CHESSIE - MARYLAND'S SEA MONSTER

Chessie coloring book

Chessie is a sea-monster reported to live in Chesapeake Bay (Maryland).  It is said to be serpentine, measuring 25-40 feet.  The above picture is the cover of a coloring book published by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services.

An early report of Chessie may date from 1840.  The creature described is likely to have been a turtle.  In 1936 an unknown reptile was seen in the Bush River, which flows into the Bay, by a helicopter.  A serpentine creature was reported by fishermen in 1943.  In 1978 a serpent was reported in the Potomac River, which also flows into the Bay.  There were other sightings in this river in 1980.  In August, 1984, there were further sightings. A possible sighting from a boat named the Impasse was reported in 1980, but those involved never claimed to have seen a monster, merely anh animal, which may have been a manatee.  In 2014 a serpentine creature, 25'-30' long, was seen from the Arundel Beach Road at a distance of only 5 feet.

My own suspicion is that we may be dealing here with large eels.  However, we should not forget that a dinosaur called the Astrodon roamed Maryland, but the fossil record would indicate it died out 100 million years ago.  Could there be a few lingering specimens off the Maryland coast?

Chesapeake Bay