Colossal Claude is the name given to a sea monster that has been spotted near the Columbia River in Oregon. Some say he is a surviving plesiosaur, others say he is a giant jellyfish or whale. But no one knows for sure what he is, or if he even exists.
Description
Colossal Claude is said to be 15 to 40 feet long, with an 8 foot long neck. He has a round tan body with a snake, horse or camel-like head and a long serpentine tail. He also has coarse gray fur, glossy eyes and a bent snout. He looks like an aquatic giraffe or camel with a snake’s tail.
Sightings
Colossal Claude was first reported in 1934 by L.A. Larson, first mate of the Columbia River Lightship. He described what he saw as a 40 foot animal with a “neck some eight feet long, a big round body, a mean-looking tail, and an evil, snaky look to its head.” Other crew members on the Lightship watched the creature with binoculars.
Colossal Claude was seen again in 1937 by the crew of fishing trawler Viv. Charles E. Graham, captain of the Viv, described it as a “long, hairy, tan-colored creature, with the head of an overgrown horse, about 40 feet long, with a four-foot waist.” Few months later, a couple sighted a creature they described as looking like an “aquatic giraffe” along Devil’s Churn.
In 1939, crew of halibut fishing ship Argo also saw Colossal Claude. It reared up over the water ten feet away from the hull of the ship. The crew watched it eat fish before they turned away from the creature. It was described as having a camel-like head with coarse gray fur. It had glossy eyes and a bent snout.
There have been no confirmed sightings of Colossal Claude since then, but some people believe he is still lurking in the waters off the Oregon coast. Some even claim he has a taste for hops and likes to visit his favorite brewery.
Explanation
Colossal Claude is thought to have been a jellyfish or whale. Another theory is that it as a surviving plesiosaur, an ancient marine reptile that lived during the time of dinosaurs. Some cryptozoologists think that plesiosaurs may still exist in deep oceans or lakes around the world.
However, there is no conclusive evidence for any of these explanations. Colossal Claude remains a mystery and a legend that fascinates many people who love the unknown.
Sources
Here are some sources where you can learn more about Colossal Claude and other sea monsters: