Bilk - no 058 - 1994 03

Magazine Overview

This issue of BILK, number 58, published bi-monthly by Ulrich Magin in Bietigheim-Bissingen, Germany, is dated March 1994. Subscriptions are DM 15 for Europe and DM 20 for the rest of the world, with a preference for bank notes due to difficulties with cheque acceptance.

BEHEMOTH

This section focuses on reports and theories surrounding large, unknown creatures, primarily the Loch Ness Monster.

Loch Ness Sightings

Nessletter 116 (January 1994) is cited for several new sightings of the Loch Ness Monster. An anecdote from World War I suggests a mine-sweeper crew encountered a 'beastie' and threw depth charges, resulting in the capture of two large eels, one 11 ft and the other 9 ft long. This story is questioned due to the lack of a prior monster tradition in the area before 1933. A Viking column in "Salmon, Trout & Sea-Trout" (Feb 93) mentions a chunk of eel found in a turbine, suggesting an eel at least 10 ft long. Steve Feltham reports three sightings for 1993: a local lad from Foyers saw a head and neck; a couple saw two humps at the Clansman Hotel; and on August 10, Roland O'Brian observed a large dark hump about 500 yards out from the shore in Dores Bay. O'Brian described the hump as being between eight and ten feet long and about four feet out of the water, moving rapidly and splashing before sinking and reappearing. Nessletter 116 also notes the presence of seals in Loch Ness: two in 1991, none in 1992, and one in 1993.

Loch Ness Theories

Adrian Shine's extensive studies have led him to conclude that Loch Ness lacks sufficient food to support a colony of large unknown predators. This conclusion is compared to Gary Mangiacopra's findings regarding major American lakes. Shine proposes a theory that the Loch Ness Monster might actually be a giant sturgeon, stating that the Baltic sturgeon fits the loch's parameters. However, the author of BILK argues that this theory does not remotely fit the reported sightings, land sightings, sonar data, or photographs. The article suggests a sociological/folkloric explanation is more fitting, involving misperception of seals and otters, the construction of a myth based on the sea-serpent prototype, and the re-interpretation of faulty sonar data and fake photographs.

Bibliography

Adrian Shine plans to collect soil samples from the Loch's bottom for glacial deposits. An older report from 1883 mentions two gentlemen seeing "something unusual" in Loch Lomond, described as a serpent or adder. Rev Dr Gordon Powell reported a sighting of the Loch Ness Monster on June 21, 1936, to the Inverness Courier. Andreas Trottmann, who supplied this information, has sent Powell's long report and is assisting with the analysis of a picture Powell took. Esotera (Feb 1994) and the German New Age magazine reportedly mentioned a Japanese expedition to Lake Champlain to find 'Champ' and Shine's sturgeon theory. Fortean Times 72 reports a water monster in the River Mekong. Traditional sightings of mermaids, dragons, and sea serpents in the Mummelsee (German Black Forest) were mentioned in the Schwarzwälder Bote.

ISIS

This section covers other unexplained phenomena and sightings.

Mermaid Sighting

A mermaid sighting at the Orkneys in 1883 is described, where the creature repeatedly surfaced for several years, sometimes with a second creature present.

LEVIATHAN

This section continues with bibliographical entries and reports on various large or unusual creatures.

Bibliography

An article by Francois de Sarre in "Magazin für Grenzwissenschaften" (6/1993) proposes that a mysterious French cave painting actually depicts one of Heuvelman's long-necked sea serpents. The author expresses doubt, believing archaeologists' identification as a chicken is more likely correct.

Irrgast Buckelwal

Bernd Vogel reported on a humpback whale encountered at Dahab, Red Sea. A diving beduine observed a fish "as big as a boat," and Vogel later spotted an 8-meter humpback whale.

Caddy

Andreas Trottmann provided an item from The Victoria (BC) Times Colonist (likely June/July 1993) about two pilots who encountered "Caddies" at Saanich Inlet, Canada. The creatures were described as "not a fish or a seal or a dolphin or a porpoise." The sighting occurred in the late afternoon of July 14, 1993. Biologist Ed Bousfield believes these creatures come to Saanich Inlet to mate and breed in June annually. The two creatures had two hoops each and fled quickly when the pilots landed nearby. The hoops were 20 cm deep, allowing daylight to be seen underneath. Bousfield mentioned that smaller "monsters" (possibly eels or oarfish) were caught and released at Pirate's Cove in 1968 and John's Island in 1991. Bousfield is confident that an aerial search during mating season could yield more reports. A separate report mentions a "Caddy" sighting by Terry Osland in late June 1991 at Ardmore Point, Saanich Inlet. The creature was larger than a killer whale, had no hair, a rounded tail, and was silvery. The author notes that while Osland rules out an elephant seal, the description sounds similar.

CRYPTOZOOLOGY

This section details specific cryptid investigations and reports.

The Mapinguari

A report in "New Scientist" #1909 states that a search for the Mapinguari, the "legendary yeti of the rain forest," was scheduled to begin in February near Acre, Brazil. The expedition would be led by American biologist David Oren of the Goeldi Museum in Belem. Oren believes the Mapinguari is a form of giant sloth, with local Indian nations having distinct names for it. Legend describes it as a one-eyed creature with red fur that bites off victims' heads. Witnesses include Indians, rubber farmers, and gold hunters. When approached, it allegedly ejects foul-smelling gases from a stomach-located mouth, though Oren suggests this might be a gland. The search is timed for February as it is when the animal descends from the Andes foothills into the forests. Sources for this information include Bietigheimer Zeitung, Stuttgarter Nachrichten, Süddeutsche Zeitung, Ludwigsburger Kreiszeitung, and Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.

MARINE LIFE

This section reports on various marine animal occurrences.

Whales

A 2-meter beluga whale washed ashore at Samsun, Turkey, on January 3, 1994. This whale was previously mentioned in other BILK issues. A 19-meter fin whale washed ashore at Porge, French Atlantic coast, on January 4, 1994. A living 15-meter whale washed ashore at Saint-Hilaire-de-Ries, France, as part of a series of strandings within a week. A report in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (Jan 17, 94) discusses the excavation of fossilized whale remains in Pakistan, identified as the "missing link" between land mammals and whales, with scientists stating the whale was capable of walking ashore (Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Jan 15, 94).

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue of BILK are the ongoing investigation and reporting of cryptid sightings, particularly the Loch Ness Monster, and the exploration of various theories to explain them, ranging from biological explanations like sturgeon to folkloric and misperception-based theories. The magazine also covers other unexplained phenomena, such as mermaid and sea serpent reports, and includes news on marine life, such as whale strandings. The editorial stance appears to favor a critical examination of evidence, questioning sensational claims while still reporting on unusual events and theories, as seen in the author's skepticism towards the eel explanation for Loch Ness and the questioning of the French cave painting's identification.