The Dismal Swamp Monster

Located on Virginia's southeastern border with North Carolina, between Norfolk, Virginia, and Elizabeth City, North Carolina, is famous for its unique wilderness. The swamp encompassed millions of acres of marshy land.  

Today, it is home to one of the largest Black Bear populations on the East Coast, subtropical birds, butterflies, bobcats, white-tailed deer, and other unknown animals. Sightings of strange creatures and mysterious sounds coming from the swamp are being reported every year to well-known and established websites. 

These sightings coexist with the other events of high strangeness that have been reported through the years. The lady of the lake, the disappearing cemetery, the rise of a thunderbird from Native American lore are but a few of the tales.

The tales of the swamp are well known, yet, this is one of the least explored areas of the United States. The Dismal Swamp has been home for mysteries for centuries and reports of strange creatures have existed for generations. 

One of the oldest reports comes from a 1902 Newspaper article from the Richmond Dispatch.

The creature was larger than a wolf, with shaggy yellow hair, long hair and sunken eyes. In 1981, Ranger Pat Higgins reported in a Washington Post article that there is a creature 7 1/2-feet tall, hairy as a shag rug and smelling like a sewer that comes out of Dismal Swamp periodically to stomp through his park at night.He called it Skunk Foot. 

In folklore, one of the most famous cases of the dogman comes from Michigan and dates  back to the 1880s. Described as a seven-foot tall bipedal canine-like animal with the torso of a man and a fearsome howl that sounds like a human scream. There are similarities to reports. Dogmen have also been reported in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, and Kentucky. 

Also in folklore, Bigfoot is often described as a large, muscular, and bipedal human or ape-like creature covered in dark brown or black hair. Descriptions estimate a height of roughly 6–9 feet. Common descriptions include broad shoulders, no visible neck, and long arms,with some nighttime sightings mentioning yellow or red glowing eyes. There is also a putrid smell associated with sightings. While there are thousands of reports, the most famous is from the Patterson-Gimlin film in California from the late 1960s.  

The Ringmaster's Cryptid Museum - Chessie

Sea Serpent

(Photo Credit: Olaus Magnus’s book History of the Northern People)

One of the things I have been working on at the Ringmaster's Realm is a line of cryptid figures that will become the heart of our crptid museum set. While this has been a slow undertaking because of equipment issues, my research into what will become series one, is ongoing. The first creature I have settled on is Chessie.

For centuries, tales of incredible sea monsters have been woven into cultures from around the world by brave and seasoned mariners. The strange tales have been passed down for generations, backed up by words captured in deck logs and depictions described verbally around many feasts at the dinner table. While some, like the Loch Ness Monster, have found their way into the fabric of pop culture, others survive in obscurity awaiting the day they receive their just due. One such creature is Chessie, the Chesapeake Bays' Sea Monster.

With sightings dating back to 1846, the first widely accepted reported sighting was recorded by a military helicopter sighted during military exercises over the Bush River in 1936. These reports described a large unknown reptilian creature taking refuge in the depths of the river. Yes, that report lacks description, but the fact that this report was made by soldiers on an official exercise add credence and believability to the validity. 

In 1943, a better description was made by a couple of fishermen near Baltimore. Described as black and large, roughly 12 foot long, with a football sized head akin to a horses head, stories of Chessie began to permeate through towns and cities along the Bay. 

Leading up to the current day, sightings of this mysterious serpent have been recorded by people of all walks of life with the similarities between them creating a vivid picture of Chessie. Complete with black skin, the football sized head, and a lack of fins, the existence of this Sea Monster has started to gain acceptability to many that call this region home. But, what is it?

Some experts believe that it is just a manatee the made its way North from the coasts of Florida, others disagree. The fact that the manatee lacks the snake-like movements described in many sightings, seem to put that theory to bed. Others believe that Chessie could be a Basilosaurus, that somehow survived extinction thousands of years ago. In many ways, Chessie does share many characterics with this ancient creature making it an interesting possibilty. Plus, the discovery of the Coelacanth, an ancient dinosaur era fish, does give this theory some legs. But, until one is discovered intact, we will never know for sure. 

Whether a manatee or ancient sea serpent, the legend of Chessie will continue to grow. Here is to hoping a definitive explanation can be made. Until then, keep you eyes and minds open and if you are near the Bay, scan the murky depths for proof that Chessie exists.