. It was measured in front of witnesses and found to be 55ft long. A drawing was made of it which is now in the Orkney museum. In the drawing, the massive creature appeared to have a very long neck.
Stronsay was a thriving herring fishing port, and trade flourished round the coasts and through the Caledonian Canal, where travelling fisherfolk told and retold the story.
A piece of the vertebrae stored in the Royal Museum of Edinburgh showed it was made of cartilage, not bone, so it had to be a shark. If the gill arches had fallen off and the soft tissue had rotted, then the backbone leading to the head and neck would be left looking just like a long neck with a huge body behind it.
Did "the Stronsay Beast" launch the legend of Nessie? We may never know.
Visit www.whalewatchscotland.com/trips for more information
This article was first published in The Scotsman on Saturday, August 28
http://living.scotsman.com/outdoors/Kath-Gourlay--Basking-sharks.6499739.jp
Basking sharks are fascinating beasts who may just have launched the legend of Nessie
Published Date: 30 August 2010
By Kath Gourlay
Being classed as a hotspot for sharks doesn't always make for a tourist area, but visitors to the Western isles need have no worries. The bus-sized basking sharks cruising through the Minch this month have no interest in snacking on limbs or torsos. In fact, they're the ones who can be at risk, from the boatloads of tourists and film crews that gather to watch their activities.
"Basking sharks are slow-moving and harmless to humans and their sheer bulk makes them vulnerable when it comes to outmanoeuvring fast boats and the people in them," says Suzanne Henderson, marine advisory officer for Scottish Natural Heritage, Nets from fishing boats, and creel ropes are also a hazard, and SNH has published leaflets and water-resistant maps highlighting the areas around the West coast where large groups of these massive sharks are likely to be at this time of year. "These sites are really important, both nationally and globally, and consistently high numbers have been seen in the sound between Coll and Tiree, and the seas round Canna and Hyskeir," says Suzanne.
In recent summers, SNH recorded the presence of more than 80 basking sharks around Canna and even more around Coll. Shark expert Colin Speedie, who carried out much of the work, says that people have a lot to learn about the habits of these gentle giants.
"Basking sharks are huge – the size of a double decker bus – but they feed entirely on plankton. These minute creatures drift through the water and are filtered through comb-like gills in the shark's enormous gaping mouth.
In one hour an adult shark filters enough water to fill a 50m Olympic-sized swimming pool."
Basking sharks are most often seen in coastal areas during the summer and early autumn, when plankton are plentiful and they get their name from being seen "basking" at the surface of the water. The hotspot areas round the Western Isles are known to be mating sites and keen observers might get lucky and spot rare displays of courtship behaviour, such as "breaching" where huge sharks 20 or 30ft long and around six tonnes in weight leap clear of the water.
Another fascinating sight – again, rarely seen, though observed in the Western Isles – is when pairs of courting basking sharks swim along nose to tail for miles and miles in a seemingly trance-like state. This is the time, says SNH, when the sharks are most vulnerable and boat owners and fishermen need to be vigilant around these mating areas.
Previous generations were not so considerate. Basking sharks have been following the plankton drifts up the west coast for centuries, and in the 18th and 19th centuries were highly valued for the high oil content in their huge livers.
The curious story of a creature dubbed "the Stronsay Beast" suggests that a basking shark might have been behind the origins of the Loch Ness Monster legend. In 1808, an enormous carcass was found washed up on the Orkney island of Stronsay. It was measured in front of witnesses and found to be 55ft long. A drawing was made of it which is now in the Orkney museum. In the drawing, the massive creature appeared to have a very long neck.
Stronsay was a thriving herring fishing port, and trade flourished round the coasts and through the Caledonian Canal, where travelling fisherfolk told and retold the story.
A piece of the vertebrae stored in the Royal Museum of Edinburgh showed it was made of cartilage, not bone, so it had to be a shark. If the gill arches had fallen off and the soft tissue had rotted, then the backbone leading to the head and neck would be left looking just like a long neck with a huge body behind it.
Did "the Stronsay Beast" launch the legend of Nessie? We may never know.
Visit www.whalewatchscotland.com/trips for more information
This article was first published in The Scotsman on Saturday, August 28
http://living.scotsman.com/outdoors/Kath-Gourlay--Basking-sharks.6499739.jp
By Kath Gourlay
Being classed as a hotspot for sharks doesn't always make for a tourist area, but visitors to the Western isles need have no worries. The bus-sized basking sharks cruising through the Minch this month have no interest in snacking on limbs or torsos. In fact, they're the ones who can be at risk, from the boatloads of tourists and film crews that gather to watch their activities.
"Basking sharks are slow-moving and harmless to humans and their sheer bulk makes them vulnerable when it comes to outmanoeuvring fast boats and the people in them," says Suzanne Henderson, marine advisory officer for Scottish Natural Heritage, Nets from fishing boats, and creel ropes are also a hazard, and SNH has published leaflets and water-resistant maps highlighting the areas around the West coast where large groups of these massive sharks are likely to be at this time of year. "These sites are really important, both nationally and globally, and consistently high numbers have been seen in the sound between Coll and Tiree, and the seas round Canna and Hyskeir," says Suzanne.
In recent summers, SNH recorded the presence of more than 80 basking sharks around Canna and even more around Coll. Shark expert Colin Speedie, who carried out much of the work, says that people have a lot to learn about the habits of these gentle giants.
"Basking sharks are huge – the size of a double decker bus – but they feed entirely on plankton. These minute creatures drift through the water and are filtered through comb-like gills in the shark's enormous gaping mouth.
