SEA LIFE


SEA MONSTERS SWIMS ON THE WILD SIDE


With the explosion of interest globally in open water swimming, more events are being staged in waters that previously may have been shunned for their connection to lake monsters and sea serpents. But nowadays, many swimmers view such swims as a badge of merit, and the possibility of spot ing a monster is part of the draw.


LOCH NESS


The newly formed Loch Ness mass-start swim enters its second year in 2012. The 1-mile Big Yin event and the half- mile “Wee Nessie” race embrace the potential for monster sightings during these swims that traverse part of the loch in Dores, Scotland. The 1-mile swim also forms part of the H2Open National Open Water Swim Series. www.monsterswim.co.uk


GLOUCESTER HARBOR, MASSACHUSETTS


Several annual swims take place in and around Gloucester Harbor, north of Boston, Massachuset s, in waters once said to be the home of the Gloucester Sea Serpent. Though the beast has not been spot ed in several decades, dozens of highly publicized sightings in the 1800s led to many enduring depictions of a classic sea monster. You can see if it still exists by taking part in the Salem Sound Swim and Fin (www.swimandfi n.org), the Gloucester Harbour Clean Water Swim (twurl.nl/dtsa4m) and the Wild Fish One- and Two-Mile events (twurl.nl/mh152s).


CHESAPEAKE BAY


The annual 4.4-mile Chesapeake Bay Bridge Swim in Maryland is home to Chessie the sea serpent. Despite Chessie’s rumoured presence, no sightings have been reported during a swim that’s become so popular entry is determined by a lot ery. www.bayswim.com


COBH HARBOUR


Cobh Harbour off Cork, Ireland, is said to be home to a sea serpent. “The good news is that St. Patrick drove all the snakes off the island of Ireland, but the bad news is they slithered into the water,” jokes Ned Denison, a respected long-distance open water swimmer and event organizer. Denison adds that local skippers once charged for boat excursions to spot the Cobh Harbour beast. Denison says that participants now also swim in nearby Lake Muckross, the deepest lake in Ireland and home of the Muckie Monster. kingdomswim.org


LAKE ARGYLE


Lake Argyle in Kununurra, Western Australia, is home to the First National Kimberley Lake Argyle Swim. While sightings of 'Aggie' the lake monster are few, some believers say the creature gained entrance to the lake via the Ord River that fl ows into the Indian Ocean. lakeargyleswim.com


LAKE MEMPHRÉMAGOG


A recently re-established international swim the length of Lake Memphrémagog between Newport, Vermont and Quebec, Canada, lightheartedly turns the lake monster phobia on its head and seeks to make contact with the rumoured creature, Memphré. The 25-mile “In Search of Memphré” event has already resulted in two reported encounters during its inaugural 2011 run. Will the 2012 race produce more evidence that Memphré welcomes the swimmers who venture into her realm? www.insearchofmemphre.com


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“Despite all these caveats about hoaxes there’s lit le doubt some aquatic animals, currently unrecognized by science, do exist.” It’s true that we are still encountering new, unusual, and sometimes previously misunderstood species. Take for example the giant Humboldt Squid that reigns supreme in the Sea of Cortez.This real-life sea monster was eventually identifi ed as being the reality behind the legend of the Kraken and may have also been the basis of the ancient Greek legend of Scylla and Charybdis. As an aggressive nocturnal predator, the Humboldt Squid means diving or swimming in the Gulf of California and other places where Humboldts live can be a dangerous prospect, but one that proves enticing for some. In 2010, The Night Train Swimmers, a San Francisco-based group of open water enthusiasts, sent a six-person relay to the Sea of Cortez. The team was thwarted in its at empt not by giant squid but a shock of jellyfi sh. But inspired by the ethereal set ing and the imposing challenge, one of the swimmers, Paul Lundgren, 48, from California, is planning a 72-mile solo assault on the Sea of Cortez this summer. In an eff ort to avoid squid Lundgren says he won’t use the standard night ime swimming devices as these may actually at ract the predator. “They come up at night, because they hunt phosphorescent fi sh. Instead I’ll be swimming during a full moon so we won’t need lights. If squid come up, I’ll just try to avoid as best I can. I’m trusting my crew to pull me up if my life is in danger.” For the long distance solo swimmer, exhaustion and sensory deprivation lead the imagination to wander and self-confi dence to falter. For swimmers such as Lundgren, it’s not just the fl esh- and-blood creatures that worry him but the tricks the water plays on his mind. “The monsters are in our heads, and it's those ones that really scare me." Still, it’s possible undiscovered creatures lurk in the depths, and as swimmers venture further, who knows what they'll discover. ○


MONSTERS DOWN UNDER Despite the almost global spread of deep water monster legends, one country remains almost exempt. American open water swimmer Dori Miller – now living in Bondi Beach – observes that there is a dearth of mythic lake and sea serpents in Australia. “In Oz, you don't really need mythical sea serpents because you have enough real-life monsters to cope with,” says Miller. Great whites and irukanji jellyfi sh, to name just two.


Inspiring fantastical tales: a real-life anglerfi sh


Photo © Antonio Peres


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