![]() ![]() We would know, for instance, if Megalodon-an 18-meter prehistoric shark with teeth the size of salad plates-was still on the rampage nearly 4 million years after its last appearance in the fossil record. There is a fairly good case for that too, but probably not the creatures of your expectations. Monstrous sharks were once very real, which is perhaps enough for some to believe they still might be. Explanations for the phenomena include storm waves, ominous mammatus or thunderhead clouds, and even mirages. In folklore, the umibozu is said to fortell an oncoming storm, and its legend often mingles with that of the funa yueri-the souls of drowned sailors-in that it asks for a ladle with which to fill the boat with water to sink it. With a rounded head resembling a Buddhist monk's shaved scalp- hence the name, meaning ‘sea priest’-the umibozu is variously referenced in Japanese folklore from as early as the 17th century, though its origins are ambiguous. Malevolent manifestationsĪmongst the more ominous of mythical sea phenomena is Japan’s umibozu-who appears out of the night-time seas as a black apparition, often as the waters are becoming rough. All are conjectures, though-which means, in the style of any true sea monster, we really don’t know what might be down there. Proportions still fall somewhat short, however: the largest giant squid specimen so far recorded measured 13 meters in length, with some speculating they could reach 27 meters, and others suggesting bigger still. With toothed suckers, a fearsome beak and eyes the size of dinner plates these invertebrates resemble many of the accounts of the kraken. What we do know is extrapolated from analysis of fearsome, predatory relatives such as the Humboldt squid, the occasional carcass, and the scars observed on creatures such as sharks and sperm whales that do battle with it in the deep. The giant squid, for instance-like its bulkier but shorter southern counterpart the colossal squid-retains a heady mystique, with only a handful of sightings of the living creature on record. waters Video Courtesy: Edie Widder and Nathan Robinson See first-ever video of giant squid in U.S. ![]() ![]() Descriptions of the kraken suggest a compound of creatures and conditions at fanciful sizes, seeming to bear hallmarks of the giant squid, basking shark, sperm whale and crab.Īs late as 1809, botanist George Shaw spoke soberly of the kraken in his zoological lectures to the Royal Institution, citing European relatives of the ‘enormously large’ species of cuttlefish (he was probably confusing them with squid) in the Indian Ocean as being possible culprits for the legend: ‘ A modern Naturalist chooses to distinguish this tremendous species by the title of Colossal cuttle-fish, and seems amply disposed to believe all that has been related of its ravages.’ He goes on to describe a then-recent attack on a boat in ‘African seas’ where three sailors were seized and killed by such a ‘monster.’ A tentacle cut-off during the struggle was the thickness of a ship’s ‘mizzen-mast, and the suckers the size of pot lids.’ĭown-scaling sailor-seizing, ship-crushing proportions, later descriptions steadily de-sensationalized the animal, to the point where it might be recognizable as creatures we now know exist-but remain shadowy. The animal itself (there were thought to be at least two) was immense: the size of an island, confusing sailors by appearing and disappearing in the mist. By fishing over where one lay on the seafloor, the catch would be good, as fish were attracted to its regurgitations. The fable of the kraken was richly developed. Born from the shapeshifting world of Scandinavian mythology, this creature- from the Old Norse term for octopus-is a tentacled creature that lurked in the ocean between Norway and Greenland, occasionally rising to make a meal of any ship foolish enough to get in its way. To sailors of the icy northern seas in the Middle Ages, the kraken was no joke. Here are some of the more famous sea monsters from history-and the case for their real equivalents. And just occasionally, nature has produced a real-life surprise of its own. Some may have been exaggerated from animals we now know are real. Some of these legends have been so intriguing and historically tenacious, science has taken a long, hard look. And the mystery around the deeps, combined with the imaginations and fears of those who sail them, have built up an impressive cast of deep-sea creatures that have terrorized the waters of history for centuries. Unauthorized use is prohibited.Īs for sea monsters in the popular imagination, countless renderings in literature and film has proven-with the exception of perhaps Splash ! and the watery characters in Disney’s Luca-that they’re rarely friendly. ![]()
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