Bilk - no 061 - 1994 09

Magazine Overview

Bilk #61, published in September 1994, is a bimonthly magazine focusing on unusual phenomena, mysteries, and scientific discoveries. Subscriptions are available for DM 15 within Germany and Europe, and DM 20 for the rest of the world. Correspondence should be directed to Ulrich Magin in Bietigheim-Bissingen, Germany.

BEHEMOTH:

Loch Ness Research

Andreas Trottmann's Loch Ness Report from May 1994 is highlighted. A significant sighting reported by the Aberdeen Press & Journal on April 1, 1994, details Brazilian tourists Paolo Rilf capturing a picture of Nessie's 'big head' emerging from a tourist submarine. The pilot, Gordon Swindells, initially suggested a hoax, but Trottmann confirmed the pilot's identity. Trottmann also documented two Nessie sightings in Urquhart Bay from September 1992 and 1993, respectively. Additionally, a 'big black cat' report by the same witness, previously mentioned in the Inverness Courier in December 1993 (referring to an October 1993 event), was researched.

Loch Ness Bibliography and Related News

Andreas Trottmann provided numerous news clips. On June 3, the Inverness Courier reported on core samples taken from the bottom of Loch Ness by scientists from Plymouth and Wolverhampton Universities. These samples date back 12,000 years to the end of the Ice Age and track the Loch's history and human interaction with Scotland's environment. Articles from July 5 and June 14 covered Fort Augustus Abbey's plans to open an exhibition on the Great Glen's history and Scotland's religious past, with assistance from Mr. Harmsworth of the monster exhibition in Drumnadrochit. In an effort to raise funds for Rwandan refugees, Kim Avis-Gordon attempted to swim the Loch in June, as reported by the Inverness Courier on July 1. The same paper reported on July 1 about the discovery of a bag on the Loch's bottom near the Clansman Hotel, recovered by tourist submarine pilot William Bolter. The bag contained 50,000 pesetas, a passport, keys, and a pen, belonging to Gasper Sagrista-Carner of Barcelona. This story was also featured in The London Times, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, and Die Rheinpfalz.

The Swiss publication Maritim-Revue §/94 featured a report on Swatch's sponsorship of R.O.S.E.T.T.A. (Recovery Of Sediments Enabling Translations To Accustics), a sediment recovery program aimed at understanding the Loch's past and its relationship with human populations. Nessletter 118 for July 1994 provided a detailed account of this work.

A theory suggesting Nessie is a gigantic Baltic sturgeon gained traction in German newspapers, with Adrian Shine, after extensive research, proposing that sturgeons, which can reach 3m/10 ft and weigh 200 kg, could have entered Loch Ness via the river connecting it to the North Sea. Shine dismissed the possibility of plesiosaurs due to their extinction 65 million years ago and Loch Ness being an ice cube 10,000 years ago. While the sturgeon theory is considered plausible, the article argues it doesn't explain close-up sightings, 'genuine' photos, sonar results, land sightings, or sea serpent reports. The author suggests the 'real monster' might be a cultural construct projected onto unusual phenomena in the Loch.

Out-of-place reptiles and animals

Europe experienced a wave of strange creature sightings and 'lake monsters' in 1994. A report from Rheinische Post on July 22 mentioned two sea-lions escaping a circus in Italy and entering Lago Maggiore; one was recaptured, but the other remained at large. More headlines were generated by a small cayman, about 3 ft long, that escaped in July while its owner, Jörg Zars, was on vacation. The cayman swam in a gravel pit near Neuss, Germany, and was dubbed 'the monster of Loch Neuss' by the German press. Despite police attempts to shoot it, the cayman evaded capture until July 16, when reptile experts and divers safely retrieved it and took it to a zoo. A 'monster' found in a Frankfurt garden was identified as a snapping turtle, estimated to be about 15 years old.

KRAKEN:

Giant Squid in Malta

During a vacation in Malta, the author visited the National Museum for Natural History in Mdina. A display featured a giant squid caught off Xemxija, Malta, on March 3, 1986. It weighed 16 kg and was approximately 1.5 m/5 ft long (including tentacles). Identified as belonging to the genus Todarodes sagittatus, it was described as the largest squid caught in the Mediterranean Sea. Unfortunately, no pictures or postcards of the specimen were available.

USO:

US Navy Submarines and Fishing Trawlers

A report in The Malta newspaper The Times on June 24 detailed incidents where US Navy submarines allegedly sank trawlers whose nets became entangled with the submarines. In February 1994, a 15-meter boat sank west of the Olympic peninsula, Washington, under normal ocean conditions. In June 1993, a 17-meter vessel disappeared off the Washington coast with all three crew members lost at sea. US Representative Jolene Unsoeld questioned Navy Secretary John Dalton about potential agreements between Russia and the US to advise each other on submarine positions to prevent such incidents, especially after the end of the Cold War. The article notes that many such 'net incidents' occur annually, and some are attributed to US or NATO craft, making the statement by Scott Wilson, Navy Lieutenant Commander and spokesman for the TRident base, that 'the Navy tries to keep its submarines away from known fishing areas,' seem questionable.

DISCOVERIES:

Paleontological Finds

A complete Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton, measuring an unusually large 15 m/50 ft long and 5.5 m tall, was discovered in Saskatchewan province, Canada, as reported by John Storer, director of the Natural History Museum at Regina. In Pennsylvania, fossil remains of the USA's oldest amphibian were found in a swamp area. Described in 'Science' as the second oldest amphibian fossil globally, it represents an intermediate form between water and land animals, having lived about 140 million years before the dinosaurs, according to palaeontologist Ted Daeschler.

New Animal Species

Zoologist Wolfgang Peter identified a new animal on the Saigon animal market, characterized by strange curved horns. While the horns were unidentifiable to him, Dr. Alfred Feiler from Dresden's Museum for Animals confirmed that the animal is still unknown to science and is related to Saiga and other Vietnamese gazelles. Its supposed habitat is the Da Lat Highland. The animal is called 'Linh-Duong' by the Vietnamese, meaning 'holy goat,' and is presumed to be very rare due to the high cost and lack of prior documentation of its horns.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

This issue of Bilk continues its focus on unexplained phenomena, cryptozoology, and intriguing scientific discoveries. The editorial stance appears to be one of reporting on various accounts and theories, often presenting multiple perspectives, such as the debate between a literal 'Nessie' and the cultural construct theory. There's a clear interest in eyewitness accounts, research findings, and unusual events from around the world, with a particular emphasis on aquatic mysteries and zoological oddities.