Dark, slithering creature seen by boat captain near NC coast stirs debate. What is it?




Thu, January 5, 2023

A creature that looked equal parts alligator, fish and eel has become a subject of online debate, after being recorded undulating in waters off southeastern North Carolina.

The video has been viewed more than 123,000 times since being shared on Facebook on Jan. 3 by Chasin Tails Outdoors Bait & Tackle in Atlantic Beach.

“Something you don’t see everyday,” the shop wrote. “Whales or the Loch News Monster in the port this morning. Never seen one inside the inlet like this!”

The 43-second video shows the creature surfaced with a sputter of air, then began slithering like a snake — with an alligator-like head sticking out of the water.

Nearly 1,400 reactions and comments had been posted as of Jan. 5, including guesses that it was an alligator, lost whale calf, large dolphin or a manatee. Most of those are uncommon in Bogue Sound this time of year, though right whales are migrating along the coast for winter.

“Now that is strange. Odd looking head for sure,” David Ford wrote on Facebook.

“That’s a gator. You can see the eyes are on top of its head,” Mike Williams wrote.

“Definitely not a gator! They do not swim like that at all,” Katie Johnson said.

“Looks like an anaconda or a boa to me,” Brenda Moody Kreeger guessed.

The video was recorded by charter boat Captain Daniel Griffee, who says it

“looked like a baby whale got lost from its mother.”

“Wasn’t sure at first,” he wrote. “Thought it was a group of dolphins splashing

around until it swam right beside the boat.”

Chasin Tails Outdoors Bait & Tackle did not offer a definitive answer.

It is located on a barrier island along Bogue Sound.