Bilk - no 079 - 1997 09

Magazine Overview

This issue of BILK, number 79, published in September 1997, is a bi-monthly publication by Ulrich Magin, based in Rastatt, Germany. The subscription costs 15 DM for Europe and 20 DM for the rest of the world. The issue's main headline is "BEHEMOTH", indicating a focus on large, mysterious creatures.

BEHEMOTH: Loch Ness Sightings

The "BEHEMOTH" section details recent Loch Ness sightings, drawing from various sources and previous BILK issues. These include:

• June 16, 1996: At Foyers, Kate Munro and 16 others reported seeing a wake.
• Mid-August 1996: Near Invermoriston, Craig Kerr photographed a creature with a long neck and small head, reported in "News of the World".
• Mid-August 1996: Near Dores, Austin Hepburn took six color photos of movement and possible black humps in the water.
• Late August 1996: Opposite Invermoriston, Ian Finlayson videoed what is described as a "large snake-like" creature, though the accompanying photos from "Fortean Times" are noted as unclear.
• Late August 1996: Near Invermoriston, Frank Wilson and two others reported a 30-40 ft object with a "flipper". The reviewer notes that the photo appears to show only a boat wake and suggests that many sightings might be easily explained if photos were available.
• First half of 1997: The "Official Loch Ness Monster Fan Club" reported six sightings.
• February 16, 1997: Off Foyers, Dave Shields and family saw an object described as "like a jet-ski with a white bow wave".
• March 21, 1997: A South African tourist observed two humps in Loch Ness.
• March 22, 1997: A local man photographed "a large dark object" in Urquhart Bay.
• April 15, 1997: A woman from Skye reported seeing "something in the water near Foyers".
• June 21, 1997: Kirk Wolfinger, filming a documentary, saw a dark object in the water off Strone, Drumnadrochit, but did not film it.

Nessie Expeditions and Trivia

The issue mentions two proposed searches for the monster. It also notes that Scottish fortean Malcolm Robinson proposed a method to Steven Spielberg for identifying Nessie, involving small spheres with darts to lure the creature. Andreas Trottmann shares trivia about a pub named "Loch Ness" in Swiss Freiburg and a student pub with the name "Loch Ness Club" online.

Rastatt Crocodile

Following a brief mention in a previous BILK issue, a similar incident occurred in Rastatt on July 25, 1997. Several citizens reported seeing "a crocodile" in the city. Police found a 1.4m/4ft lizard in a bush, identified as an emaciated iguana, with its origin unknown.

Bibliography and Other Sightings

• Lake Tianchi, China: Mentioned in bibliography.
• January 1996: A 60 ft, Nessie-like creature was observed near Howick, South Africa.
• Rock Lake, Wisconsin: Mentioned in Frank Joseph's book "The Lost Pyramids of Rock Lake".
• TV Documentary "Rätselhafte Ungeheuer" (May 25, 1997): Covered Loch Ness and Lake Champlain, discussing dinosaur and human coexistence.
• Lake Van, Turkey: A "bad quality amateur picture" of the Lake Van monster was reported by CNN. Unal Kozak, a Van University teaching assistant, claims to have filmed the creature, described as about 15 meters long, and wrote a book about it. The footage is being sent to Cambridge University for examination. Andreas Trottmann expresses doubts about the film's authenticity, suggesting it looks too professional and might be related to publicity for Spielberg's films.

ISIS and KRAKEN

• Bibliography: Francois de Sarre's article "Were aquatic pre-humans the first vertebrates to enter the land?" in "The CFZ Yearbook" 1997.
• "Le Bete" mini-series: A two-part French TV series based on Peter Benchley's novel "The Beast" was aired on February 17 and 24, 1997.
• Mysterious Fish: Francois de Sarre wrote an article mentioning sightings of a giant squid off Monaco and Nice, France, in the 1950s.

LEVIATHAN: Loch Nevis, Scotland

On June 19, 1997, a Microlight flier, Hamish Smith, and his passenger Fr Michael Hutson reported seeing an "unidentified floating object" in Loch Nevis at an altitude of 3000 ft. They described it as a "sunken boat", 180 ft long, with a cigar shape and a blue edge. Smith took a picture, which appeared as a white streak in the water. Ministry of Defense divers searched the area and concluded it was rocks. Smith stated that the object was gone the next day.

Rhode Island, USA

In June 1996, fisherman Lee Scott of Block Island caught the remains of a strange marine creature, 11.5 ft long, comprising a head and about 95 cartilage vertebrae. Theories for its identity included a large sturgeon, a deep-water eel, or a shark. The reviewer suggests a decomposed shark is a likely fit.

CADDY Sightings

• Caddy 1: A ZDF TV documentary featured a witness, Richard Smith, who saw "Caddy" off Vancouver Island, British Columbia. He described seeing "two big humps moving together" with a crest and big scales, moving very fast. The humps moved slowly. The encounter lasted only about five seconds at a close distance of 10 feet.
• Caddy 2: In July 1996, Peter Gage of Saanichton saw "Caddy" in Mill Bay. It was described as blue-gray, 18 inches thick, and a foot out of water. Two other witnesses corroborated this sighting. The article notes that Caddy remains the most active sea serpent, but sightings are inconclusive.

Bibliography

Promotional reviews of Ellis's "Buch Aktuell" and Francois de Sarre's articles on "Mysterieux Poissons" in "Cryptozoologia" are mentioned, covering topics like coelacanths, sharks, megamouth, sea serpents, giant squids, and monstrous eels.

CRYPTOZOOLOGY: Yeti

Italian mountaineer Reinhold Messner claimed to have seen a Yeti during a recent expedition to Pakistan. He stated, "I have found the yeti. We stood eye to eye." Messner plans to publish a book on Yetis in two years, describing the creature as approximately 2.2m/7 ft tall, with bright fur, nocturnal, and an eater of yaks. He noted that it is only aggressive when attacked and believes there are still about 1000 Yetis.

Book Review: Atlantis in Wisconsin

Frank Joseph's book "Atlantis in Wisconsin" (ISBN 1-880090-12-0) is reviewed. The book discusses "hidden pyramids" of Rock Lake, Wisconsin, and presents a highly speculative interpretation of history involving Europeans and Atlanteans mining copper. The reviewer points out numerous errors in the book, such as misidentifying researchers and mistranslating terms. While acknowledging the book contains much forteana of interest, including sea serpent traditions and lake monster accounts, the reviewer finds the book problematic as a serious study but a "good read" due to its content and parallels to the Loch Ness quest.

DINOSAURS

• Argentina: Paleontologists discovered the skull, two molars, and a 3.5m part of the vertebral column of a giant dinosaur that died 90 million years ago. The find reportedly "questioned all previous theories" due to fossilized muscles in the spinal column.
• Montana, USA: US scientists found the skeleton of a Tyrannosaurus rex that died approximately 65 million years ago. Traces of blood were found on the bones, but no genetic material was preserved, preventing a "Jurassic Park" scenario.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are the persistent reports of mysterious creatures, particularly lake monsters like the Loch Ness Monster and sea serpents, alongside other cryptozoological subjects such as the Yeti. The magazine also touches upon archaeological mysteries like "Atlantis in Wisconsin" and significant paleontological discoveries. The editorial stance appears to be one of reporting on these phenomena, often citing multiple sources and including critical commentary from the reviewer, particularly regarding the authenticity of photographic or video evidence and the speculative nature of some claims. There's a clear interest in documenting sightings and related research, while maintaining a degree of skepticism towards sensationalism.