At the beginning of the 21st Century monsters still roam the remote, and sometimes not so remote, corners of our planet. It is our job to search for them. The Centre for Fortean Zoology [CFZ] is - we believe - the largest professional, scientific and full-time organisation in the world dedicated to cryptozoology - the study of unknown animals. Since 1992 the CFZ has carried out an unparalleled programme of research and investigation all over the world. Since 2009 we have been running the increasingly popular CFZ Blog Network, and although there has been an American branch of the CFZ for over ten years now, it is only now that it has a dedicated blog.

Sunday 29 November 2015

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




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