Gloucester Sea Serpent Statue in Gloucester, Massachusetts

It's a beautiful summer day in a quiet seaside community. People are flocking to the water to enjoy the ocean breeze, splashing waves, shining sun, and the sound of gulls. However, beneath the waters, something monstrous lurks. A creature never seen before which defies logic and instills fear into all who see it. What's first dismissed as a fisherman's tale is later seen by hundreds of people, and hysteria breaks out. Experts from all over the region arrive trying to make sense of the situation in an attempt to try and restore a sense of order and normalcy. What sounds very similar to the plot of the novel and movie Jaws, was indeed a very real-life phenomena which gripped the town of Gloucester, Massachusetts in the early 1800s. However, instead of a man-eating shark, the creature that haunted Gloucester's shores was a terrifying sea serpent. Stories of sea serpents have existed ever since humanity began sailing and exploring the seas. After all, the oceans being as vast and perilous as they are, it only made sense to early seafarers that monsters would live there eager to take the lives of sailors and navigators. Monsters in mythology such as Leviathan, Hydra, and Scylla have taught mariners for generations to be both careful and respectful of the high seas. By the start of the 19th century, sea serpents and other fantastical monsters were often dismissed as fables that once filled the edges of maps. However, things would change dramatically in the summer of 1817 with the sighting of America's first sea monster. It began on August 6, 1817, when two women and a fisherman sighted an unusual creature in a harbor; a dark serpentine like animal around 60 feet long with large humps along its back and the head of a turtle. At first, not much mention was made of the creature but four days later, it was sighted again by another mariner named Amos Story who was able to observe the creature for over an hour and make detailed observations. That same day a woman named Lydia Wonson also saw something unusual in the water which matched exactly with the depiction of Amos Story. Soon afterwards, the serpent was sighted regularly off the harbor with hundreds of spectators lining the shores hoping to catch a glimpse, and they were not disappointed. Some witnesses claim they saw two serpents "dancing" in the water; some saw a 12-inch horn protruding from its head; some allegedly saw the serpent on the shore resting before darting back into the ocean. Most were filled with awe and fascination at seeing such a creature, but others were alarmed and horrified. The 1810s had been a very difficult time for New England. The War of 1812 had a terrible impact on the shipping industry and 1816 was infamously dubbed "The Year without a Summer" due to unusually cold temperatures including snow in July caused by the eruption of Mount Tambora in 1815 in Indonesia which is widely regarded as the largest volcanic eruption in recorded history. Volcanic ash and dust lingered throughout the sky for over a year, creating a foreboding and ominous atmosphere which caused devastation to crops and agriculture. The sudden appearance of a sea serpent was interpreted by some as a divine symbol and approaching apocalyptic calamity as an unholy creature had seemingly leapt from the pages of the Bible into the ocean. Excitement soon turned into hysteria with multiple fishermen and sailors who sighted the creature trying to kill it but with no avail. In order to make sense of the situation, the Linnaean Society of New England was sent to Gloucester to investigate the sightings and interview witnesses. On September 27, 1817, a local resident named Gorham Norwood killed a small black snake on the beach which allegedly had the same unusual spine characteristics as the sea serpent. Residents were certain it was an offspring of the serpent and based on this specimen along with testimonies from witnesses, the Linnaean Society concluded the serpent was a new species and named it Sc