The True Story Of The Mysterious 'Montauk Monster' That Washed Ashore On Long Island In 2008
In July 2008, a strange creature washed ashore in Long Island, New York. Lying dead on the beaches of Ditch Plains, the bloated, bloodless beast looked like a monster out of a storybook, which inspired the public to dub it the “Montauk Monster.”
News about the monster and theories about its origin quickly spread. People speculated that it could be the mutant result of an experiment performed at the nearby Plum Island Animal Disease Center. Others posited that it was an alien entity that had succumbed to Earthly elements.
Or, perhaps, it was merely a bizarre marketing scheme.
It didn’t take long for the director of the International Cryptozoology Museum Loren Coleman, who’s largely
credited with coming up with the name “Montauk Monster,” to launch an extensive investigation of the creature.
As an expert in animals whose existence is disputed (like the Loch Ness Monster, for instance), Coleman appeared to be the perfect fit for the job — if only Montauk locals would speak with him.
Coleman
noted that, strangely, “these people put up a brick wall around themselves.”
What did they know about the Montauk Monster — and did it frighten them to silence?
The Montauk Monster Washes Ashore
On July 12, 2008, Jenna Hewitt and her friends Rachel Goldberg and Courtney Fruin hit the beach at Ditch Plains. The hot summer Saturday made for ideal conditions to stroll, but as the group of East Hampton natives continued, they came across a heart-stopping sight.
It looked like a sunbaked dog carcass with strange bindings around its legs. But it didn’t seem like the right size to be a dog, and instead of a snout, the creature seemed to have a beak. Hewitt took a photo of the dead animal— which then spread like wildfire across the internet.
The East Hampton
Independentwas the first media outlet to cover the bizarre find. Their story, published on July 23 with a cheeky headline, “The Hound of Bonacville” — which is a play on the nearby area of “Bonackers” and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s
The Hound of the Baskervilles — made some local waves.