Bilk - no 070 - 1996 03

Magazine Overview

Bilk #70, published in March 1996, is a bimonthly magazine from Bietigheim-Bissingen, Germany, published by Ulrich Magin. Subscriptions cost 15 DM for Europe and 20 DM for the rest of the world. This issue covers a wide range of unusual reports and phenomena.

Contents

Behemoth and Leviathan Reports

• Flores, Indonesia: An AFP report from January 10, 1996, in the Süddeutsche Zeitung details the sighting of a white monitor lizard on the island of Flores. Locals in the Bajawa district observed the creature, and experts are uncertain if it's an exceptional Komodo monitor lizard or a new species.
• Lake Van Monster, Turkey: Andreas Trottmann provided further information on the Lake Van monster. A story in the Swiss newspaper "Bund" on January 5, 1996, reported that the Turkish TC station "Star" screened a film on January 3, 1996. The film showed dark shadows, 20 to 25 meters in length, moving rapidly and blowing large fountains of water. Eyewitnesses described it as a black creature similar to a dinosaur with triangular fins. Scientists are skeptical, suggesting volcanic eruptions, but three scientists from the University of Van, after viewing the images, believe it proves the existence of a large creature in the lake.
• Loch Ness: Reports from Fortean Times 84 and Fortean Studies 2 mention "waves without wind" on Loch Ness, attributed to earth tremors in 1761 and 1755, suggesting these are not related to monsters.
• Bibliography - Giant Snakes and Monster Lakes: An article in Fortean Studies 2 discusses giant snakes in Paraguay and the 'Skrimsl', the alleged Nessie of Iceland. Dutch newspapers have been accused of exaggerating the danger of large catfish. The "Welt" newspaper on February 7, 1996, featured an article on the world premiere of the movie "Loch Ness" in Inverness. Andreas Trottmann's "Loch Ness Newsclipping Service" 4/1995 is mentioned for more information. Police in Norway used miniature submarines in Lake Mjösa, not to search for a sea serpent, but for car wrecks left by insurance swindlers.

ISIS (International Society for Strange Incidents and Studies)

• Puerto Rico: According to ufologist Jorge Martin, the mummy of an extraterrestrial being was discovered near Salinas. Various accounts exist regarding its death or discovery, accompanied by numerous photos. The being is described as one foot tall with "very long arms which end in four fingered webbed hands with long fingernails or claws." It is also referred to as a "fish-man" and an extraterrestrial.
• Mermaids: The author speculates on a book about mermaids by Heuvelmans, noting that mermaid sightings are as common as sea serpent sightings. Historical accounts from 1723 (baby mermaid in a shark's stomach), 1610 (Newfoundland), 1758 (Paris aquarium), and near Nantes, France, are cited. The author suggests Heuvelmans could statistically prove nine types of unidentified mermen.
• "Kremlyovskaya Vodka" Ad: An advertisement in German magazines featured a woman in a rubber suit with fish tails, with the caption "Wouldn't you just love to open it?"

Leviathan Section

• Grotte Cosquer, France: The cave paintings depict a strange creature resembling a penguin. Francoise de Sarre clarifies that "pingouin" in French refers to both penguins and auks, suggesting the fuzz about "pinguins" was a translation issue. Archaeologists identify the picture as a snow chicken or long-necked sea serpent. The author remains skeptical about the sea serpent identification but notes the uncertainty regarding the depiction of a great auk or chicken.
• Bibliography - Sea Unicorns and Sharks: Fortean Studies 2 is cited for reports on sea unicorns and unusual sharks. A 1762 sea monster near Leith is described with three rows of teeth and "5 rows of an astonishing hard and rough skin" on its throat, interpreted as shark gills. New sightings of Morgawr are also mentioned.
• Baby Sea Serpent Find: The find of a baby sea serpent in a sperm whale's stomach, previously dated to 1993, was corrected to 1937. The author discusses LeBlond and Bousfield's book "Cadborosaurus," noting their identification of the find as a marine saurian, which the author likens to a decomposed basking shark. Similar finds from 1934 and 1939 are mentioned, along with a 1970 specimen in New York. The author points out that LeBlond and Bousfield have created a new species of sea serpent, avoiding Heuvelmans' categories.

Mixed Bag

• Nahuel Huapi, Argentina: An enormous forest fire in January 1996 destroyed over 2800 hectares of forest around Bariloche, impacting the Nahuel Huapi National Park. This item is included for completeness.
• Prayers for Rain: In November 1995, the Emir of Qatar prayed for rain, with a cleric attributing the lack of rain to the population's sins. Over 100,000 Muslims joined King Fahd of Saudi Arabia in a similar prayer. In Spain, deluge-like rains followed processions asking for rain in January.
• New Animal Phylum: A tiny creature named 'Symbion pandora', measuring 1/3 mm, has been discovered inside a lobster's mouth. Previously, only 35 'pylae' were known.

Underwater Lightwheels

• Mike Shoemaker's Study: The issue praises Mike Shoemaker's study on lightwheels in the Indian Ocean. The author adds reports missed by Shoemaker and disagrees with Prof. Kalle's assessment of Kalle's earlier study as "superficial." Kalle's work in the 1960s is credited with assembling 80 reports.
• Ancient Indian Literature: Sanderson's allusion to lightwheel reports in ancient Indian literature is discussed. The author finds vague references in books on Indian 'vimanass' but cites W. Raymond Drake's "Gods and Spacemen in the Ancient East" (1973) for a story about Konarak, India, describing carvings of "Eight Wheels" as transportation for the sun goddess Surya, with a "tri-columnar, triangular and tri-wheeled" vehicle.
• London Times Report (1936): A detailed lightwheel report from the London Times on June 26, 1936, describes an observation on May 21, 1936, aboard the ship Kudat during a tropical thunderstorm between Singapore and Bangkok. D N F Davidson observed a diffuse white light in the sea, flashing twice a minute, followed by "waves of light" extending from the ship, illuminating the rain and the vessel for half an hour.
• Other Sightings: Gottfried Herberts reported a lightwheel with fantastic speed below the Persian Gulf seen by Matthew Megle in 1943. Antonio Ribera reported an undated sighting of a light wheel between Assab and Djibouti in the Red Sea.

Marine Life

• Shark Attack: A 5m white shark attacked a diver off Chatham Islands, New Zealand, who escaped by hitting the shark in the eye. South of Sydney, Australia, a shark rammed a fishing boat and circled it for nine hours without attacking, leading the author to criticize newspapers for sensationalizing "man-eater" clichés.
• Whales: Reports include 20 dolphins washed ashore at Yucatan, Mexico. Whale ramming a yacht near Sydney, Australia, is mentioned. Four dead fin whales stranded in the Mediterranean Sea and a school of whales stranding multiple times on the east coast of Australia, returning to sea only to strand again, are noted. A sperm whale stranded on Norderney, Germany, on January 31, 1996, and died. The Yangtze dolphin is threatened with extinction, with only 100 individuals remaining. A large fin whale stranded at Oregon Inlet, North Carolina, in February.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

This issue of Bilk continues its focus on unexplained phenomena, cryptozoology, and anomalous events. The editorial stance appears to be one of open inquiry, presenting various reports and eyewitness accounts while also acknowledging scientific skepticism and offering critical commentary on media sensationalism. The magazine encourages reader submissions, indicating a collaborative approach to documenting unusual occurrences. The recurring themes include sea monsters, UFOs, cryptids, and historical anomalies, suggesting a broad interest in the fringes of known science and folklore.