Bilk - no 027 - 1989 01

Magazine Overview

This is BILK issue 27, dated January 1989. Edited by Ulrich Magin and published in West Germany, it is a subscription-based magazine costing 15 German Marks for six issues per year. The magazine focuses on topics related to cryptozoology and unexplained phenomena.

Behemoth: Loch Ness

The issue begins with a discussion on the Loch Ness Monster, featuring an article by Steuart Campbell from the British Journal of Photography. Campbell proposes that many reports of Nessie can be explained as waves and wakes left by passing vessels. The editor agrees with this assessment and cites examples such as the 1960 Dobbs sighting, the 1960 Bruce Ing report, the 1933 Scot II sighting, and the 1955 McNab photo. The editor also adds the Goodbody report from late 1933, where a many-humped monster was observed during a snowstorm, with the number of humps varying, which is presented as typical of a wake effect.

International Reports

Wannsee, Berlin

A German tabloid, Bild am Sonntag, featured a photo of a dummy monster in the Wannsee lake in Berlin, with the headline "How did Nessi (sic!) get into the Wannsee?". The dummy was part of a Scotland Fair in Berlin, highlighting the association of Scotland with Nessie for many Germans.

China

Several articles are mentioned concerning Lake Hanas near Urumqi in North China. Two new reports, with different names and spellings, are presented. One from "Das neue China" (5/1988) reprints a Xinhua press release about Lake Lacikai, where scientists are hunting a 10-yard, red fish. Another article from "China im Bild" (Nov 1988) discusses Lake Kanas in Xinjiang, identifying the creature as a giant Hucho taimen, though the largest spotted by scientists was only 4 yards long. A color picture of the lake and a pavilion is included.

Switzerland

In Lake Lugano, several people reported observing a large water serpent, described as a cobra. There were multiple sightings, with one account mentioning its death by being swallowed by a swan. The reports are presented as possibly a rumor or an escaped pet serpent. In Lago Maggiore (German: Langensee), a monster was reported by Costello and more recently in the "Glarner Nachrichten". Giant fish, including a catfish (silurus glanus), have been caught, and this is suggested as a possible explanation for European lake monster reports. Additionally, a "giant rat" caught near the Italian border was identified as a Nutria (Myocastor coypus), an animal kept in fur farms that had escaped and crossed into Switzerland.

Taiwan

According to the Free China Journal, August is a month when ghosts are said to roam Taiwan, with the possibility of swimmers being dragged underwater by a "water ghost". No casualties were reported.

Books and Publications

ISIS

Elaine Morgan's book "The Aquatic Ape" has been published in German as "Kinder des Ozeans" by Geldrann in Zurich. The book posits that humans had an aquatic past, which could explain phenomena like the American aquatic Sasquatch and mermaids. The article references further discussion on "aquatic apes" in "The Listener" from May 12, 1960, by A. Hardy.

Bipedia

Francois de Sarre's ideas on human evolution, previously mentioned in BILK 21, are now presented in a new computer-set magazine called "Bipedia". This magazine features articles in English and French, with abstracts in English. Some aspects of Sarre's theory are relevant to aquatic cryptozoology, questioning if marine hominids exist. Subscriptions are $15 or FF 100, and "Bipedia" is published by the Centre d'etudes et de recherches sur la bipedie initiale (CERBI).

General

Gerard van Leusden sent an article in Dutch on mermaids, titled "Het geheim van de zeemeermin" (The Secret of the Merman) by Hans van Kampen. The article is described as comprehensive, covering psychology, sightings, Lehn's mirage theory, and more.

Other Sightings and Reports

Lizard Man

The "INFO Journal" has an adventure report on the observation of lizard man-like creatures in Virginia. These creatures are also linked to Edgar Dacqué's theory of evolution and are compared to Karel Capek's intelligent newts and Lovecraft's newt-men, as well as the depicted lizard men on the faked "Inca-Stones of Ica".

Leviathan (Wales)

The Welsh leatherback turtle, previously mentioned, was caught off Harlech, near Barmouth, marking the end of another "sea monster" mystery. Biologists were puzzled by its presence, though these turtles frequently visit Britain and are often confused with sea monsters.

Sellafield

According to a radio station (HR 1), people have observed sea monsters off the Sellafield coast in England, near the nuclear plant. The report is unverified, and it's suggested it might be a misunderstanding, as deformed fish are regularly found in the Irish Sea.

Kraken (Newfoundland)

A 5-man expedition was planned to hunt for giant squids in a mini-submarine in Bonavista Bay, Newfoundland. Biologist Fred Aldrich of Memorial University aimed to be the first to observe living squids of that size. This expedition, part of the National Geographic Society, involved dives in November. Giant squids had been spotted in the bay in previous Octobers and Novembers, with attempts made to capture them alive.

Greece

Tim Severin's "The Quest for Ulysses" in "National Geographic" (Aug 1986) identifies Scylla's Cave with Leukas, Greece, where modern legends of lamias (half serpent, half woman) and a mysterious cave were found.

USOS (Unidentified Submerged Objects)

A Swiss magazine, "Jupiter Journal", featured an article on USOS in the Amazonas River. According to a Lima, Peru newspaper, there is a "Cementerio del Diabolo" (Devil's Cemetery) in the Amazonas River where UFOs are said to have an underwater basis. Sightings are reportedly common in the region, suggesting a developing "Devil's Triangle" myth.

Whales

Several reports on whales are included: dolphins accompanying shipwrecked sailors in Indonesia; a dolphin observed in Hamburg Harbour; a whale stranding at Augusta, Australia, where 37 whales were rescued; 80 whales beached at Mangawhai, New Zealand; and three whales trapped in ice off Alaska. There are also reports of killer whales attacking a sailing ship off Cape Ferrat, France.

Shark Attacks

Reports of great white shark attacks off Oregon and South Africa are briefly noted.

River Cult

"The Daily Telegraph" published an article on a Celtic river cult, discussing the Thames between Oxford and London as a "place of burial" from 1200 BC to 50 AD. Professor Richard Bradley suggests that the connection between death and watery places dates back to the Stone Age, and that many "lake serpents" may have originated as River Spirits.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue of BILK are the investigation of unexplained phenomena, particularly lake and sea monsters, and the presentation of various international reports and theories. The editor, Ulrich Magin, appears to favor rational explanations, such as wave effects for Nessie sightings, while still acknowledging and reporting on a wide range of unusual claims and sightings from around the globe. The magazine encourages reader contributions and references a variety of other publications, indicating a broad interest in the field of cryptozoology and related subjects.