White River Monster

Full grown Elephant Seal

The White River's muddy water edge

Water is indeed a mysterious medium. It can hide the most strange, dangerous and amazing creatures, while they swim within inches of your body. Do you ever wonder, when you take that first step into dark moving water, what else can be in here with me?

The second step,......as you proceed deeper into the dim murkiness,...........will I come out alive?

If not,........then maybe you should. It seems as if bodies of water all around the globe, have a mysterious story to tell, about alarming creatures living in or near them.

A bizarre event has been happening on and off for the last century, in the mystic waters of the White River, Arkansas. The town of Newport has been seeing a very odd creature since 1915, and each time it makes an appearance, an uproar can be heard from coast to coast.

What in the world are they seeing?

A dark, massive creature, the size of four pick-up trucks, with smooth slick skin, that at times appeared to be lumping and peeling off of it's body. The massive head has a rather large and elongated snout, with a bone like protrusion or horn projecting from it's forehead. It was slow moving going down into the water, then resting on the surface. While some witnesses reported no visible legs on the creature, others stated that massive 3 toed prints were found all along the muddy river banks. Occasionally it was known to emitted a low, guttural, mooing sound.

Well,........this doesn't sound like anything I have ever seen in a river! Lets go on.........

The most publicised account of the creature was in July of 1937. Mrs. Wyatt, a sharecropper who lived near the river's water edge, came out of her home to draw water from her well. While looking about the scenery, she noticed the creature slowly moving in the water. Confused and concerned about what she was witnessing, she ran into her home to inform her husband. Dee listened to his wife, then went outside for a look. Sure enough,........there it was, a massive creature quietly going up and down in the water. Dee proceeded to tell farmer Bateman, who upon seeing the creature for himself stated, " It was as big as a box car.....and as slick as a slimy elephant without legs."

Farmer Bateman went to Newport with the story and the nation's press ran with it. County Deputy Z. B. Reid, accompanied Bateman back to the location in questioned and was able to witness a 30' ring of bubbles and foam where the creature broke the water. Reid was reported as saying, " It looked like a large Sturgeon or Catfish."

It was regarded as a thrilling moment in time. A mystery creature in our waters! The Newport chamber of commerce erected a fence around the area where the creature was spending most of his time...........and painted a sign that read,.... "25 cents to view the monster." To direct the crowds to the official spot, signs were placed on all area roads stating, "This Way to the White River Monster."

A deep water diver, named Charles B. Brown, was hired by the chamber of commerce to dive into the water with the creature. The town was in an excited state over this new development. Brown met with and talked at length with Bateman and Wyatt.. then said, " In my opinion ..it's nothing more than a large fish.......maybe a catfish."

Never the less, Brown would not go into the water without a prepared 8' harpoon.

Talk had reached Washington, where the Bureau of Fisheries believed (without once seeing it), that it may be an Alligator-gar, which can reach sizes of 20 feet! It seemed as if everyone had a theory,......some believed it was a Sturgeon, others a Devil fish, even "Old Blue",.......the name of the legendary giant catfish of the Mississippi, was included in the list.

The day of the dive arrived and hundreds of people from all over the region, lined the banks of the river. The whole town of Newport declared it an unofficial holiday! A circus like atmosphere sprang up where barbecued sandwiches and ice cold beverages were being sold to the onlookers. A loud speaker was set up to announce the proceedings as the diver went into the water. Brown was submerged for an agonizing long hour and fifteen minutes. The crowd was in a hushed and nervous state, busily munching on the snacks they had purchased. When Brown emerged, he said the visibility was poor, (due to recent rains), and he could only see maybe 3 or 4 inches in front of his face. Brown tried once more later that afternoon but ended the dive with no success.

The excitement was at a heightened pitch that day and the river side festivities continued on into the night. Lights were lit and what would be called "The Monster Dance" commenced.

The following day, most of the crowd was asleep from the late night festivities and very few turned out to see Brown make another attempt at finding the creature. A problem with the air valve caused the diver to return to the surface for air. Exasperated, Brown reported once again he could see nothing in the immediate water area and the crowd faded away to nothingness and quiet,..... once more on the river bank.

Forward to the summer of 1971, when a furry of activity was once again drawn to the river banks, amid numerous reports of creature sightings and foot prints. Massive three toed tracks, 14 inches in length were found going in and out of the water, from Townhead Island. Something of incredible size was moving about in the area, crushing small trees and smashing down bushes.

That is when Ollie Ritcherson and Joey Dupree decided they wanted to investigate the territory for themselves. The two adventurers took a boat out on the water and drifted along, all the while watching with nervous anticipation. Abruptly the boat stopped dead in the water and they proceeded to rise up out of the gloomy depths. The two immediately realised,....... they were on the back of a massive creature!

The episode supposedly ended without harm to the animal .....or the amateur investigators.

