Sea Serpent Caught in southern California!

[Pacman000]

The carcass of a bizarre-looking creature that once spawned tales of sea monsters has been found by a snorkeler in a bay at Santa Catalina Island off Southern California.

The 18-foot-long oarfish was discovered Sunday afternoon by Jasmine Santana, a marine science instructor at the Catalina Island Marine Institute. The oarfish was dead but its slender, snake-like body was intact.

http://www.grindtv.com/outdoor/nature/post/divers-sea-creature-find-is-discovery-of-a-lifetime/

This is cool.  Apparently, the few found alive have been docile.

[Umaril Has Returned]

This IS a cool story.  There is some fact behind every myth, and perhaps these creatures were the "sea serpents" and "dragons" men thought of in the times of anceint mariners.

I know that the electric eel first proved his existence when a fisherman was said to have "went prostrate and rigid, and fell dead to the deck of the ship" (more or less) after stabbing one with a metal harpoon.

Back in those days, there were more sea creatures as they were more abundant, as opposed to now and the fact that there aren't many of any creature left. That, and the silent boats and ships didn't scare them away (as opposed to the noisy engines of today that would have that effect.)   Anyhow, very cool story!

[zelmo73]

We supposedly have a mysterious creature swimming in giant Lake Iliamna up here in Alaska. While not a "sea serpent" or "sea creature", necessarily, it is affectionately known as the Iliamna Lake Monster, and is thought to be a giant sturgeon. Sturgeon are a freshwater fish, and if it is indeed a giant one or two living in the lake, then I can see how the local natives can call it a "monster". The point being that myth and legend coupled by rare sightings can easily turn a natural denizen of the deep into something that stirs the superstitious psyche into something montrous, fed by that natural human fear of the unknown.

[Andrew]

I saw that as well.  If that is 18 feet, just imagine what a monster a 30 foot-long oarfish must be!  Seeing one of those must have helped to create the legend of sea serpents.

The world was a more interesting place when maps had "Here there be monsters" on them.

[Trevor]

The world was a more interesting place when maps had "Here there be monsters" on them.

[BoyScoutKevin]

I saw that as well.  If that is 18 feet, just imagine what a monster a 30 foot-long oarfish must be!  Seeing one of those must have helped to create the legend of sea serpents.

The world was a more interesting place when maps had "Here there be monsters" on them.

Or one almost twice as long, as apparently the largest one found to date was a 56-footer that washed ashore on Scotland's shore in 1808. Though, the one found recently is big enough for me, as I can't wrap my mind around something that is more than 3x as large.

[Umaril Has Returned]

I saw that as well.  If that is 18 feet, just imagine what a monster a 30 foot-long oarfish must be!  Seeing one of those must have helped to create the legend of sea serpents.

The world was a more interesting place when maps had "Here there be monsters" on them.

Well,  while the maps don't say that anymore, whose to say that there aren't any monsters?   

[Umaril Has Returned]

I saw that as well.  If that is 18 feet, just imagine what a monster a 30 foot-long oarfish must be!  Seeing one of those must have helped to create the legend of sea serpents.

The world was a more interesting place when maps had "Here there be monsters" on them.

I can't wrap my mind around something that is more than 3x as large.

You wouldn't be able to wrap your hands around it either! 

[zelmo73]

They found another one that was only 14 feet long in Southern California just the other day: http://www.berkshireeagle.com/ci_24345605/new-14-foot-sea-serpent-found-southern-calif?source=rss_viewed

[Umaril Has Returned]

The thing people should remember is that the ocean is the birthplace for all life, and as
we speak, the deepest depths are now giving birth to new species, as well as allowing established species to develop to their full potential, such as the oarfish in this case.  It makes me wonder of one day we may yet see a living Megalodon or some other creature thought long-dead.