Monsters are Real!

Sea serpents have been reported for centuries, even in the Gulf of Mexico

As the ominous specter of a massive oil spill looms over the Gulf of Mexico, I can’t help but to have a sick feeling about its potential impact on the abundant wildlife that inhabits its depths. Corals, sponges, crustaceans, fish, birds and countless other life forms depend on an ecological balance that is being thrown into turmoil as, mankind’s reckless abandon rears its ugly head. If history is any indicator, there might be an extraordinary animal swimming deep, within those waters. A creature that is known primarily from legends dating back thousands of years. The great Sea Serpent is a monstrous, snake-like beast that has been described by sailors around the world for centuries, though scientists do not support its existence. Surprisingly, the Gulf region has produced some noteworthy reports. During May 18th, 1872, the entire crew of a Norwegian ship claimed to have encountered a sea serpent that was 200 feet long, off the coast of Galveston. In 1899, another ship in the Gulf  had a run-in with, an enormous reptile that appeared to be seventy-five feet long and possessing of long fins and flippers. That same year, a Captain Carrol claimed he spotted a serpentine sea monster that was covered in green hair! A particularly colorful account surfaced in 1908 and was published in the New York Times, though it may have been a retelling of the 1872 sighting. In the article, a Captain G.A. Olsen and four crew members described a sea monster two-hundred feet long and as big around as a flour barrel. As the thing moved off, they noticed giant rattles on its tail, reminiscent of a giant rattlesnake! I can personally attest to the fact that the Gulf harbors some macabre creatures, having once dredged up an oarfish off the Galveston jetties. Oarfish are rarely seen, deep sea fish with a slender body that can obtain lengths close to thirty feet; a likely sea serpent candidate if we are to air on the side of skepticism. Or, perhaps we should embrace the possibility that gigantic, prehistoric reptiles still roam the deepest seas though now sadly, they may be in danger of extinction.