Fish and wildlife experts now believe that the White River Monster is possibly an Elephant Seal, that was terribly lost. It is possible that the animal could have made it's way up the Mississippi, from it's natural habitat of the ocean. Considering Elephant Seals are capable of reaching sizes of 16 feet and weighing in at around 7,500lbs., with long snouts, and bone like protrusions growing from their heads, deep mooing sounds and moulting skin,....it certainly seems like we could have a match.

However, what about the three toed prints?

What about all the witnesses who thought it resembled more of a fish type creature?

What about the life span?.....Elephant Seals live to around 15 years old and this creature has been sighted since 1915,... is there a breeding population............or.............. are that many animals getting lost up river?

Could the White River Monster be some entirely new animal that prefers the fresh water of the river?

Make sure you keep the unknown in mind on your next trip to the river. You never know what swims beneath you!

Want to see a 2 minute video?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oux6AnqhK0M

Oklahoma Octopus

Life has a way showing up in the most unexpected places. Can man made lakes contain a human eating monster? Well according to witnesses,.......YES THEY CAN.

Drownings had increased by 40% in the year 2008, from the previous year, according to Oklahoma Lake Patrol. What is really spooky, is when they search for their bodies ( of the people suspected of being preyed upon)......they are never found.

What lakes are involved in the water monster controversy?

*Lake Oologah- Holds 29,500 acres of water and is formed along the Verdigris River.

*Lake Tenkiller- Was created by damming the Illinois River for hydroelectric power and flood control, in 1947-1952. The lake covers 12,900 acres.

*Lake Thunderbird- Holds 6,000 acres of water and was constructed in 1962- 1965, to provide water to the surrounding communities.

Are people being dragged to their deaths inside these lakes?

Lets go back to 2007,....and what was suppose to be a nice family outing in Oklahoma. A young boy starts screaming while out in the water, .....he is shrieking that something is pulling him under!

Air Rescue is called in and attempts to find the boy however, the boy never returns to the surface.

There is no denying that drowning rates are rising in the state of Oklahoma and when examined closely, good swimmers going down and not resurfacing, can not easily be explained.

Whether they witnessed a friend or a loved one survive an ordeal or they survived the encounter themselves,.....one item is constant,......the people involved claimed they were being pulled under!

Lakes around the planet report mysterious creatures living within them, that science has yet to understand. Man made lakes would be the perfect home for a water loving creature,.....but how did it get there?

It wouldn't be the first time that a species was relocated by human hands,.....(or otherwise) into a foreign environment. Look a the predatory Asian Snakehead found in numerous bodies of water, inside the United States,.......the vicious Red -bellied Piranha fished out of the water, for the last three years in Missouri Lake.

Well,..... what are people seeing in the Oklahoma Lakes?

A behemoth octopus the size of a cow or horse, whose massive, suction cup tentacles have been described as reddish- brown in color.

Octopus in the ocean have been known to reach incredible sizes of 600 lbs, with arm spans of 30 feet! ( A documented record.) They have two ever watchful, large eyes, and four pairs of powerful arms covered in circular suction cups, that hold fast to it's prey. The mouth is located where all the arms come together, under the head,... in the center of this area, you will find a hard and extremely strong beak. The majority of octopus have no skeleton system, either internal or external, so they are capable of fitting into shockingly small spaces. Choosing to hide until it is time to eat, they are very illusive by nature, but have been found in ocean areas all around the globe. These amazing creatures have the ability to change color and have be recorded mimicking shapes of other animals when predators are near.

Their intelligence is off the charts! Octopus have been recorded learning by observation and have shown they are good with mazes, problem solving and the use of tools.

More examples of intellect include,.......

*Fishermen have claimed to find a stealth octopus, that quietly climbed aboard the vessel, opened the hold where the crabs are kept, and proceeded to go inside and eat the captive crabs!

*Octopus have been recorded lifting the lid of their aquarium, crawling out.......walking to another aquarium (that was in it's view)........ crawling inside,.......eating the contents.............then returning to it's own aquarium once more, where it even returns the aquarium lid!

Indeed,.....the intellect of these water creatures is astounding!

OK, so we have determined that they can grow very large with tremendous strength and have the ability to plan and think things through........but can they live in fresh water?

Currently there are NO KNOWN fresh water species of octopus, however they may have the ability to adapt to fresh water. Many other species in nature have proven that change is not only possible, it is a constant. Several examples come to mind...........

*Jellyfish once thought only capable of living in ocean waters, has adapted itself to live in fresh water.

*Bull Sharks once believed to be ocean dwellers only, are known to swim up rivers and in other areas of the world ,....swim in their lakes!

I don't know what is happening in these lakes.....but it is obvious ....SOMETHING IS.

Remember everyone laughed at the sailors of old, who spoke of giant octopus attacking their ships,.......the public responded with, "WELL IF WE DON'T SEE IT----then it must have been imagined." Flash forward to 2006, when science finally recognised the giant 65 foot long squid,.... weighing as much as two school buses and is known to attack whales.

Doubters beware,.........truth is always stranger than fiction.