In one hour an adult shark filters enough water to fill a 50m Olympic-sized swimming pool."
Basking sharks are most often seen in coastal areas during the summer and early autumn, when plankton are plentiful and they get their name from being seen "basking" at the surface of the water. The hotspot areas round the Western Isles are known to be mating sites and keen observers might get lucky and spot rare displays of courtship behaviour, such as "breaching" where huge sharks 20 or 30ft long and around six tonnes in weight leap clear of the water.
Another fascinating sight – again, rarely seen, though observed in the Western Isles – is when pairs of courting basking sharks swim along nose to tail for miles and miles in a seemingly trance-like state. This is the time, says SNH, when the sharks are most vulnerable and boat owners and fishermen need to be vigilant around these mating areas.
Previous generations were not so considerate. Basking sharks have been following the plankton drifts up the west coast for centuries, and in the 18th and 19th centuries were highly valued for the high oil content in their huge livers.
The curious story of a creature dubbed "the Stronsay Beast" suggests that a basking shark might have been behind the origins of the Loch Ness Monster legend. In 1808, an enormous carcass was found washed up on the Orkney island of Stronsay. It was measured in front of witnesses and found to be 55ft long. A drawing was made of it which is now in the Orkney museum. In the drawing, the massive creature appeared to have a very long neck.
Stronsay was a thriving herring fishing port, and trade flourished round the coasts and through the Caledonian Canal, where travelling fisherfolk told and retold the story.
A piece of the vertebrae stored in the Royal Museum of Edinburgh showed it was made of cartilage, not bone, so it had to be a shark. If the gill arches had fallen off and the soft tissue had rotted, then the backbone leading to the head and neck would be left looking just like a long neck with a huge body behind it.
Did "the Stronsay Beast" launch the legend of Nessie? We may never know.
Visit www.whalewatchscotland.com/trips for more information
This article was first published in The Scotsman on Saturday, August 28
http://living.scotsman.com/outdoors/Kath-Gourlay--Basking-sharks.6499739.jp
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
85-Million-Year-Old Sea Monster Re-Explored
RIGHT: The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County's mosasaur fossil contains four slabs, which make up a virtually complete, 20-foot specimen. Pictured here is the skull portion of the specimen. Credit: Courtesy of the Dinosaur Institute, NHM.by Staff Writers
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Aug 17, 2010
One of the ocean's most formidable marine predators, the marine mosasaur Platecarpus, lived in the Cretaceous Period some 85 million years ago and was thought to have swum like an eel. That theory is debunked in a new paper published in the journal PLoS ONE.
An international team of scientists have reconceived the animal's morphology, or body plan, based on a spectacular specimen housed at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.
The paper was co-authored by a team of four scientists: Johan Lindgren (Lund University, Lund, Sweden), Michael W. Caldwell, Takuya Konishi (University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada), and Luis M. Chiappe, Director of the Natural History Museum's Dinosaur Institute.
The mosasaur specimen was discovered in Kansas in 1969, and acquired by the NHM shortly thereafter. It contains four slabs, which make up a virtually complete, 20-foot specimen. Dr. Chiappe spurred a modern preparation of the specimen, and assembled the paper's research team.
"It is one of several exceptional fossils that will be featured in Dinosaur Mysteries," said Chiappe, curator of the 15,000-square foot landmark exhibition that opens at the museum in 2011.
In the meantime, the fossil will be temporarily on display at the museum's Dino Lab, a working lab located on the second floor of the museum, where paleontologists prepare fossils in full view of the public.
The specimen is "the finest preserved mosasaur in existence," according to Dr. Johan Lindgren, lead author of the published study. It retains traces of a partial body outline, putative skin color markings, external scales, a downturned tail, branching bronchial tubes, and stomach contents (fish).
Using it, the scientists demonstrate that a streamlined body plan and crescent-shaped tail fin were already well established in Platecarpus, and that these key features evolved very early in the evolution of mosasaurs. Noting the highly specialized tail fin, the new study assert that mosasaurs were better swimmers than previously thought - and that they swam more like sharks than eels.
The findings underscore how these adaptations for fully aquatic existence evolved rapidly and convergently in several groups of Mesozoic marine reptiles, as well as in extant whales. "This fossil shows evolution in action, how a successful design was developed time after time by different groups of organisms adapting to life in similar environments," said Chiappe.
"It highlights once again the potential for new discoveries to challenge well-established interpretations about dinosaurs and other animals that lived with them."
"From this beautifully preserved specimen it seems that advanced, shark like swimming began in mosasaurs millions of years earlier than we previously thought," said Dr. Kevin Padian, a paleontologist at the University of California, Berkeley, not involved in the paper.
"This study is the best possible proof that active research by curators and staff is the most essential component of a museum dedicated to educating the public."
http://www.terradaily.com/reports/85_Million_Year_Old_Sea_Monster_Re_Explored_999.html
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
The new Nessie? Mystery 'sea creature' spotted off British coast
By Daily Mail ReporterLast updated at 12:40 AM on 31st July 2010
Cynics may dismiss it as just a piece of driftwood or a trick of the light.
But a photograph showing what appears to be a long-necked sea creature has got marine experts scratching their heads.
The 'animal' was snapped stalking a shoal of fish just 30 yards off the British coast.
The fish were apparently so terrified they beached themselves just seconds later.
The creature was spotted off the Devon coast at Saltern Cove, Paignton, by locals who reported a sighting of what they thought was a turtle.
But pictures taken by one of the baffled witnesses, Gill Pearce, reveal the neck of the greenish-brown beast with the reptile-like head is far too long for it to be a turtle.
Mrs Pearce, who took the photo on July 27, reported her sighting to the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) where it was studied by sea life experts.
Claire Fischer from the MCS said: 'Gill Pearce spotted the creature about 20 metres from the bay at Saltern Cove, near Goodrington.
'It was observed at about 15.30 on 27 July but by the time she had got her camera it had moved further out. 'She spotted it following a shoal of fish which beached themselves in Saltern Cove.
'The creature remained in the sea, then went out again and followed the shoal - this indicates it's not a turtle as they only eat jellyfish.
'We would love to know if other people have seen anything like this in the same area and can help clear up the mystery.'
Some people think the sea sighting could be linked to that of a sperm whale sighted off south Devon recently but Miss Fischer dismissed that explanation.
'They [sperm whales] wouldn't come that close inshore and the reptilian-like head counts that out - at least that's what the experts are saying.'
The sighting has caused a stir on the MCS website too, where theories range from sea serpent to salt water crocodile.
An MCS spokesman said: 'It was reported as a turtle as it had large front flippers and small back flippers and what appeared to be a shell but was also said to have a small head on a thin neck about two-feet long which craned above the surface like a Plesiosaur.
'No sea turtles do that with their heads and we do not know of similarly described freshwater turtles that grow so big.
'It's described as being as long as a sea lion with a long neck which floated at the same height in the water all the time.
'This is not a fake. The problem is the distance and clarity from which the photos were taken.
'The lady thought it may have been a turtle - but turtles don't chase fish.
'So at the moment it is "unidentified" - the person who reported it has trawled the internet and says the closest ID fit is a giant green sea turtle - but the description of the head doesn't add up.'
The organisation is now asking for people to keep a keen watch on the seas off South Devon and have appealed for more photos to be taken.
A spokesman said: 'If you live or are visiting down near Saltern Cove Goodrington, near Paignton please keep your eyes on the sea and let us know if you see anything - and keep your camera by your side just in case.'
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1299023/The-new-Nessie-Mystery-sea-creature-spotted-British-coast.html#ixzz0wLCsupmK
Friday, July 2, 2010
Creature drives villagers ashore
Creature drives villagers ashore
Theresa Ralogaivau
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
A STRANGE looking marine creature reportedly spotted in lagoon waters of three villages in Cakaudrove are keeping fishermen and divers away from sea. Naiqaqi Village headman Jepeca Nakuvu said villagers from the neighbouring village of Laucala and Valeni were scared of going out to sea because of the creature.
Ateca Disukavanua, 50, said she was fishing near a copse of mangrove called Dogodogo on Monday when she saw a black creature swimming towards her. "At first I thought it was a log but then it moved closer and I was so scared because the water was up to my waist I jumped on top of a mangrove stump," she said. "I hung on to that mangrove tree for about an hour and the creature, which was about three foot long, and had flippers like that of a turtle and had a strange long mouth.
"I had never seen such a thing before in my life. I was shaking because it kept hanging around as if it smelt the place where I was standing. I only got down when the tide went out and the water was only ankle high."
Mr Nakuvu said men from the three villages armed themselves with cane knives, digging forks and spears and looked for the creature hoping to kill it. "When we know it is dead we will go out to sea because we are scared because this is something that we are not familiar with," he said.
The village headman said they had lodged a complaint at the Savusavu Police Station.
http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=150916
Theresa Ralogaivau
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
A STRANGE looking marine creature reportedly spotted in lagoon waters of three villages in Cakaudrove are keeping fishermen and divers away from sea. Naiqaqi Village headman Jepeca Nakuvu said villagers from the neighbouring village of Laucala and Valeni were scared of going out to sea because of the creature.
Ateca Disukavanua, 50, said she was fishing near a copse of mangrove called Dogodogo on Monday when she saw a black creature swimming towards her. "At first I thought it was a log but then it moved closer and I was so scared because the water was up to my waist I jumped on top of a mangrove stump," she said. "I hung on to that mangrove tree for about an hour and the creature, which was about three foot long, and had flippers like that of a turtle and had a strange long mouth.
"I had never seen such a thing before in my life. I was shaking because it kept hanging around as if it smelt the place where I was standing. I only got down when the tide went out and the water was only ankle high."
Mr Nakuvu said men from the three villages armed themselves with cane knives, digging forks and spears and looked for the creature hoping to kill it. "When we know it is dead we will go out to sea because we are scared because this is something that we are not familiar with," he said.
The village headman said they had lodged a complaint at the Savusavu Police Station.
http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=150916
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
'Sea monster' whale fossil unearthed
RIGHT: Leviathan was an aggressive 17m-long predator which may have preyed on other whalesWednesday, 30 June 2010 18:02 UK
Researchers have discovered the fossilised remains of an ancient whale with huge, fearsome teeth.
Writing in the journal Nature, the scientists have dubbed the 12 million-year-old creature "Leviathan".
It is thought to have been more than 17m long, and might have engaged in fierce battles with other giant sea creatures from the time.
Leviathan was much like the modern sperm whale in terms of size and appearance.
But that is where the similarity ends. While the sperm whale is a relatively passive animal, sucking in squid from the depths of the ocean, Leviathan was an aggressive predator.
According to Dr Christian de Muizon, director of the Natural History Museum in Paris, Leviathan could have hunted out and fed on large sea creatures such as dolphins, seals and even other whales.
