In many USA newspapers from July 3, 1947 to July 6, 1947 - which can be read below in this file - there was a story of an observation of a "sea monster" on July 2, 1947, seen by a Canadian fisherman named George W. Saggers. The newspapers reported it using a International News Service news agency narrate; which stated the following alleged facts:
Resident of Ucluelet in British Columbia, Saggers was returning from a fishing trip and said he had seen a huge brown - gray "monster" cavorting in the waters 3 miles offshore from Ucluelet harbor in the Pacific Ocean.
He described the "monster" as having an 18-inch neck an 18-inch head as well, with two huge black eyes, 3 inches in diameter. Its head was elevated to about 4 feet above the surface of the water. He said the thing had a mane like a lion or a horse, but he could not see if the mane was made of hair or shells like barnacles. The "monster" was 150 feet from his boat when he saw it. He could not tell what proportion of the body of the beast would have been under water - he had only seen the neck and head.
The "monster" had been watching it for about a minute, then turned and slipped through the water without making a ripple.
He explained that while he was fishing, he had the sensation of being watched, turned around, and then saw the "monster." He explained that he had been fishing for 28 years and had never seen anything like it.
He also explained that he was scared: "I wouldn't like to have been any closer or ever see it again."
This story later appeared as a "sea monster" story in various "Fortean" publications, some explaining that it might have been a kind of seal; and then, much later, in summarized form and with some mistakes - it is called "a sea-serpent" ", "whiskers" were added - in catalogs of "close encounters of the 3rd kind" on the web. All these later sources give the erroneous date of November 1947
A 2017 newspaper from the area revisited the story by giving Saggers as a resident of Port Albion instead of Ucluelet, also dating the story in November 1947, and having Saggers explain that the creature was not affected by the strong swell; which would indicate that, like with an iceberg, there were "many of it" under water.
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[Ref. pd1:] "THE PRESS DEMOCRAT" NEWSPAPER:
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Another Sea Monster Seen In North Pacific WatersA local resident returned from a fishing expedition today and told of seeing a huge, brownish gray monster cavorting in the waters approximately three miles offshore. George Saggers, a fisherman, said the monster had an 18-inch neck, a head about the same size with to large black eyes about three inches in diameter. Saggers said it had a mane like a horse or a lion but he said he couldn't tell whether it was made of carbuncies or hair. "Its head and neck were raised about four feet above the water." "While I was fishing I got the feeling I was being watched," Saggers said. "I turned around and saw a sight I never thought possible. I've been fishing for 28 years and have never seen anything like it. It was 150 feet from my boat when I first spotted it. "The thing stared at me for a minute, then turned and slipped through the water without a ripple - like a seal." "I wouldn't like to have been any closer or ever see it again." |
[Ref. mm1:] "MEDFORD MAIL TRIBUNE" NEWSPAPER:
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Fisherman Sees Big Sea Monster In Pacific OceanUcluelet, B. C., July 3 -- (U.P.) -- George Saggers, a local resident, told today of seeing a huge sea monster with two large black eyes cavorting in the Pacific Ocean three miles from shore. Saggers said he was fishing yesterday when he "got the feeling I was being watched." "I turned and saw a sight I never thought possible," he said. "I've been fishing for 28 years and have never seen anything like it. It was 150 feet from by boat when I first spotted it." He said the "monster" had an 18-inch neck, a head about the same size with black eyes about three inches in diameter and a mane like a horse or a lion but he said he couldn't tell whether it was made of barnacles or hair. |
[Ref. hs1:] "HONOLULU STAR BULLETIN" NEWSPAPER:
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Man Says He Saw 'Sea Monster'; (No Fish Story)UCLUELET, B. C., July 5 -- (U.P.) -- George Saggers, a local resident, returned from a fishing trip today and told of seeing a huge sea monster with two large black eyes cavorting three miles off shore. He said the "monster" had an 18 inch neck, a head about the same size with black eyes about three inches in diameter and a mane like a horse or a lion but he said he couldn't tell whether it was made of carbuncies or hair. "Its head and neck were raised about four feet above the water." he added. "The thing stared at me for a minute and then turned and slipped through the water without a ripple - like a seal. I wouldn't like to have been any closer or ever see it again." |
[Ref. dh1:] "DAILY HERALD" NEWSPAPER:
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Angler Sees Huge Sea MonsterUCLUELET, B.C., July 5 (U.P.) -- George Saggers told today of seeing a huge sea monster with two large black eyes cavorting in the Pacific Ocean three miles from shore. Saggers said he was fishing yesterday when he "got the feeling I was being watched." "I turned and saw a sight I never thought possible," he said. "I've been fishing for 28 years and have never seen anything like it. It was 150 feet from by boat when I first spotted it." He said the "monster" had an 18-inch neck, a head about the same size with black eyes about three inches in diameter and a mane like a horse or a lion but he said he couldn't tell whether it was made of carbuncles or hair. "Its head and neck were raised about four feet above the water." he added. "The thing stared at me for a minute and then turned and slipped through the water without a ripple - like a seal. I wouldn't like to have been any closer or ever see it again." He added he had no idea how much of it was underwater. |
[Ref. ge1:] GEORGE M. EBERHART:
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In November 1947 George W. Saggers watched a head and neck with huge black eyes off Ucluelet, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada, in November 1947. Its dark brown mane looked like a bundle of warts. Possible explanation: An elongated Seal (Suborder Pinnipedia) adapted for a semiabyssal marine existence. |
[Ref. mw1:] "OUR MYSTERIOUS WORLD"
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This is a timeline of weird and "Art Bell-ish" events and happenings that I have been collecting off the internet for a while. Yes, many of the entries contradict each other, and others are most likely patent lies, but all of these are in the public literature and you can sort them out for yourselves. [... Other cases...] November [1947] -- Vancouver Island fisherman George W. Saggers encountered a strange serpentlike animal in Ucluelet Harbor, at a distance of 150 feet. Its head and neck were four feet above the water; it had "two jet black eyes about three inches across and protruding from the head.... It appeared to have some sort of mane.... The color of the mane was dark brown," he wrote. |
[Ref. ar1:] ALBERT ROSALES:
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40. Location. Vancouver Island, Washington Date: November 1947 Time: unknown Angler George W Saggers encountered a strange serpent-like animal in Ucluelet Harbor, at a distance of 150 ft. Its head and neck were four feet above the water; it had "two jet black eyes about three inches across and protruding from the head...it appeared to have some sort of mane." The color of the mane was dark brown and it appeared to have whiskers or hair on its face. HC addendum Source: Jerome Clark, Unexplained! Type: E |
[Ref. ud1:] "UFODNA" WEBSITE:
November 1947 - Vancouver, Washington, USANovember 1947 : Vancouver, Washington, USA Angler George W Saggers encountered a strange serpent-like animal in Ucluelet Harbor, ... Angler George W Saggers encountered a strange serpent-like animal in Ucluelet Harbor, at a distance of 150 ft. Its head and neck were four feet above the water; it had "two jet black eyes about three inches across and protruding from the head...it appeared to have some sort of mane." The color of the mane was dark brown and it appeared to have whiskers or hair on its face. Hynek rating: CE3 Vallee rating: AN3 |
The source is indicated to be "Rosales, Albert, Humanoid Sighting Reports Database".
