The Legendary Sea Serpent

The sea serpent is unquestionably one of the most enigmatic aquatic monsters of all time. It is mentioned in mythologies and ship crew testimonies throughout the eras of time. Described as a gigantic serpent-like dragon, it is still "observed" today in all regions of the globe. The most famous sea serpent of all is Nessie, a kind of water horse that haunts the Loch Ness lake, in Scotland. A few hundred sightings have been reported!

Because of the plethora of deep lakes, its numerous and interminable rivers, and its three oceans, Canada is rich with fantastic stories involving marine monsters. Each province counts at least one expanse of water where riverside residents have witnessed mysterious and fleeting observations.

Even if they adopt snake, fish or other strange beast forms, do these creatures really exist? Are these species still unknown? Prehistoric animals that could have survived throughout the ages? Simple mistakes? Or the product of our imaginations?

Scandinavian sea serpent

Scandinavians were some of the first sailors and naturalists to describe these sea serpents. On this engraving, the "dreadful sea creature" that jumps and breathes out of water had been sighted off the coast of Greenland, in 1734. The second one, swimming on the surface of the water, which is more serpent-like, was observed off Norway, in 1746.

Long before the arrival of Europeans on the Pacific coasts, enormous sea serpents existed in Native folklore. Rock engravings, or petroglyphs, found in many sites show this to be true.

The Cadborosaurus owes its name to Cadboro Bay, south of Vancouver Island, where there had been many sightings in the 1930’s. On October 5^th, 1933, the Victoria Daily Times front page featured an observation of the Cadborosaurus. The tale of this mythical marine monster traveled around the world and became Caddy to its fans.

Caddy

Artistic interpretation of Caddy, the sea serpent from the Pacific West Coast. The artist drew their inspiration from the description offered by an eyewitness, Jim Thompson.

In 1937, what is believed to be a partly digested specimen of a young Caddy had been extracted from a sperm whale’s stomach in Naden Harbour, located in a bay near Queen Charlotte Islands along the North coast of British Columbia. This is the only visual evidence to date of a sea serpent specimen.

Baptized Naitaka or Devil of the Lake by the Salish people in British Columbia, the Okanagan Lake monster had been observed for the very first time by a pioneer’s wife from the region, in 1872.

Ogopogo (name coming from an English music-hall humor song) a large camel-headed serpent or an ancestral marine reptile? Are the humps, seen on the surface of the water by most of the witnesses, from the same specimen? Some people claim Ogopogo was not alone...

Ogopopo, the sea serpent in Lake Okanagan, also from British Columbia, was delighted with Caddy’s arrival. This caricature alluded to the current provincial electoral campaign.

The first testimony about a mysterious creature in Lake Memphremagog (QC) dates back to 1816. It is said that when the first pioneers arrived on the lands surrounding the lake, the Native people told them they were afraid to swim, because a marine reptile inhabited the waters.

MEMPHRE

Numerous witnesses describe Memphre as an enormous sea serpent with a smooth, dark body, and a horse-like head. The beast would move rapidly under water, and sometimes provoke large waves in Lake Mempremagog (QC).

Ponik, the monster of lake Pohenegamook (QC)

It was at the beginning of the 20^th century, when Ponik made its first public appearance, and struck fear into the riverside residents of Lake Pohenegamook (QC). In 1957 and 1958, the lake monster appeared on several occasions, probably "disturbed" by the dynamiting works around the lake during the construction of Route 289.

According to certain inhabitants, Ponik could actually be a large sturgeon that had escaped from the breeding basin of a former priest from St. Eleuthere, a village located near Lake Pohenegamook. In the 1930’s, when the basin had been flooded, the sturgeons could have reached the lake. Could one of these fish survived and grew to gigantic proportions?

PONIK, THE MYSTERIOUS MONSTER

The enigma of Ponik made headlines several times. Even the village priest claimed to have seen it, backed up by drawings. Today, the myth of the sea serpent in Lake Pohenegamook (QC) still sustains the curiosity and attracts tourists to the riverside, in hopes of seeing the famous monster.

Strange animals had been sighted, more than three hundred times, on the water’s surface of Lake Champlain, in both Quebec and the United States.

As early as 1609, Samuel de Champlain described enigmatic observations in his journal. Even if the explorer’s descriptions correspond to large fish like pikes, the mystery surrounding the Lake Champlain waters is still present.

Many expeditions were organized to further explore the inlets of the lake. A team of scientists had even recorded sound waves, similar to those a whale produces.

CHAMP, the monster of Champlain lake

The descriptions of Champ vary. This mysterious creature was between 3 and 30 meters long. It had dark skin, and a humpbacked body. Its head resembled that of a snake or a dog.

From the 1800’s, fossil hunters have discovered the existence of the plesiosaurs, prehistoric marine reptiles, dating back 160 million years. The impressive size and ferocious appearance of these marine carnivores captivated the public’s imagination.

Even today, many marine reptile fossils are found throughout the world. Numerous testimonies involving marine monsters with strange forms match the plesiosaur description. Could these marine monsters and other sea serpents actually be survivors from the Jurassic era?

Paleontologists believe the plesiosaurs were probably slow swimmers, due to the morphology of their body. However, they were also clever predators because of their flexible neck and strong pointed teeth.

In 1994, the remains of a 2.6 meter (8.5 ft) long plesiosaur was discovered in a mine north of Alberta. In 1999, a 23 meter (75 ft) long ichthyosaur fossil was found north of British Columbia.