"It was a kind of a sea monster," he said.
"And it's interesting to note that at the same time in the same waters was another monster, which was a giant shark about 15m long. It's possible that they might have fought each other".
The researchers speculate that Leviathan was able to feed on very large prey up to 8m long. It would catch the prey in its huge jaws and tear it apart quickly and effectively with its giant teeth.
A 3m-long fossilised skull of the creature was discovered by researchers in southern Peru in 2008. Dr de Muizon's student, Olivier Lambert was among them.
"It was the last day of our field trip when one of our colleagues came and told us that he thought he'd found something very interesting. So we joined him and he showed it to us," he said.
"We immediately saw that it was a very large whale and when we looked closer we saw it was a giant sperm whale with huge teeth."
The teeth were more than twice the length and diameter of those found in modern sperm whales and they were on the upper and lower jaws.
Sperm whales only have teeth on their lower jaw.
Dr Lambert and his colleagues had speculated that such a fierce creature might once have existed on the basis of discoveries of individual teeth.
Now, the discovery of the skull means that the Leviathan is not merely the stuff of myth and legend.
"Finally we found it," said Dr Lambert. " It was a very exciting moment".
The researchers do not know why this ancient whale died out. They speculate that the ecology and environment changed so that the creature had to change its feeding habits.
That may have led to the emergence of today's much gentler sperm whales, with the carnivorous niche filled by killer whales as conditions swung back again.
The authors of the report in Nature, who are all whale experts, are fans of the novel Moby Dick, which involves a ferocious white sperm whale.
So taken are they with the novel that they decided to dedicate their discovery to the author, Herman Melville, and give the creature its full scientific name of Leviathan melvillei.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/science_and_environment/10461066.stm
Monday, June 14, 2010
Navymen don't have to log sightings of Nessie's cousins
Published Date: 17 May 2010
By SAM MARSDEN
THE Royal Navy may hold records about possible sea monsters, but it does not collect them centrally, it has revealed.
Sailors could note unusual sightings on the ocean waves in their ship's logs, the navy said. But they were not required to do so and none of the information is assembled in a central archive devoted to sea monsters.
Any sightings of strange marine animals reported to the navy by the public are passed on to the UK Hydrographic Office, which provides charts and other navigational services for mariners.
Details of the navy's policy on giant creatures of the deep emerged in response to a Freedom of Information (FoI) request. A marine biologist inquired whether the Ministry of Defence held records about "abnormally large or dangerous sea monsters hundreds of metres under the sea" that had not been revealed to the public.
In reply an official wrote: "The RN (Royal Navy], and MoD, in general, do not maintain any form of central repository of information purely devoted to sea monsters. Personnel might be inclined to record unusual sightings in ship's logs, but there is, as far as we know, no actual requirement for them to do so, and it would be beyond the resource constraints of an FoI request to check every line of every RN log book for any such references since 2005.
"However, the RN does invite people to report sightings of marine mammals, and it's possible that this could include unusual sightings."
The MoD's stance on sea monsters contrasts with the policy on UFOs it maintained for more than 50 years. Thousands of reports of strange sights in the skies were recorded by the military's UFO investigation unit until it was shut down on 1 December last year.
Old maps often included illustrations of fearsome sea dragons and serpents, and there are many tales of mariners' encounters with weird creatures. Dr David Clarke, an expert in unexplained phenomena, said the navy showed an interest in sea monsters in the 19th century.
The National Archives in Kew, London, contain several historic Royal Navy files about strange sightings on the oceans, he said. These include an 1830 report sent to the Admiralty in London by the captain of the ship Rob Roy about a "great thundering big sea snake" about 129ft long, which was seen by his crew in waters near the remote island of St Helena, in the South Atlantic.
Another file records how Commander George Harrington, captain of the Castilian, saw "a monster of extraordinary length" rear its head out of the sea, near St Helena, in 1857.
Dr Clarke, a lecturer in journalism at Sheffield Hallam University, said the MoD would argue that it was only funded for defence and not to investigate strange phenomena: "They should be recording those kind of things, but I don't think anybody is recording them."
http://news.scotsman.com/news/Navymen-don39t-have-to-log.6298103.jp
By SAM MARSDEN
THE Royal Navy may hold records about possible sea monsters, but it does not collect them centrally, it has revealed.
Sailors could note unusual sightings on the ocean waves in their ship's logs, the navy said. But they were not required to do so and none of the information is assembled in a central archive devoted to sea monsters.
Any sightings of strange marine animals reported to the navy by the public are passed on to the UK Hydrographic Office, which provides charts and other navigational services for mariners.
Details of the navy's policy on giant creatures of the deep emerged in response to a Freedom of Information (FoI) request. A marine biologist inquired whether the Ministry of Defence held records about "abnormally large or dangerous sea monsters hundreds of metres under the sea" that had not been revealed to the public.
In reply an official wrote: "The RN (Royal Navy], and MoD, in general, do not maintain any form of central repository of information purely devoted to sea monsters. Personnel might be inclined to record unusual sightings in ship's logs, but there is, as far as we know, no actual requirement for them to do so, and it would be beyond the resource constraints of an FoI request to check every line of every RN log book for any such references since 2005.
"However, the RN does invite people to report sightings of marine mammals, and it's possible that this could include unusual sightings."
The MoD's stance on sea monsters contrasts with the policy on UFOs it maintained for more than 50 years. Thousands of reports of strange sights in the skies were recorded by the military's UFO investigation unit until it was shut down on 1 December last year.
