Top 10 Famous Real Life Monsters Caught on Camera
#10: Mothman
The Mothman Mystery Explained
The Mothman’s window of fame was brief, but left a lasting impact. Its reign of terror only lasted from November of 1966 to December of 1967, with the first headline reading, “Couples See Man-Sized Bird...Creature...Something”. Said to haunt Point Pleasant, West Virginia, it was described by eyewitnesses as a “large flying man with ten-foot wings” and glowing red eyes. However, the Mothman may be back. In November of 2016, a resident snapped some pictures of what looked like an airborne man with wings and skinny legs. The man insists that the photos are genuine, and he reportedly wasn’t even aware of the Mothman legend before seeing the creature flying in the sky.
#9: Ningen
Stories about the Ningen are relatively recent, originating on the Japanese textboard 2channel. Supposedly, it was first sighted by a Japanese whaling vessel off the coast of Antarctica; the crew watched as a pale, humanoid, whale-like creature emerged from the water. Descriptions vary, with some eyewitnesses claiming it has arms and legs, while others say it has fins, tails, and tentacles. The Japanese paranormal magazine MU picked up the story in 2007, and even displayed a Google Earth screenshot of what appeared to be a Ningen in the South Atlantic. Unfortunately, not much is known about the Ningen at this point, but you have to admit, that is one unsettling photo.
#8: Skunk Ape
While tales of foul-smelling simians in Florida go back a long way, they peaked in the 1960s and 70s. According to eye-witnesses, it was a rusty-red color and stank like a skunk. In 2000, Ochopee resident Dave Shealy filmed what he claims was a skunk ape … although others counter it was a man in a gorilla suit. Later that same year, a photo was anonymously sent to the Sarasota Sheriff’s Department. Experts identified it as an orangutan - but that didn’t satisfy everyone. In 2012, filmmaker Stacy Brown caught what he claims was thermal footage of a skunk ape during a close encounter at night in Florida’s Torreya State Park.
#7: Chupacabra
The Mystery of the Chupacabra Explained
First reported in Puerto Rico in 1995, the Chupacabra is said to resemble a small bear with a row of spines on its back. It purportedly sucks the blood of livestock, with its name literally meaning “goat sucker” in Spanish. The legend is mainly centered around Puerto Rico, northern Mexico, and the southern United States - with a supposed sighting in Houston in 2019. But perhaps it also roams further afield, because in 2016, a video was published online depicting a bipedal creature with a stooped back, as voices spoke in Portuguese. To be honest, it looks very much animated, but it is pretty creepy.
#6: Trunko
Every now and then, a horrific mass of flesh and organs will wash up on shore. They’re known, disgustingly enough, as “globsters”. In 1924, a globster appeared on the shore of Margate, South Africa. Only this one was a little different. Eyewitnesses described the mass as having snow-white fur and a trunk, with one farmer describing it as “a giant polar bear”. The witnesses also state that the creature was battling two killer whales before it washed up on shore. It sat there for ten days and was never studied by an expert. Photos have since emerged of the globster, showing humans standing next to a giant white mass.
#5: Yeti
In 1951, an expedition led by English mountaineer Eric Shipton identified the route later used for the first successful ascent of Mount Everest. The expedition also made a more startling find. With doctor Michael Ward, Shipton discovered and photographed alleged Yeti footprints, igniting debate that’s continued ever since. Each print measured 13 inches long and was twice as broad as a human foot. They also found claw marks etched in the glacier. These weren’t the first such photos, either. In 1937, English mountaineer Frank Smythe had also taken a photo of footprints in the snow; however, experts agreed that they probably belonged to a bear. The Yeti might still be around; in 2019 the Indian Army claimed to have found Yeti footprints in the Himalayas.
#4: Hook Island Sea Monster
10 Revelations from The Alex Jones Sandy Hook Trial
Located off Queensland, Australia, Hook Island is an uninhabited and rugged island that serves as a popular tourist destination owing to its colorful coral. In 1964, the island became known around the world owing to a series of photos that seem to depict a tadpole-like sea monster. The photos were taken by a man named Robert Le Serrec, who spotted the creature in the island’s Stonehaven Bay. Le Serrec estimated the creature to be upwards of 80 feet long. Various explanations have been put forth, like the “monster” actually being a deflated skyhook balloon, or a custom-cut plastic sheet. Or it could be a genuine sea monster. For the sake of excitement, we’re going with that one.
#3: The Solway Firth Spaceman
10 Real Life Kidnappings Caught on Camera
People have been trying to prove the existence of aliens for decades. Many photos and videos turn out to be hoaxes - like the infamous “alien autopsy” video that made waves in 1995, only to be revealed as fake a decade later. Debate persists however around the Solway Firth Spaceman, photographed in 1964. While relaxing on Burgh Marsh in Cumbria, England, firefighter Jim Templeton took a series of photos of his five-year-old daughter. One of them depicts a mysterious, astronaut-like figure standing (or floating) in the background. Some people argue that the figure is Templeton’s wife and that her pale blue dress appears white due to overexposure. Others aren’t convinced.
#2: Bigfoot
Top 10 Unbelievable Bigfoot Sightings Caught on Camera
There are plenty of supposed photos and videos of bigfoot out there. Some are easy to believe, like the photo of a juvenile bigfoot captured by a Pennsylvania man in 2007. Others, like the Sasquatch skull supposedly found on Mars, REALLY strain credulity. The most debated of all is undoubtedly the Patterson-Gimlin film, named after its creators, Roger Patterson and Robert Gimlin. Captured in 1967, the film depicts a hairy, bipedal creature walking through Northern California’s Six Rivers National Forest. It’s easily the most famous video evidence of a cryptozoological creature, and the film has been studied, analyzed, and parodied for decades. Its authenticity remains in question, but for many, this is the Holy Grail of Bigfoot evidence.
#1: Loch Ness Monster
Reported Encounters With The Loch Ness Monster...
Photos of numerous underwater creatures have made headlines, from the aforementioned Hook Island sea monster, to Raystown Ray in Pennsylvania. But none are as popular as Nessie. Said to inhabit Loch Ness in Scotland, this monster has been inspiring reports since as far back as the sixth century, although they only really picked up steam in the 1930s. The monster shot to worldwide fame in 1934 thanks to the infamous Surgeon’s photograph, supposedly taken by Robert Kenneth Wilson. Sadly, most now agree that it was a hoax. However, there are dozens of other photos and videos that have made waves - including the well-known Dinsdale film taken in 1960.
