Bilk - no 013 - 1987 03

Magazine Overview

This document is issue number 13/14 of 'BILK', a publication by Ulrich Magin, published in March 1987 from Mutterstadt, West Germany. The publisher notes that this issue lacks the usual drawings and layout but contains ample material, with a promise of more in the next issue. Subscription prices are listed as DM 15, £3, or $8, with a note about raising prices and a request for German currency cheques. The editor welcomes news and views from readers.

Behemoth

The main section, titled 'BEHEMOTH', compiles numerous reports of unidentified creatures and phenomena from various locations.

Loch Ness

Numerous sightings and reports concerning the Loch Ness Monster (LNM) are detailed from 1986. In early June, Brian O'Brian reported seeing a large seal-like object at Strone Point. In June, Allen Greig photographed a mock monster used by Greenpeace. Tony Harmsworth noted six reports that summer, with the best sighting by two families on motorcruisers in July, though Nessie dived before a picture could be taken. Mr. D. MacFarlane had inconclusive sonar recordings of big targets. On August 18, Miss S. Boulton saw a two-humped shape. On August 27, Heather observed a 'dolphin-like head'. In early October, Mrs. Jean Skeldon saw a shadow underwater. In November, a local man saw the animal, and Mr. and Mrs. Lamb observed a small hump described as 'like a large flat grey rock' near Urquhart Castle. N. MacLeod reported a 'large dark shape' at Dores in mid-November. Newsweek featured an Epson advertisement with a computer-created photo of the LNM. Seals were also seen in the River Ness. Adrian Shine intended to conduct a definite sonar search, though the author expresses skepticism about the existence of a real animal, suggesting sightings might be misinterpretations of wakes, birds, or logs. News about Shine's project is cited from various publications.

Steuart Campbell's Anti-Nessie Crusade

The issue mentions Steuart Campbell's ongoing crusade against the Loch Ness Monster, referencing a writer who suggested the loch's link to Vesuvius explains why it never freezes. Other correspondents, including O.D. Gallagher and Lafferty, argued the monster does not exist, while A.J.C. Kerr stated it does.

Spain

Reports of monstrous serpents in Spain are noted, including a 7-meter/23 ft monster appearing in a reservoir at Tabuyo del Monte, Leon province. The creature was seen on dry land, rolled up like a tractor tyre. The author intends to confirm this with Spanish papers.

Storsjø, Sweden

Professor Kent Larsson claims that gas escaping from lake bottom cracks explains the Storsjø monster, a theory the author finds unlikely and not new.

India

Forest officials in Tamil Nadu encountered a 'land dragon' in a dense forest near Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh. The lizard was claimed to be 5.4 meters/18 ft long, exceeding the maximum length of a Komodo dragon. A photographer from the University of Tirupati took pictures. This is noted as the first Indian report of such a creature.

Lake Hanas, China

A short note appeared in Pursuit, Vol. 18, No. 4, P.189.

Australia

A Time magazine report discusses Aboriginal beliefs and sacred places. Bennett Brook in Lockridge, Perth, is described as the 'resting place of Wagyl', a mythical rainbow snake with multiple legs and a horse's mane. The author suggests that many 'eyewitness reports' of land and water dragons might be myths updated for newspapers.

Books

Several books are mentioned: Henry Bauer's 'The Enigma of Loch Ness', Campbell's 'Evidence', McEwan's 'Mystery Animals of Britain and Ireland', and Zarzynski's work on Loch Ness and Lake Champlain. The author also notes a book by 'the Bords' titled 'Mysteries of Britain'.

Dinosaurs

The discovery that alleged human footprints at Paluxy River, Texas, were actually dinosaur prints is mentioned, citing Nature journal. An article in Nature (Vol. 308) discusses creationist 'dinosaurology', the number of dinosaurs in Noah's Ark, and the identification of the biblical Leviathan as a fire-spouting dino. Paluxy is also mentioned in Pursuit and Info Journal.

Isis

Reports of 'nymphs' have ceased, but articles on the 'Indian Waterboy' and 'Steller's Sea Ape' are noted. The Unknown published a report on mermaids from various locations and dates. The New Scientist featured an article on the aquatic origin of mankind. XTC's album 'Skylarking' includes a song called 'Mermaid Smiled'.

Leviathan

A report from Gambia describes a dead seas erpent washed ashore in June 1983, identified by Karl Shuker as a pliosaur, though the author likens it to a beaked whale. In Antarctica, Soviet scientists described a new species of cetacean, Orcinus glacialis. A monstrous white shark, 33 ft/10 m long, has been seen between Pesaro and Rimini, Italy, with a reward offered for its capture. The author suspects these might be basking sharks.

Kraken

A 8-ft giant squid was netted off Half Moon Bay, California, in January 1986. The Lusca, described as a mythical monster (half-shark, half-octopus), is mentioned in relation to the Bahamas, though the New Scientist suggests it represents dangerous whirlpools. A giant octopus was observed off Cannes, and giant octopuses in the Mediterranean have been reported in BILK.

Other Reports

BILD reported on American scientists finding strange animals at depths of 1000 meters with 'unidentified fish with blue eyes and strange front limbs', suggesting a 'lost world' at mid-ocean ridges.

USO

A report from an unidentified magazine and the 'National Enquirer' describes an unidentified submarine that turned into a saucer and saved people from drowning in the Bermuda Triangle.

Sweden

Foreign submarines were reportedly detected in Swedish territorial waters. A Swedish minesweeper filmed a surfaced submarine off Stockholm. The author notes the Russians' ability to avoid military and surface detection while frightening tourists.

Ireland

A 'torpedo' found on a Clare beach was examined by bomb disposal experts. It was 10 feet long, 3 feet in diameter, and painted grey, believed to be of American origin. Another report details a trawler's net becoming entangled with an unidentified submarine off Portavogie, County Down.

Whales

1986 saw numerous whale strandings: a rare saber-toothed whale in Oregon, a school of whales in Perth, Australia, a whale attacking a surfer, a blue whale rammed by a ship, a whale stranded in Scotland, pilot whales in Iceland, an 'Eden-whale' in Louisiana, a 'blue-nosed whale' in Wales, a young 'North Sea whale' in the Meuse/Maas, and multiple pilot whale strandings in East Coast USA and Orkney. A sperm whale stranded in Sicily in January 1987 is also noted.

Attacks

A crocodile killed a bather in an Australian river in September 1986. Another 20-ft croc killed someone in the East Alligator River in March 1987. A 10-ft shark killed a surfer in South Australia in September 1986.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are the persistent reports and investigations into various cryptids, including lake monsters (Loch Ness), sea monsters (sea serpents, pliosaurs, sharks, giant squid, kraken), and land creatures (land dragons, large lizards). The editor, Ulrich Magin, appears to be a collector and disseminator of such reports, presenting them with a degree of skepticism but also with an open mind, as evidenced by his commentary on the Storsjø monster and the Paluxy River dinosaur prints. The magazine also touches upon UFO sightings and unexplained maritime events. The editorial stance seems to be one of documenting these phenomena, often citing multiple sources and encouraging reader contributions, while maintaining a critical perspective on the evidence presented.

Contact Information

Contact details are provided for 'Nessletter', 'Champ Channels', and 'Fortean Times'. Information on obtaining cryptozoological books is also given.