Old maps often included illustrations of fearsome sea dragons and serpents, and there are many tales of mariners' encounters with weird creatures. Dr David Clarke, an expert in unexplained phenomena, said the navy showed an interest in sea monsters in the 19th century.
The National Archives in Kew, London, contain several historic Royal Navy files about strange sightings on the oceans, he said. These include an 1830 report sent to the Admiralty in London by the captain of the ship Rob Roy about a "great thundering big sea snake" about 129ft long, which was seen by his crew in waters near the remote island of St Helena, in the South Atlantic.
Another file records how Commander George Harrington, captain of the Castilian, saw "a monster of extraordinary length" rear its head out of the sea, near St Helena, in 1857.
Dr Clarke, a lecturer in journalism at Sheffield Hallam University, said the MoD would argue that it was only funded for defence and not to investigate strange phenomena: "They should be recording those kind of things, but I don't think anybody is recording them."
http://news.scotsman.com/news/Navymen-don39t-have-to-log.6298103.jp
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Record sea monster sightings, says city expert
http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/Record-sea-monster-sightings-says.6300638.jp
Record sea monster sightings, says city expert
Published Date: 18 May 2010
The Royal Navy may hold records about possible sea monsters but it does not collect them centrally, it has revealed. And a Sheffield expert in unexplained phenomena says the Navy showed an interest in sea monsters in the 19th century.
Details of the Navy's policy on giant creatures of the deep emerged in response to a Freedom of Information request. A marine biologist inquired whether the Ministry of Defence held records about "abnormally large or dangerous sea monsters hundreds of metres under the sea" that had not been revealed.
Dr David Clarke, an expert in unexplained phenomena and lecturer in journalism at Sheffield Hallam University, said the National Archives in London, contain several historic Royal Navy files about strange sightings. These include an 1830 report sent to the Admiralty in London by the captain of the ship Rob Roy about a "great thundering big sea snake" measuring about 129ft long seen by his crew in the waters near the remote island of St Helena in the South Atlantic.
Another file records how Commander George Harrington, captain of the Castilian, saw "a monster of extraordinary length" rear its head out of the sea, again near St Helena, in 1857. Dr Clarke said: "At this time they were exploring areas of the world where they thought there may well have been such creatures living.
"I have looked at some of the ship's logs in the National Archives, and there are instructions about what people should record. Any unusual observations of any kind should be recorded in the ship's log."
He said the MoD would argue it was only funded for defence and not to investigate strange phenomena. "They should be recording those kind of things, but I don't think anybody is," he said.
Record sea monster sightings, says city expert
Published Date: 18 May 2010
The Royal Navy may hold records about possible sea monsters but it does not collect them centrally, it has revealed. And a Sheffield expert in unexplained phenomena says the Navy showed an interest in sea monsters in the 19th century.
Details of the Navy's policy on giant creatures of the deep emerged in response to a Freedom of Information request. A marine biologist inquired whether the Ministry of Defence held records about "abnormally large or dangerous sea monsters hundreds of metres under the sea" that had not been revealed.
Dr David Clarke, an expert in unexplained phenomena and lecturer in journalism at Sheffield Hallam University, said the National Archives in London, contain several historic Royal Navy files about strange sightings. These include an 1830 report sent to the Admiralty in London by the captain of the ship Rob Roy about a "great thundering big sea snake" measuring about 129ft long seen by his crew in the waters near the remote island of St Helena in the South Atlantic.
Another file records how Commander George Harrington, captain of the Castilian, saw "a monster of extraordinary length" rear its head out of the sea, again near St Helena, in 1857. Dr Clarke said: "At this time they were exploring areas of the world where they thought there may well have been such creatures living.
"I have looked at some of the ship's logs in the National Archives, and there are instructions about what people should record. Any unusual observations of any kind should be recorded in the ship's log."
He said the MoD would argue it was only funded for defence and not to investigate strange phenomena. "They should be recording those kind of things, but I don't think anybody is," he said.
Monday, January 18, 2010
'Sea monster' revealed?
Reported by: Glenn Glazer1/11 4:27 pm
PALM BEACH COUNTY, FL-- Florida Fish and Wildlife biologists believe that the cold weather has helped to uncover a local mystery; the identity of the mysterious sea monster featured on the TV show MonsterQuest which airs on the History Channel.
As hundreds of manatees huddled to stay warm inside the channel of the Florida Power and Light Riviera Beach Power Plant, one of the gentle sea cows stood out due to a distinct feature of its anatomy.
Thought to have been injured by a boat propeller at some point in its life, the manatee's tail grew back into three separate prongs.
Due to the unusual shape, the manatee leaves three separate wakes on the water's surface while swimming just below.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission believes that this is the source of the sea creature shown during a segment last year on Monsterquest.
The origin of last year's other sensational underwater story remains a mystery.
A strange creature dubbed the 'Muck Monster' created strange wake patterns on the surface of the Lake Worth Lagoon.
http://www.wptv.com/content/news/centralpbc/westpalmbeach/story/muck-monster-revealed-wptv-lake-worth-lagoon-manat/yw7CBasHc0-yHG3JLNAI9A.cspx
(Submitted by Lindsay Selby)
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Mysterious sea creature spotted in Madeira Beach canal
Preston Rudie17 November 2009
Madeira Beach, Florida -- Russ Sittloh says a mysterious serpent-like creature that's at least 20 feet long has been swimming in the canal behind his Madeira Beach home and he wants to find out what it is.
