Sea Serpent Story Exploded

Northern Advocate, 26 July 1938, Page 8

Sea Serpent Story Exploded

[Per Press Association. Copyright.) WELLINGTON, This Day. Hearing that a sea serpent had been washed ashore at Flat Point, 25 miles south of Castle Point, officials of the Dominion Museum made a hurried expedition at the week-end to inspect the monster. On arrival, however, they found that it was the carcase of a whale, probably a cachelot, deeply buried in sand. The fish was reported by a surveyor, who informed museum officials that some strange marine monster, possibly a fabled sea serpent, had been stranded near Flat Point. From the description, the interest of scientists was aroused, and they lost no time in visiting the scene. At first glance, the seaserpent theory appeared to be justified, for in one place a hump of blubber propected from the sand, and some 55 feet distant a second section assembling a tapered tail could be discerned. Closer investigation, however, revealed the carcase of a large whale buried under the shifting sands. The whale had evidently been on the beach for about three months, il being largely decomposed. Little remained of it but bone and blubber. When decomposition is complete, it is hoped to recover the skeleton.