Download: RSS | Email Alerts | Mobile
Print this Story
Set Text Size SmallSet Text Size MediumSet Text Size LargeSet Text Size X-Large

Strange sea creature dubbed 'Muck Monster'

Reported by: James Wieland
Email: jwieland@wptv.com
Last Update: 9/14/2009 6:12 am
Click the image below to view a slideshow of strange sea creatures from around the world.
Marine expert studies video of alleged 'Muck Monster' (WPTV)
Marine expert studies video of alleged 'Muck Monster' (WPTV)

UPDATE:

WESTPALM BEACH,FL -- The "Muck Monster" is still making waves in West PalmBeach, and now a city commissioner is apparently ready to turn muck -into money.

The mysterious creature was spotted in the Lake Worth lagoon recently, and has been quite the craze ever since.

Now,according to the Palm Beach Post, City Commissioner Bill Moss isproposing the city turn the area's new pier into a sea monster touristspot.

Moss wants to install a muck monster viewing telescope, hoping to attract more people to the city's waterfront.



Click the video player to the right to watch the story and see the video

WEST PALM BEACH, FL  -- There's something lurking just under the surface of the Lake Worth Lagoon.

Greg Reynolds of LagoonKeepers.org recalls, "Channel marker ten is the first time we saw the unknown creature." "I hollered out...and said what is that? We followed it, started taking video."

This mysterious creature was caught on tape by the LagoonKeepers.

Don Serrano was with Reynolds. "I didn't know what it was….I was like HEY LOOK! And we moved over and saw it. It was different, very different."

"Little wakes and just kind of moving like this…real long ones too, just like that."

Reynolds remembers, "We sped up on it to catch up to it and we got up on it, it dove down." "Every time we get 10 feet from it, it would just disappear."

What could it be?

"Who knows? I have no idea, but it was something that’s for sure, without a doubt," said Serrano.

Thanks to the LagoonKeepers, until it's identified, it has a name:

Reynolds calls it, "The elusive muck monster!"

Thomas Reinert a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Marine Biologist studied the video and said: "This appears to be one animal moving in this direction…nothing's breaking the surface. Typically dolphins break the surface, sea turtles, manatee, a large school of fish, if it were a shark at that level you would see a fin."

"I cant definitely say what it is." "I can speculate but we need more evidence to determine the identity of the Lake Worth muck monster," said Reinert.

 "We spend a lot of time out here on the water and seen a lot of different creatures out here and this is the first time in three and half years that I’ve ever seen anything out here that didn't know what it was," Reynolds said.
"We see dolphins out there, sharks, we always see a fin."

Whatever it is, it certainly has people talking, and watching.

Reynolds jokes "Maybe Nessie’s vacationing in South Florida!"

Watch the whole Lagoon Keepers video and decide for yourself:

Muck Monster raw video part 1

and

Muck Monster raw video part 2

--James Wieland, NewsChannel5

Featured Comments
edw987 - 8/21/2009 8:57 AM
This is obviously the Creature From the Black Lagoon those experts need to take Creature Identification 101 over again.

housecaptain - 8/21/2009 7:00 AM
The end of the video shows what it most likely is and that's a ray of some sort. An eagle ray, cow nose, leopard ray, etc. all cruise around like that and often don't have their wing tips breaking the surface. They do make head wakes like the ones shown. Nice video.
Now on WPTV.com
Miracle in Haiti
Doctors in Haiti are treating a man whose family says he was pulled from the rubble an amazing 27 days after the devastating earthquake hit.
Trio arrested in grow house bust
More than 25 pot plants, grow lights, exhaust fans, pots with soil, air conditioning units, carbon dioxide tanks and fans found in a St. Lucie County home.
Houseguest charged with molestation
Delray Beach man faces charges of lewd or lascivious molestation as well as kidnapping of a child.


Most Popular Headlines
Accidental shooting outside of a gun shop
A man shot himself in the leg while loading ammo into a semi-automatic weapon. Video VIDEO
Feel The Love - Take Our Valentine's Day Quiz!
Test your knowledge of all things Valentine's by taking our quick online quiz!
4 Valentine's Day Gift Ideas for Men
If you think ties, cuff links and power tools are boring Valentine's Day presents, here are some ideas for you.
  This site is hosted and managed by Inergize Digital.