"The head will come up and then it will disappear and then the next thing you know, you'll see a couple rolls behind it," Sittloh said.
Sittloh has named the creature "Normandy Nessie" after the road he lives on. The 78-year-old retired engineer has also set up a camera to capture video of the creature and so far he's recorded "Normandy Nessie" six times.
Photo Gallery: Sittloh's images of Normandy Nessie
"When I first saw it (in April) I couldn't believe what I was seeing. It was so unreal."
But Sittloh is not the only person who claims to have seen a mysterious serpent-like creature swimming around Madeira Beach. Bill Van Aken and his wife, Maria, say they have both seen it.
"I didn't see the tail come out of the water like Russ did, but I could see the wake that it was leaving. It had to be at least 15-feet or longer," Bill Van Aken said.
After watching some of the videos Sittloh has recorded, a biologist with Florida Fish and Wildlife says the creature in question appears to be a manatee.
"Like I said, the rate of speed and the size looks indicative of a large adult manatee taking a break and going back down," Andy Garrett with FWC said.
But Sittloh insists it's not a manatee. "I've swam with manatees, I've swam with sharks, I've swam with sea snakes, there is no way it's a manatee."
Sittloh says it's possible the creature could be an anaconda but he says "Normandy Nessie" has a tail fin that's not consistent with snakes.
You can find Sittloh's videos by going to http://www.photobucket.com/ and searching for "Normandy Nessie."
Sittloh adds he's seen at least two of the sea creatures and he's concerned they could be dangerous.
http://www.wtsp.com/news/mostpop/story.aspx?storyid=117916
(Submitted by Andy C)
Mysterious sea creature spotted in Madeira Beach canal
Preston Rudie17 November 2009
Madeira Beach, Florida -- Russ Sittloh says a mysterious serpent-like creature that's at least 20 feet long has been swimming in the canal behind his Madeira Beach home and he wants to find out what it is.
"The head will come up and then it will disappear and then the next thing you know, you'll see a couple rolls behind it," Sittloh said.
Sittloh has named the creature "Normandy Nessie" after the road he lives on. The 78-year-old retired engineer has also set up a camera to capture video of the creature and so far he's recorded "Normandy Nessie" six times.
Photo Gallery: Sittloh's images of Normandy Nessie
"When I first saw it (in April) I couldn't believe what I was seeing. It was so unreal."
But Sittloh is not the only person who claims to have seen a mysterious serpent-like creature swimming around Madeira Beach. Bill Van Aken and his wife, Maria, say they have both seen it.
"I didn't see the tail come out of the water like Russ did, but I could see the wake that it was leaving. It had to be at least 15-feet or longer," Bill Van Aken said.
After watching some of the videos Sittloh has recorded, a biologist with Florida Fish and Wildlife says the creature in question appears to be a manatee.
"Like I said, the rate of speed and the size looks indicative of a large adult manatee taking a break and going back down," Andy Garrett with FWC said.
But Sittloh insists it's not a manatee. "I've swam with manatees, I've swam with sharks, I've swam with sea snakes, there is no way it's a manatee."
Sittloh says it's possible the creature could be an anaconda but he says "Normandy Nessie" has a tail fin that's not consistent with snakes.
You can find Sittloh's videos by going to http://www.photobucket.com/ and searching for "Normandy Nessie."
Sittloh adds he's seen at least two of the sea creatures and he's concerned they could be dangerous.
http://www.wtsp.com/news/mostpop/story.aspx?storyid=117916
(Submitted by Andy C)
Man says 30-foot 'monster' lurking in canals of Madeira Beach
By ROD CHALLENGER
Published: November 16, 2009
There's something strange and big swimming in the canals of Madeira Beach along the Pinellas County coast. Those who have seen it say it's no fish and think it could be a sea serpent.
Russ Sittlow, 78, has seen it. He calls the creature "Normandy Nessie" because he lives on Normandy Road.
The retired engineer said he first saw "Nessie" in April.
"His head come up out of the water, and then he rolled up in a double roll behind him and he was long he was huge," he said of that first sighting.
Sittlow said he has seen two of the creatures in the canal, one very large, and the other a bit smaller. He estimates the largest one is at least 30 feet long.
Sittlow set up a surveillance camera to record video if the creatures came back. He said his camera recorded "Nessie" three times since September, the latest Saturday.
He showed the video to a reporter. It shows a dark form swimming along the surface of the water. It appears to be about 30 feet long. Another clip shows the creature splashing in the water.
"I don't know what it is," he said.
When a reporter asked if he thought it was really a monster, he hedged.
"No, no, well, call a monster what you will, it's something different, it's something strange, it's something I've never seen in salt water," he stated.
Sittlow's account of what he saw is backed up by neighbor Maria VanAiken, 47, who said she saw the "monster" this summer while on her back porch.
"I looked up and I saw this like huge-looking creature," she said, adding that it wasn't a manatee or dolphin.
"This huge thing just came out of the water," she said.
Her husband saw the creature later.
When pressed, Sittlow backed off his sea monster theory, but not totally.
"This is a snake I guarantee you, or a serpent like thing that looks like a snake," he explained. He thinks it could be an anaconda or a python or "a mutation there of."
State wildlife officials who have seen Sittlow's video believe the creature is a manatee.
