The Hook Island Monster

[Urisk]

Thought it might be interesting to revisit an old story and picture that certainly captured my imagination as a kid getting into the Unexplained.

http://scienceblogs.com/tetrapodzoology/2008/07/07/hook-island-monster-tadpole/ A nice little blog here.

It would seem that nowadays what was regarded curiously as a possible proof of real sea monsters, is generally accepted as a hoax, but how would this have been done? The article suggests (via Heuvelmans) as plastic sheeting weighed down. It's still an evocative and chilling picture, iconic and capable of capturing the imagination, is it not?

[Cryptid-Seeker]

For years I pondered what it could be until someone told me it was a hoax. Although how it could have been done is beyond me

[Keel M.]

I'm sure there were ways to fake photographs in the 60s. It just might've taken longer than a few clicks that are required today.

[Classified Document]

This creature you speak of is REAL. In my past life when I was an anteater. I was out fishing on my boat, focusing mainly on how I was going to operate my fishing rod due to not having hands. All of a sudden my boat (that was a RENTAL!) Got completly destroyed by a strong jolt of something underneath my boat. I let out a scream "eooeooeohhnsns" (That's anteater for F*%K MY LIFE!) I landed in the water and had to quickly collect myself. I saw a small dark figure swimming towards me (It was probably about the size of a small office building) So I had to use my olympic like skill to swim back to shore. Once on land I marveled at what I had just witnessed...

This is me a year later, trying to forget about the past......

Trying to forget about the.....Hook Island Monster.

[SubjectDigamma]

Really mature

[Urisk]

This creature you speak of is REAL. In my past life when I was an anteater. I was out fishing on my boat, focusing mainly on how I was going to operate my fishing rod due to not having hands. All of a sudden my boat (that was a RENTAL!) Got completly destroyed by a strong jolt of something underneath my boat. I let out a scream "eooeooeohhnsns" (That's anteater for F*%K MY LIFE!) I landed in the water and had to quickly collect myself. I saw a small dark figure swimming towards me (It was probably about the size of a small office building) So I had to use my olympic like skill to swim back to shore. Once on land I marveled at what I had just witnessed...

This is me a year later, trying to forget about the past......

Trying to forget about the.....Hook Island Monster.

Why were you fishing if you ate ants? You don't get ants in the sea, and ants are inexpensive, thus not neccessitating catching fish to sell... In fact you could've earned a living eating ants as a pest control officer.

[Sir Wearer of Hats]

it'd get mighty boring just eating ants

[little_dreamer]

I remember seeing the photo in one of Colin Wilson's books. I found it a little creepy at the time. The fact that there were not other sightings of the creature by local people made me a bit suspicious. The explanation given was that it could have been a school of fish. I found out about the hoax a year or two ago.

[Simbi Laveau]

I've never heard of it before.

In the 60s ,the only way to fake a photo,was double exposure,and using a dummy monster .

This looks like neither .

I would say oar fish ,but the head is all wrong .

[Classified Document]

On a serious note those pictures are pretty impressive. Especially the one where it shows the creatures head close up. Good for an old photo. I'd also like to think the old photos are authentic, since we didn't have goold ol photoshop back then. I'd really like to find out how they did it!

Sorry for my last post Urisk.

[Urisk]

No probs, I found it quite fun.

I guess this one will just be a case of "we know it's a fake, we just don't know why..."? It's a shame because growing up I'd always hoped this would be the definative proof that sea serpents existed.

[PersonFromPorlock]

IIRC, one explanation given was that the 'monster' is actually a very dense school of fish. The 'eyes' on the head I can't explain, but I wonder if they were 'noticed' before digital image manipulation became available.

[Q-C]

Such a truly bizarre looking animal. I'd love to have been the first to lay eyes on one! Nature has such a sense of humor!

[Orcseeker]

I share the same past of this as you Urisk. However at the time I saw it, the accompanying story which came with it didn't explain the other guy on the boat. The multiple pictures of this given the situation of the apparent witnesses suggests it is indeed a hoax. A great one nonetheless.

I believe it would have been possible as suggested to get the sheet of plastic and weigh it down with sand or have hooks holding it down.

The real thing that captured the possibility of a different line of thought other than to just call out "fake", was that it doesn't look similar to the conventional sea serpent structure usually portrayed.

I always kinda hope things like this exist.

[ReaperS_ParadoX]

I share the same past of this as you Urisk. However at the time I saw it, the accompanying story which came with it didn't explain the other guy on the boat. The multiple pictures of this given the situation of the apparent witnesses suggests it is indeed a hoax. A great one nonetheless.

I believe it would have been possible as suggested to get the sheet of plastic and weigh it down with sand or have hooks holding it down.

The real thing that captured the possibility of a different line of thought other than to just call out "fake", was that it doesn't look similar to the conventional sea serpent structure usually portrayed.

I always kinda hope things like this exist.

me to I always hope things like this exist and we just dont know about them yet

[Overdueleaf]

This creature you speak of is REAL. In my past life when I was an anteater. I was out fishing on my boat, focusing mainly on how I was going to operate my fishing rod due to not having hands. All of a sudden my boat (that was a RENTAL!) Got completly destroyed by a strong jolt of something underneath my boat. I let out a scream "eooeooeohhnsns" (That's anteater for F*%K MY LIFE!) I landed in the water and had to quickly collect myself. I saw a small dark figure swimming towards me (It was probably about the size of a small office building) So I had to use my olympic like skill to swim back to shore. Once on land I marveled at what I had just witnessed...

This is me a year later, trying to forget about the past......

Trying to forget about the.....Hook Island Monster.

Funny stuff.

I always though the hook island monster looked like a tadpole on steroids... hard to say how this photo was faked but i have a hard time believing that it is a genuine photo of a sea serpent.

As pertaining to the questions of if there have been any satsifactory explanations... seeing how none of the hypothetical explanations have been successfully demonstrated.. any one of them could be satisfactory for someone who wants to believe it

Edited December 28, 2012 by Overdueleaf