The Gloucester Sea Serpent

The Gloucester sea serpent gained a great deal of media coverage in 1817, but reports of this creature go back at least two centuries prior to that date. At the time the local natives believed it to be very dangerous.

Reports about the creature vary. The length is said to be between 60 and 100 feet (20 to 35 meters). It is supposed to be serpentine in shape, and has been described as being "the width of a barrel", making it quite slender compared to its length.

It is claimed that this "serpent" is very flexible, being able to double back on itself with ease. It moved by vertical (up and down) motions of the body.

This last point makes the Gloucester sea monster unlikely to be reptilian, as only mammals move in this fashion.

Sightings of a similar looking creature were reported from nearby Nahant in 1819. During this period many dozens of people had sighted the serpent independently. Sightings of similar creatures in the region have continued until as recently as 1997.