Sittlow disagrees. Whatever is in the canal is dangerous, he said, and he doesn't recommend swimming there until it's positively identified.
http://www2.tbo.com/content/2009/nov/16/man-says-30-foot-monster-lurking-canals-madeira-be/news-metro/
(Submitted by Gretchen)
Published: November 16, 2009
There's something strange and big swimming in the canals of Madeira Beach along the Pinellas County coast. Those who have seen it say it's no fish and think it could be a sea serpent.
Russ Sittlow, 78, has seen it. He calls the creature "Normandy Nessie" because he lives on Normandy Road.
The retired engineer said he first saw "Nessie" in April.
"His head come up out of the water, and then he rolled up in a double roll behind him and he was long he was huge," he said of that first sighting.
Sittlow said he has seen two of the creatures in the canal, one very large, and the other a bit smaller. He estimates the largest one is at least 30 feet long.
Sittlow set up a surveillance camera to record video if the creatures came back. He said his camera recorded "Nessie" three times since September, the latest Saturday.
He showed the video to a reporter. It shows a dark form swimming along the surface of the water. It appears to be about 30 feet long. Another clip shows the creature splashing in the water.
"I don't know what it is," he said.
When a reporter asked if he thought it was really a monster, he hedged.
"No, no, well, call a monster what you will, it's something different, it's something strange, it's something I've never seen in salt water," he stated.
Sittlow's account of what he saw is backed up by neighbor Maria VanAiken, 47, who said she saw the "monster" this summer while on her back porch.
"I looked up and I saw this like huge-looking creature," she said, adding that it wasn't a manatee or dolphin.
"This huge thing just came out of the water," she said.
Her husband saw the creature later.
When pressed, Sittlow backed off his sea monster theory, but not totally.
"This is a snake I guarantee you, or a serpent like thing that looks like a snake," he explained. He thinks it could be an anaconda or a python or "a mutation there of."
State wildlife officials who have seen Sittlow's video believe the creature is a manatee.
Sittlow disagrees. Whatever is in the canal is dangerous, he said, and he doesn't recommend swimming there until it's positively identified.
http://www2.tbo.com/content/2009/nov/16/man-says-30-foot-monster-lurking-canals-madeira-be/news-metro/
(Submitted by Gretchen)
Man says 30-foot 'monster' lurking in canals of Madeira Beach
By ROD CHALLENGER
Published: November 16, 2009
There's something strange and big swimming in the canals of Madeira Beach along the Pinellas County coast. Those who have seen it say it's no fish and think it could be a sea serpent.
Russ Sittlow, 78, has seen it. He calls the creature "Normandy Nessie" because he lives on Normandy Road.
The retired engineer said he first saw "Nessie" in April.
"His head come up out of the water, and then he rolled up in a double roll behind him and he was long he was huge," he said of that first sighting.
Sittlow said he has seen two of the creatures in the canal, one very large, and the other a bit smaller. He estimates the largest one is at least 30 feet long.
Sittlow set up a surveillance camera to record video if the creatures came back. He said his camera recorded "Nessie" three times since September, the latest Saturday.
He showed the video to a reporter. It shows a dark form swimming along the surface of the water. It appears to be about 30 feet long. Another clip shows the creature splashing in the water.
"I don't know what it is," he said.
When a reporter asked if he thought it was really a monster, he hedged.
"No, no, well, call a monster what you will, it's something different, it's something strange, it's something I've never seen in salt water," he stated.
Sittlow's account of what he saw is backed up by neighbor Maria VanAiken, 47, who said she saw the "monster" this summer while on her back porch.
"I looked up and I saw this like huge-looking creature," she said, adding that it wasn't a manatee or dolphin.
"This huge thing just came out of the water," she said.
Her husband saw the creature later.
When pressed, Sittlow backed off his sea monster theory, but not totally.
"This is a snake I guarantee you, or a serpent like thing that looks like a snake," he explained. He thinks it could be an anaconda or a python or "a mutation there of."
State wildlife officials who have seen Sittlow's video believe the creature is a manatee.
Sittlow disagrees. Whatever is in the canal is dangerous, he said, and he doesn't recommend swimming there until it's positively identified.
http://www2.tbo.com/content/2009/nov/16/man-says-30-foot-monster-lurking-canals-madeira-be/news-metro/
(Submitted by Gretchen)
Published: November 16, 2009
There's something strange and big swimming in the canals of Madeira Beach along the Pinellas County coast. Those who have seen it say it's no fish and think it could be a sea serpent.
Russ Sittlow, 78, has seen it. He calls the creature "Normandy Nessie" because he lives on Normandy Road.
The retired engineer said he first saw "Nessie" in April.
"His head come up out of the water, and then he rolled up in a double roll behind him and he was long he was huge," he said of that first sighting.
Sittlow said he has seen two of the creatures in the canal, one very large, and the other a bit smaller. He estimates the largest one is at least 30 feet long.
Sittlow set up a surveillance camera to record video if the creatures came back. He said his camera recorded "Nessie" three times since September, the latest Saturday.
He showed the video to a reporter. It shows a dark form swimming along the surface of the water. It appears to be about 30 feet long. Another clip shows the creature splashing in the water.
"I don't know what it is," he said.
When a reporter asked if he thought it was really a monster, he hedged.
"No, no, well, call a monster what you will, it's something different, it's something strange, it's something I've never seen in salt water," he stated.
Sittlow's account of what he saw is backed up by neighbor Maria VanAiken, 47, who said she saw the "monster" this summer while on her back porch.
"I looked up and I saw this like huge-looking creature," she said, adding that it wasn't a manatee or dolphin.
"This huge thing just came out of the water," she said.
Her husband saw the creature later.
