Bilk - no 030 - 1989 07

Magazine Overview

This issue of BILK, published by Ulrich Magin in West Germany, is dated July 1989. It is a compilation of reports and notes on various unexplained phenomena, including cryptids, UFOs, and USOs, drawing from a range of international sources.

Behemoth: Water Monsters

The "Behemoth" section begins with a bibliography by Ulrich Magin on "Evolution of Water Monsters," referencing articles in INFO Journal and The Times. It also notes an article in The Times concerning the problem of salmon farms in Scottish lochs, possibly related to monster sightings.

Isis: Lizard Man and Bigfoot

The "Isis" section highlights an article in the American magazine UFO (vol.3, No. 4, 1988) about the Lizard Man affair, written by Mark Chorvinsky and Mark Opsasnick. The author suggests a possible connection between Lizard Man sightings and a concurrent increase in Bigfoot reports. The latest issue of Pursuit (21:2, 1988) is cited for four relevant Bigfoot reports from June 1988 in North Carolina, Illinois, and May 1988 in Arkansas and Pennsylvania. These reports describe sightings of a Bigfoot, a 10 ft monster, a 7 ft monster with thick fur, and a large monster with reddish fur. The author posits that these "wild men" reports might be linked to the Lizard Man sightings.

Leviathan: Sea Serpents and Other Marine Mysteries

The "Leviathan" section covers marine-related phenomena:

• England: The Nessletter 92 (Feb 1989) reports a sea serpent sighting off Weston-Super-Mare in the Bristol Channel on December 12, 1988. Mr C E Halloway observed a "fast-moving dark object" resembling a "whale breaching" or a "fast moving boat," which raised a long neck from the water. The report notes similar sightings 20 years prior off Sea Mills and 50 years prior. The Cornish Echo (Aug 27, 1937) is cited for a 1937 sighting by Fred Hobbs and others off Weston-Super-Mare, describing a sea serpent with its head out of water and humps on its back. However, a later observation revealed only a school of porpoises, leading to speculation that these animals may have created the illusion of a sea serpent.

• Philippines: On May 16, 1989, the nine-tonne vessel Albert sank during a storm off Luzon Island. Five survivors were rescued after five days on a makeshift raft. One survivor, Emilia Briones, reported spotting a "giant sea turtle" to which they tied their raft. The amphibian reportedly towed the craft for two hours before fishermen rescued them. An AP report from the Saudi Gazette (May 22) is referenced. The book "Living Wonders" by Rickard and Michell is mentioned as listing two other rescues by "giant sea turtles" from Central America and the Philippines.

• Florida: The "three-toed sea monster" of 1948, investigated by Ivan T Sanderson and mentioned by Willy Ley, is exposed as a hoax in an article reprinted from Pursuit 21:2 (1988). The article suggests the entire affair was fabricated.

• Kraken: A scientific paper from "Proc. Biol.Soc. Wash." (94(4), 1981) by Ronald B Toll and Steven C Hess is discussed, detailing a "Small, mature male Architeuthis" found in the stomach of a swordfish caught off Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on June 21, 1978. The authors suggest it might be a new taxon of architeuthid that does not attain great size, or that maturation may be followed by substantial growth.

USO: Unidentified Submerged Objects

The "USO" section includes:

• Bibliography: Gary Mangiacopra's article "Strange Meteors over the sea" in Pursuit (21:2, 1988) is cited. One case mentions witnesses observing a sea serpent simultaneously with a strange meteor over the sea near St Andrews. A "haunted ship" is also mentioned in Info xii: 4 (1989).

• Irish Sea: The Times (May 6, p.27) reportedly had a large report on USOs in the Irish Sea.

• Sweden/Norway/USA: Several incidents involving unidentified submarines are reported:
• A Soviet Navy officer denied Soviet subs were violating Swedish territorial waters, suggesting they were West German. (Süddeutsche Zeitung, April 18, 1989).
• A Swedish trawler caught a submarine identified as a Swedish sub in Swedish waters. (Rheinpfalz, April 21, 1989).
• In May, a Norwegian trawler caught a French submarine off the Shetlands. (Rheinpfalz, May 24, Rhein-Zeitung, May 24, Neue Zürcher Zeitung, May 25).
• On June 14, an American submarine became entangled in a trawler's net off Long Island near Los Angeles, dragging the vessel underwater. (Rheinpfalz, June 16; Neue Zürcher Zeitung, June 17; Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, June 16). The author questions why, if Soviet subs are violating waters, there are no reports of trawlers sunk by inferior Soviet subs, suggesting that net incidents collected from Scandinavia can be traced back to NATO craft.

Cryptozoology

This section focuses on cryptid reports:

• Scotland: Chris Brasher found yeti-like tracks on the snow-covered summit of Mam Sodhail, Glen Affric, on May 14, 1989. The prints were described as clear, about 4 inches long by 3.5 inches wide, with 5 sharp claws. The tracks were lost on rocks, and the photographer's camera malfunctioned, with later shots showing the footprints overlain by other images. The author notes that sceptics might attribute this to atmospheric conditions, while folklorists might see it as evidence of multiple monsters in the region (bat man of Barrisdale, Nessie, and the Glen Affric monster).

• John A. Keel: The author has received John Keel's new book, "Disneyland of the Gods," which is described as noisy, journalistic, and full of mistakes. Keel's claims, such as 3000 Nessie sightings and the Bermuda Triangle being in the South Atlantic, are criticized. The infamous photo of a landed saucer taken by Monguzzi is stated to have been proven a hoax over 20 years ago. While acknowledging liking Keel's previous books, the author finds this one to be a "shame," with unbearable style, factual inaccuracies, and speculative content, particularly in the cryptozoology sections.

• Madrid, Spain: A large serpent, 1.5 meters (5 ft) long, of yellow and black color, was killed by a dog in the Garden of the Plaza de Cataluna on May 1, 1989. Experts could not identify it, according to the Madrid daily ABC (May 4). This is compared to the "serpiente de verano" (summer serpent) phenomenon in Spanish newspapers, similar to the "silly season" reports of sea serpents in Anglo-Saxon media.

Conclusion and Future Plans

The author announces that the next BILK will be published in September and mentions plans for a hiking tour through Scotland in August, specifically avoiding Loch Ness but being prepared to encounter yetis. Contributions from readers are welcomed.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue of BILK are the investigation and reporting of unexplained phenomena, with a particular focus on cryptids (Lizard Man, Bigfoot, sea serpents, yeti, giant squid) and unidentified aerial and submerged objects (UFOs and USOs). The editorial stance appears to be one of open-mindedness, presenting various reports and citing sources, while also critically evaluating some claims, as seen in the critique of John A. Keel's book and the debunking of the "three-toed sea monster" hoax. There is a clear interest in cataloging and cross-referencing sightings and incidents from a global perspective.