Want to see a brief video by Animal Planet?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJbofdlMZm8

The Man-Eating Devil Dragon of Australia

Giant Megalania of Australia

Deadly Komodo Dragon

Located in the Daintree Rainforest of Australia is a human eating dragon! The descriptions of eye witnesses, exactly match what once walked upon the earth in the prehistoric days,................a Megalania.

The Megalania, according to science, went extinct 40,000 years ago and was considered the largest ground lizard that ever walked the planet, at more then a 1,000 pounds! The sharp serrated teeth are pointed inward, to latch onto flesh, so that when the beast yanks it's head away, it will tear out large chunks of bloody tissue. Long dirty claws dig and rip into the prey animal, while it's thick powerful tail is used to knock down the victim, where it can be bitten and eaten at leisure. Just like it's cousin, the Komodo Dragon, they are surprisingly fast for their weight and size. Known to hide their incredible dimensions in tall grass and sit stealthily, awaiting the unsuspecting for it's next meal. By the time the target notices it's putrid smell and looks about for the culprit,.......it is too late. The Dragon has viciously ambushed ........and the targeted prey is being agonizingly consumed.

Aside from it's bacteria laden saliva, the Megalania was believed to be venomous, thus the unfortunate would become paralyzed where bitten and helplessly lay there, until the frantic snapping of fierce jaws, inevitably resulted in death.

The native Aboriginal tribes of Australia, have passed down lore from their forefathers, that talk of a giant man eating lizard. The monster was responsible for terrorizing and eating their people, they call it, 'Mungoon-galli."

The much feared and lethal Komodo Dragon, is said to be the closest living relative of the ancient Megalania. Both dragons are alike in many ways, highly aggressive ..with poisonous bacteria, in the saliva of their mouths, to infect any prey that is bitten but may get away. If the prey does not immediately get eaten, it will inevitably die of infection and the relentless dragon will track it, through it's extraordinary sense of smell, .....for miles. They will eat almost anything, dead or alive,......... these beasts have even been known to eat one another! Dragons have the ability to stretch their jaws to wrap around large body parts, like a snake ......and with their thick, scaly folds of skin, and beady reptile eyes, they present a terrifying picture indeed!
Think you can out run them? Think again,......they are as fast running up a hill, as a human is running, on flat land.

The Komodo would be the smaller of the two, reaching sizes of 10-15 feet in length.

The Megalania, also known as the Devil Dragon is reported to be 20-25 feet in length!

Can you imagine either of these two charging you?

(You can shudder now.)

Komodos are true predators, they can take down a water buffalo and will eat humans when given the chance. Divers who have risked being in the same waters as a Dragon, have reported being pursued and attacked while on a dive. In Indonesia, a child was killed when he walked to the bushes to relieve himself and a fisherman was attacked and killed in the same manner when he came ashore to forage for some fruit, in the thick of the woods. Even a park ranger was attacked, when the beast quietly slithered on it's stumpy legs up the stairs and walked into the structure. It grabbed the unsuspecting ranger, who was working at his desk! Don't even consider resting in Dragon infested territory,.........a Swiss tourist that was with a group, sat for a moment to catch his breath, little did he know he was being stalked,......by a hungry Dragon. The tourist was consumed,.....all that was found of him in the search, was his camera.

Yes, these Dragons have a history of eating humans......... but is the Komodo's larger cousin doing the same thing in Australia?

It would not be a first time for science to think an animal was extinct, that was in actuality was very much alive.

Before 1912, we didn't even know the Komodo Dragon existed. The majority of the world still didn't believe it until 1926, when the American Museum of Natural History brought back two live specimens.

People continue to see this ancient creature, from time to time and insist that the Devil Dragon is still around. Unexplainable disappearances of numerous people, as well as suspicious prints found in the last known area the unfortunate person was in, lead us to believe it is feasting upon humans when the opportunity presents itself!

A farmer in Queensland Australia discovered bones on his land, that were later determined by specialists in the field, to belong to a Megalania. Paleontologists believed the bones to be only 300 years old!
In 1979, a Cryptozoologist by the name of Rex Gilroy, was called in to identify massive prints left in a freshly plowed field. A cast was made of what remained of the walking path the creature had taken, it matched what would be considered a Megalania, or...........a Devil Dragon!





October 12. 1968, Queensland, Australia, reports come in of a 40 foot long lizard!



1977, Townsville, Australia, campers are surprised and terrorized by a massive reptile. The tracks later found, indicate a 30 foot long animal! Newspapers ran with the story.


Another modern day account, speaks of a missing camper's watch and sandal, that were discovered along side of mysterious tracks,....... that could not be identified.



How could something so large be walking around and we are unable to readily see it?



The answer would be the pristine beauty and remoteness of the areas involved. The Daintree Rainforest in Australia contains 4,000 square miles of magnificent territory,.............containing 676 KNOWN species and............. only 78 people who call it home.

So, feel like walking into the wilderness to pick some fruit or stroll through the swaying tall grass of the fields? Better consider the area you are in before you do, ...............as Dragons think humans taste like chicken.


Here is a brief 2 minute video by Animal Planet.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvb_s_RwiO8