In honor of Sea Serpent Day on August 7, I did a search for famous sea serpents. Turns out, there's a whole slew of 'em. Who knew?
And, there is a science out there called cryptozoology, whose scientists search for cryptids. Ah, and what is a cryptid, you ask? According to Wikipedia, it's "any creature whose existence has been reported but no scientific proof has yet been found in support of its existence." This includes animals discovered via fossil remains, but which are/were believed to be extinct (like the giant squid and the coelacanth - both discovered to be alive and swimming), as well as animals described via myth, legend and/or undocumented sightings.
So, the cryptid for today is the Sea Serpent, my friends, and I have a wee bit of info for you right here in this post. If any of them tickle your fancy, you can read further by clicking the links within the descriptions. (Each link is a source I used). Go ahead - sit back, relax, read up, and retreat from reality for a while...
...maybe...
Six Sensational Sea Serpents
Here we have the famed Ogopogo. OK, not the actual one, but you get the idea, right? He's a rendition? Anyway, Ogopogo is a lake monster that reportedly lives in Lake Okanegan, British Columbia, Canada. It has been spotted over 200 times since the 1700's.
Up next is Champ, famous watery resident of Lake Champlain, in north-eastern North America. He (or she) has been seen by early Europeans, contemporary Americans, and early Native Americans. He's even been featured on the TV show Unsolved Mysteries!
This is Morgawr. Impressive name, no? Powerful. Mysterious. Looks sort of lumpy, though. Compensating? Hmmm... Anyway, this sea serpent has been sighted several times in the Falmouth Bay area of Cornwall, England. Sightings date back to 1876.
Feast your eyes on this epic battle between mythological sea serpent Jormungandr and his arch enemy, the mighty Thor. Norse legend has it that Jormungandr was so long, its body encircled the entire world so that it could grasp its tail in its mouth. It also has an interesting family history as the middle child of a giantess and a god. And now, for the legendary Leviathan. Did you know this sea serpent is referenced in not one, but two sacred books? You will find it mentioned a number of times in the Christian Bible, in the books of Job, Psalms and Isaiah. You will also find it mentioned in the Jewish Talmud. Its name comes from the Hebrew "iawo" meaning "to writhe" and the Arabic "tinin" which means "dragon." Pretty cool...
No sea serpent treatise can be complete without mention of that rock star of them all: the Loch Ness Monster, denizen of Loch Ness in Scotland. In fact, this one so intriques me that I devoted one entire post to that eternal question: Nessie - Fact or Fiction?Well, now, wasn't that fun? Be sure to check out the highlighted links as well as your local library if you're interested in further reading.