When pressed, Sittlow backed off his sea monster theory, but not totally.
"This is a snake I guarantee you, or a serpent like thing that looks like a snake," he explained. He thinks it could be an anaconda or a python or "a mutation there of."
State wildlife officials who have seen Sittlow's video believe the creature is a manatee.
Sittlow disagrees. Whatever is in the canal is dangerous, he said, and he doesn't recommend swimming there until it's positively identified.
http://www2.tbo.com/content/2009/nov/16/man-says-30-foot-monster-lurking-canals-madeira-be/news-metro/
(Submitted by Gretchen)
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Skull of 'sea monster' discovered
27 October 2009The fossilised skull of a giant "sea monster" has been discovered off the UK's Jurassic Coast, a local council announced.
The fossil comes from a pliosaur, a ferocious predator which lived in the oceans 150 million years ago.
The skull, which was discovered by a local collector off the Dorset coast, measures 2.4m in length and scientists believe the creature would have been 16m in length - one of the largest pliosaurs ever found.
The fossil was purchased by Dorset County Council for £20,000 with money from the Heritage Lottery Fund.
After it has been scientifically analysed and prepared, it will be put on display at the Dorset County Museum in Dorchester.
Pliosaurs were a form of plesiosaur, a group of giant aquatic reptiles which lived in the seas at around the same time dinosaurs roamed the Earth. They had short necks and huge, crocodilian-like heads that contained immensely powerful jaws and a set of huge, razor-sharp teeth.
They used four paddle-like limbs to propel their bulky bodies through the water, and would have preyed on dolphin-like ichthyosaurs and even other plesiosaurs.
David Martill, a palaeontologist from the University of Portsmouth, said: "These creatures were monsters. They had massive big muscles on their necks, and you would have imagined that they would bite into the animal and get a good grip, and then with these massive neck muscles they probably would have thrashed the animals around and torn chunks off. It would have been a bit of a blood bath."
David Tucker, the council's museums adviser, said: "Our aim is to purchase fossils found along the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site and to get them into local museums - we want to put really exceptional fossils in museums."
The council is meeting with experts to discuss how best to study and prepare the fossil.
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/21/20091027/tuk-skull-of-sea-monster-discovered-6323e80.html
Skull of 'sea monster' discovered
27 October 2009The fossilised skull of a giant "sea monster" has been discovered off the UK's Jurassic Coast, a local council announced.
The fossil comes from a pliosaur, a ferocious predator which lived in the oceans 150 million years ago.
The skull, which was discovered by a local collector off the Dorset coast, measures 2.4m in length and scientists believe the creature would have been 16m in length - one of the largest pliosaurs ever found.
The fossil was purchased by Dorset County Council for £20,000 with money from the Heritage Lottery Fund.
After it has been scientifically analysed and prepared, it will be put on display at the Dorset County Museum in Dorchester.
Pliosaurs were a form of plesiosaur, a group of giant aquatic reptiles which lived in the seas at around the same time dinosaurs roamed the Earth. They had short necks and huge, crocodilian-like heads that contained immensely powerful jaws and a set of huge, razor-sharp teeth.
They used four paddle-like limbs to propel their bulky bodies through the water, and would have preyed on dolphin-like ichthyosaurs and even other plesiosaurs.
David Martill, a palaeontologist from the University of Portsmouth, said: "These creatures were monsters. They had massive big muscles on their necks, and you would have imagined that they would bite into the animal and get a good grip, and then with these massive neck muscles they probably would have thrashed the animals around and torn chunks off. It would have been a bit of a blood bath."
David Tucker, the council's museums adviser, said: "Our aim is to purchase fossils found along the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site and to get them into local museums - we want to put really exceptional fossils in museums."
The council is meeting with experts to discuss how best to study and prepare the fossil.
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/21/20091027/tuk-skull-of-sea-monster-discovered-6323e80.html
'Monster Shark' Chomps Into Great White
Tuesday October 27, 2009Huw Borland, Sky News Online
A giant shark that could be up to 20ft long has sent shockwaves across Australian beaches after a great white was nearly bitten in half.
A stunning picture shows a 10ft predator thrashing about with two massive chunks missing on either side of its body, off the Queensland coast.
Experts said its rival may be 20ft (about six metres) long, judging by the size of the huge bites.
The great white was savaged after it got snared on a drum line - a baited hook attached to a buoy - near North Stradbroke Island, east of Brisbane.
The wounded creature was still alive when a crew hauled it onto a boat, close to Deadman's Beach.
"It certainly opened up my eyes. I mean the shark that was caught is a substantial shark in itself," Queensland Fisheries' Jeff Krause told Australia's Daily Telegraph.
Swimmers have been warned to stay out of the water near the island.
The attack also worried many at a nearby tourist Mecca - Surfers Paradise, south of Brisbane.
Surfer Ashton Smith, 19, of the Gold Coast, told the Courier Mail: "I've heard about the big one lurking. Every surfer is always cautious over here."
Drum lines and shark nets are used to defend swimmers from sea predators, but they have been criticised for occasionally trapping migrating whales.
Fisheries minister Tim Mulherin told the Mail that the capture of the bitten shark - and the indication of a larger one feeding in the area - bolstered the decision to keep defences in place.
He added there were no special plans to hunt the attacking shark but contractors had reset the drum lines.
http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World-News/Shark-Mauls-Great-White-Fears-In-Australia-After-Shark-Bitten-Off-Stradbroke-Island-Near-Brisbane/Article/200910415419981?f=rss
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