[Ref. jc1:] JEROME CLARK:
The author indicated that in November 1947, Vancouver Island fisherman George W. Saggers encountered a strange serpent-like animal at a 150-feet distance in Hucluelet Harbor. It was told that its head and neck were four feet above the water, that it had "two jet black eyes just three inches across and protruding from the head... It appeared to have some sort of mane... The color of the mane was dark brown," Saggers wrote.
Jerome Clark proposed that it was probably a pinniped.
[Ref. jf1:] JEAN FITCHCROFT:
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CHAPTER 7 In November 1947 George W. Saggers, a fisherman from Vancouver Island, saw a strange creature while he was salmon fishing. His account appeared in the American magazine Fate. "On the port side, about 150 feet away, was a head and neck raised about four feet above the water, with two jet black eyes about three inches across and protruding from the head like buns, staring at me." |
[Ref. ta1:] "THINK ABOUT IT" WEBSITE:
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(Last Updated On: June 27, 2016) Date: November 1947 Location: Vancouver Island, Washington Time: unknown Summary: Angler George W Saggers encountered a strange serpent-like animal in Ucluelet Harbor, at a distance of 150 ft. Its head and neck were four feet above the water; it had “two jet black eyes about three inches across and protruding from the head "it appeared to have some sort of mane." The color of the mane was dark brown and it appeared to have whiskers or hair on its face. Source: Jerome Clark, Unexplained! |
[Ref. cv1:] "CONICHAN VALLEY CITIZEN" NEWSPAPER:
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One of the least known, and most vivid sightings, is that of commercial fisherman George W. Saggers, of Port Albion, V.I. Trolling out of Ucluelet in November 1947, the fishing veteran of 20 years encountered a serpent about two miles southwest of Amphitrite Point. In his sworn statement he said, “Suddenly I had the funniest feeling. A sort of shiver went up and down my spine, and I had a feeling that I was being watched. Immediately, I straightened up and looked all around." He had a visitor. About 150 feet off his port side, "a head and neck" peered from the waves, its “jet black eyes, about three inches across and protruding from the head like a couple of buns,” watching him curiously. What struck Saggers most forcibly was the fact that, despite a considerable ground swell that would rock any object on or near the surface, the creature wasn’t affected; meaning that, like an iceberg, there was "plenty of it underwater". Concluded Saggers, "I hereby swear that the above statement is a true account of my experience." |
About the Press reports:
The newspaper articles I found were based on two similar United Press newsbriefs that also appeared, with varying headlines, and equal or less content, in:
And of course, there are certainly articles on the case in many other newspaper I do not have.
In 1947, there were other cases of "sea monster" cases reported in the US Press. Some were seals skeletons found on beaches, other were likely just swimming seals. One of the report was a Tokyo radio "sea monster" hoax.
While there were several other "sea monster" reports in the Canadian Press, this case did not appear in any Canadian newspapers I could find.
Obviously, the inclusion of this story in ufology catalogues is totally silly. This was not an alien, not a humanoid, it had nothing to do with UFOs. It of course is of "Fortean" interest, of zoology or cryptozoology interest possibly, but as the description is quite poor (only neck and head seen, possible silhouette being distorted by parasites, distant of 150 feet, visibility conditions unknown...) it may not lead to any interesting stuff.
Also obviously, as proposed by some of the Fortean authors, the "sea monster" was probably some big seal.
Elephant seal of the Pacific. |
| Id: | Topic: | Severity: | Date noted: | Raised by: | Noted by: | Description: | Proposal: | Status: |
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Big seal, not UFO-related
* = Source I checked.
? = Source I am told about but could not check yet. Help appreciated.
| Main Author: | Patrick Gross |
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| Contributors: | None |
| Reviewers: | None |
| Editor: | Patrick Gross |
| Version: | Created/Changed By: | Date: | Change Description: |
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| 0.1 | Patrick Gross | October 21, 2018 | Creation, [pd1], [mm1], [hs1], [dh1], [ge1], [ar1], [ud1], [jc1], [jf1], [ta1], [cv1]. |
| 1.0 | Patrick Gross | October 21, 2018 | First published. |
| 1.1 | Patrick Gross | October 26, 2018 | Addition [mw1]. |
