BILK

Magazine Overview

Title: BILK
Issue: NUMBER SEVEN
Volume: SECOND YEAR
Date: MARCH 1986
Publisher: ULRICH MAGIN
Frequency: Bi-monthly
Subscription: £3 for Europe, $5 for the USA.

This issue of Bilk magazine, number seven and in its second year of publication, is edited by Ulrich Magin and appears bi-monthly. The cover prominently features the headline "NEW NESSIE PHOTOGRAPHS BY AMERICAN TOURIST SHOW HEAD AND NECK" and includes a cartoon logo for Bilk.

Behemoth: Lake Kol-Kol, USSR

The magazine reports on a team of experts from the Soviet Academy of Sciences who claim to have solved the 10-year-old riddle of a monstrous serpent in Lake Kol-Kol, Kazakhstan, USSR. TASS reported that an expedition from the Institute of Evolutionary Morphology and Ecology of Animals found a natural explanation: the deep lake is connected to underground cavities by mud-covered cracks. When mud is washed away and water rushes down, large whirlpools appear, and if air is sucked in, the lake starts 'singing.' This explanation was reported in The Times on January 18, 1986. The article notes that the first report of a monster in Kol-Kol appeared in The Times about 10 years prior, by geographer A. Pechersky, who saw a snakelike monster.

New Nessie Photographs by American Tourist Show Head and Neck

This section details photographs taken on April 1st, 1986, by American tourist John K. Eel near Altsich Youth Hostel at the mouth of Altsigh Burn. The first picture shows a creature swimming past the photographer at a distance of about 40 feet. The second picture, taken some minutes later, shows the hump fully submerged with the head and neck showing its full length. Eel sent these photos after reading an article about "Dead Nessies in Pursuit."

Other Cryptozoological Reports

Africa

The German magazine "GEO" reported in its January 1986 edition about the International Society of Cryptozoology, mentioning Heuvelmans, Mackal, and Regusters, and their opinions on African dinosaurs. This is noted as one of the first mentions of cryptozoology in a prominent German publication.

Loch Ness

Continuing an attempt to find all reports of dead Nessies, the magazine references a report from the Süddeutsche Zeitung on November 22, 1973, stating that a Japanese expedition found "unidentified bones" in Loch Ness. This find is presented as completing a collection of roughly two dozen reports of dead monsters in the loch.

Loch Ness Movie

German director Rudolf Zehetgruber produced a comedy movie called "Nessie," partly filmed in Scotland and partly in German studios. The film, shown in some cinemas in November, vanished from programs quickly and was considered an obvious flop. The article mentions that it must have been horrible, with German TV-clown Ilja Richer as the main actor, citing Gong (June 2, 1984) and the Birmingham Post (December 7, 1985).

Lake Champlain

Joe Zarzynski, in a letter accompanying the recent issue of "Champ Channels," informed that the subscription had to be raised to $9 for the USA and $10 for foreign countries. The newsletter update on "Champ" sightings indicates that most are made in the narrow parts of the lake, making it a favorite spot for freak waves. The description of reports is often too short to determine if a wave or a monster was observed. "Champ Channels" can be ordered from L.C.P.I., PO-Box 2134, Wilton, New York 12866.

Isis: Mermaid Cases

Yemen

The Madrid/Spain newspaper ABC reported on a strange fish caught in the Red Sea near Yemen, which had a fishtail and two legs of a woman. The source was reportedly London papers, but the report could not be found in the Daily Telegraph or Times. The article suggests this sounds like a Jenny Haniver.

Hurghada, Egypt

Native fishermen reportedly caught three sirens, reported by the Cairo newspaper 'Al Ahram.' Two were female, one male. ABC wonders why the Egyptian paper reported it without sensationalism, but misses the point that 'sirens' here likely means dugongs, not mermaids.

Hispanola

The magazine "GEO" (January 1986) has a story about the Florida Manati, mentioning that Columbus was the first to see them, alluding to his mermaid encounter. However, the article suggests that what Columbus saw were not sea cows but three mermaids that jumped high out of the water, something sea cows do not do. Columbus also described manatees without using the mermaid allusion later.

Leviathan: Sea Serpent Sightings

Belle Isle, Britanny, France

Two or three sightings of a long-necked sea serpent were made recently (likely 1985). Experts declared that only the tails of the shark Alopias vulpinus had been observed, but the article finds this unlikely as the tails move opposite to the suggested movement of a long-necked sea serpent.

Falmouth, Cornwall

After writing to the coastguard and the Falmouth Packet with no reply, the author received information about a "Morgawr" sighting from J. and C. Bord. Jenny Halstead and Alice Lee from Yorkshire spotted the creature near Falmouth in July. They were too astonished to take a photo but made a drawing that looks more like a giant squid than a long-necked mammal. The author finds the drawing unconvincing, suggesting the head-neck might have been the tail, or it could have been a whale. The witnesses described seeing a "genuine living monster of the deep" from a position overlooking the sea. The article criticizes the Falmouth Packet for its careless reporting of monster stories.

Marine Forteana

Ship Disappearance

At the end of January, the German ship 'Erlenhain' vanished without a trace around Brest, France, in the Gulf of Biskaya. The ship, sailing under Panama's flag with a crew of seven, had no SOS or other signs of disaster. Another German ship found an empty boat from the 'Erlenhain.' Forty ships and planes searched but failed to find any trace.

Name Game

A funny name game occurred that week with several shipping accidents and sinkings due to storms. The German freighter 'Bremen' saved the crew of a damaged yacht from San Francisco, USA, named 'Under Repair IV.'

Editor's Note on Hoaxes

Ulrich Magin addresses readers who believe he does not know English well, clarifying that "BILK" has a specific meaning beyond abbreviations. He acknowledges that the business of monsters is full of lies and mistakes, and admits that a hoax appeared in this issue: the pictures on page 1 are both from him, taken at Loch Ness, but the first shows a log, and the second is a painting on the negative. He solemnly assures readers that this will be the only hoax he has ever published.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

This issue of Bilk magazine consistently explores reports of unidentified aquatic creatures, commonly referred to as lake monsters and sea serpents, across various global locations including the USSR, Scotland, North America, and Europe. The magazine also delves into alleged mermaid sightings and other fortean phenomena, such as unexplained ship disappearances. The editorial stance appears to be one of critical investigation, presenting various accounts while also offering skeptical explanations (as seen with the Kol-Kol monster) and acknowledging potential hoaxes. The editor, Ulrich Magin, aims to provide a platform for these reports while maintaining a degree of critical distance, as evidenced by his admission of a staged photograph in this issue.