Sea Serpents of Casco Bay

I have posted earlier on the possibility of sea serpents and noted several rare sightings from scattered sources.  Now I have come across this piece in which the creature is localized and we have many sightings of several likely specimens.

As stated before, the likely creature is able to absorb oxygen through external gills and likely spends most of its time in deep waters with little reason to surface.  This bay and environs may actually be a breeding ground to which they concentrate periodically.

I have also conjectured that the females return to specific deep fresh water lakes in order to produce a clutch of eggs.

All of which covers off the known reports

During the past century, sea traffic became a noisy enterprise effectively warning of larger marine life.  Most reports are about vessels running silently that are suddenly confronted by the creature.  Even with future battery systems, props are noisy.  The advent of the prop made sightings rarer and difficult.

The dates coincide with the heyday of working sailing ships on the East coast in particular when they were the dominant sailors on earth.

Cassie: The Casco Bay Sea Serpent

Saturday, August 2, 2008

http://mainemysteries.blogspot.com/2008/08/cassie-casco-bay-sea-serpent.html

Casco Bay is a deep inlet off the Atlantic Ocean in southwest Maine. Its wooded hilly islands are a popular vacation area and its icy waters are reportedly the home of a giant sea serpent like creature. Reports of this creature, named Cassie by the locals, can be traced as far back as the 18th century, with, as Bernard Heuvelmans points out, most of the sightings occurring between 1777 and 1877 in New England. Two thirds of these sightings were off Maine, though it would appear the Massachusetts reports attracted the most attention.

In 1751, in Broad Bay and in 1779, in Penobscot Bay, men fishing the Atlantic coastal shelf often reported the sightings of sea serpents. One of the earliest documented sightings that could be found, reported by noted cryptozoologist Loren Coleman, occurred in 1779, when Edward Preble, an 18 year old ensign, who would later become a commodore, had an encounter with a serpent like creature while aboard a ship called the Protector. On a clear and calm day Preble discovered a large serpent lying motionless near the ship. After inspecting it for some time, Preble was ordered by his captain to man and arm a large boat, Preble shoved off and headed for the creature. As he neared the serpent, it raised it’s head about ten feet above the surface of the water, looked at Preble, and began to move slowly away. Preble fired a round at the beast which caused the creature to swim off faster and disappear.

Another early account of Cassie occurred in May of 1780, when Captain George Little of Boston saw a 45 foot long serpentine creature in Broad Bay, Maine. Captain Little said the man sized head was carried about 5 feet out of the water. During June and July of 1818 others claimed to have seen a sea serpent in Portland Bay. In the 1900’s many sightings were reported off Woods Island, Maine, including a sighting by Mrs. F.W. Saunderson in 1912. Mrs. Saunderson, along with two dozen passengers aboard a steamer traveling from New York to Portland, Maine, witnessed an enormous head, long neck and barrel sized body appearing off the starboard side.

Saunderson’s reported that the creature rose about 20 feet above the water, remained erect for half a minute or so, its head turning slowly as it if to take a good look at its surroundings, and then slipped back into the water. In the late 1930’s and 1940’s encounters with the Cassie were also reported in Eastport, Maine.

Loren Coleman also interviewed several Maine residents who reported seeing Cassie as late as the 1950’s. In 1986 Coleman wrote the first published article in regards to Cassie, which appeared in the Portland Monthly. His article outlined several sightings and first hand encounters with the creature including an interview with an 81 year old man named Ole Mikkelsen, who reportedly had an encounter with Cassie on the 5th day of June, 1958.

Mikkelsen stated that his day started like any other, he woke up early and headed out to sea with his fishing partner. Around 6 am the men saw an object heading directly for them coming out of the haze, at first they thought it was a submarine, but as it came closer they discovered what ever it was to be alive. What ever the creature was came in and out of the water about 4 times as it continued to head for the two men’s boat, eventually coming up about 125 feet away and stopping, as if to look at them. The two thought of cutting their boats nets and making a run for shore, but lucky the creature made a sharp turn and disappeared into the haze, heading southeast.

Mikkelsen described the beast he saw as being light brown with a lighter underside and neck. He stated that the tail of the creature was like that of a mackerel’s and its body was well over 100 feet in length. The head of the beast stuck out of the water and was broader than its long neck; he could not see any discernible eyes or ears but was certain it could hear and see, stating that every time the Portland Lightship blew its foghorn the creature turned its head in its direction, inspecting the sound.

In recent years sightings of Cassie have been few and far between, researchers have suggested that noisy sea traffic may have caused the creatures responsible for early Cassie sightings to move to a more quiet location. This theory is backed up by the fact that other known marine animals, like seals and dolphins, have since moved on from the areas closer to the Maine shore and Casco Bay seemingly due to the area’s abundant sea traffic.


The Evidence

There is currently no physical evidence to support the existence of a creature like Cassie living in the waters off Maine.

The Sightings

In 1751, in Broad Bay and in 1779, in Penobscot Bay, men fishing the Atlantic coastal shelf often reported the sightings of sea serpents.

In 1779, Edward Preble, an 18 year old ensign, who would later become a commodore, had an encounter with a serpent like creature while aboard a ship called the Protector.

In May of 1780, when Captain George Little of Boston saw a 45 foot long serpentine creature in Broad Bay, Maine.

In 1912, Mrs. Saunderson, along with two dozen passengers aboard a steamer traveling from New York to Portland, Maine, witnessed an enormous head, long neck and barrel sized body appearing off the starboard side.

On the 5th day of June, 1958, Ole Mikkelsen saw an object heading directly for him and his friend while out in their fishing boat, at first they thought it was a submarine, but as it came closer they discovered what ever it was to be alive. What ever the creature was came in and out of the water about 4 times as it continued to head for the two men’s boat, eventually coming up about 125 feet away and stopping, as if to look at them.

The Stats– (Where applicable)

• Classification: Sea Monster

• Size: 10 to 100 feet long

• Weight: Unknown

• Diet: Unknown

• Location: Casco Bay and surrounding areas, Maine, United States of America

• Movement: Swimming

• Environment: Coastal waters of the Atlantic Ocean