ANOTHER SEA MONSTER

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXIII, 12 June 1939, Page 10

ANOTHER SEA MONSTER

OFF TAURANGA BEACH LONG TAPERING NEC R The recent report of the appearance at Pepin Island of a strange marine monster has found some degree of corroboration from the experience, two years ago, at Mount Tauranga Beach, ol Mr A. J. Arlidge, Roslj’n. Dunedin. Mr Arlidge .said that he had watched a similar sight.

| “It was a fine Sunday, about two i years ago,” he said. “I was spending ; the winter at Tauranga and was livj ing in a ‘bach.’ 1 had an early lunch this day, and went down to the beach about 1 o’clock, walking toward Te Puke. Lying off the beach there is a small island, and it was when I came abreast of this that I saw the beast, fish, or whatever it was. It was swimming in the water, parallel with tho beach, and was moving quite slowly. It had a long tapering neck, very like that of a swan, and its head was like a dog’s, though flatter on top. I had , glasses with me. and I watched it closely for about 20 minutes, and was able to see, though it was almost a quartei cf a milt away, that it had two small tufts of whisker. When it came into the shallows surrounding the island, it turned out to sea and disappeared from sight in about five minutes.” Mr Arlidge was unable to advance any opinion on the identity of the stranger, but said that at first sight he took it to be a large conger eel. No one else had reported seeing it. “As a matter of fact.” Mr Arlidge added. “I said nothing about it myself at the time for fear of being accused of seeing things.”