An unidentified creature’s carcass washes ashore. This is no Globster, however, as it retained some of its form. Described as a pink vaguely-humanoid blob, could this be a new species of aquatic life?
In 1953, and again in 1954, a strange body washed onto the shore of Canvey Island, east of London in the UK.
It was unlike anything the people there had seen: two-and-a-half feet long with sharp teeth and bulging eyes.
The creatures had reddish-brown skin and, supposedly, hoof-shaped feet with small claws!
The first specimen (not photographed but similar looking to the featured banner image) was said to have back legs. The legs appeared as if the creature could stand on end and walk with bipedal locomotion!
A sea creature that can walk like human beings is quite a shocking thought. Could it be a possible link between sea and terrestrial animals?
Well, no unfortunately. The Canvey Island Monster has a much more real identity than many of its cryptid compatriots.
While both carcasses have since been disposed and lost, it is widely believed that the Canvey Island Monsters were simply misidentified monkfish (of the Lophius genus). This fish, a relative to the more widely known angler fish, looks remarkably similar to what the people saw in the 1950s.
The monkfish is actually seen as a delicacy by some, supposedly having a less fishy taste than most and tasting similar to both chicken and lobster. However, due to the nature of capture (beam trawling) being quite damaging to seafloor habitats, it’s advised to avoid eating.
If there’s a sustainable way to harvest monkfish, without any damage to the environment, it could be kind of fun to try some time and partake in a “real life cryptid”.
Images of the Canvey Island Monster from Cryptidz.Fandom.com. Goosefish image from WikiMedia Commons. All images on this site are free usage!
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