Latest book by Nessie hunter Adrian Shine sheds light on the mystery of sea serpents
A Highland publisher has an intriguing new book by the famous Nessie hunter Adrian Shine appropriately titled ‘A Natural History of Sea Serpents’.
Adrian Shine was author, designer and curator of the exhibition at the Loch Ness Centre in Drumnadrochit and is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society. A Natural History of Sea Serpents is now available from Dunbeath company Whittles Publishing and would make a fine stocking filler for budding cryptozoologists as well as those with an interest in natural history, the history of the marine environment and 'monsters'.
His book re-examines the cold-case enigma of sea serpents and monsters that have been described by a host of impeccable witnesses over the centuries. The reports have intrigued and puzzled even the most eminent scientists, while others have derided them as mere folk tales.
The 200-plus pages of A Natural History of Sea Serpents contain a sizeable index and bibliography with quoted sources. It is also lavishly illustrated with some well-known images of the legendary creatures along with some more obscure examples. These are often juxtaposed with pictures of ‘real life’ animals to explain what witnesses may have actually seen.
Cited are several examples of deadly encounters between whales and sea serpents as witnessed by the crews of sailing ships in the 19th century. Numerous accounts were recorded of these epic battles in which the “coils” of the serpent surrounded the struggling cetacean. From years of dedicated experience, the author has theories as to what may have transpired that include misidentifying the whale’s pectoral fins or even its enormous penis.
As readers delve deeper into the book, they will be drawn into a world of wonder and mystery with each page revealing a new and tantalising piece of the puzzle, from the ancient myths that inspired the sea serpent legends to the scientific theories that sought to explain their existence.
“It is a journey that will challenge their beliefs and expand their understanding of the natural world,” says one critic.
Shine, who is best known for his 50 years examining Loch Ness as a 'sympathetic sceptic', reveals how the loch actually held the key to the greater mystery. He exonerates the integrity of most witnesses, and often remarks upon the accuracy of their observations yet offers bold and radical interpretations of what they have seen. The book digs deep into the roots of the legend and shows how expectations 'evolved' from those 'serpents' to prehistoric 'monsters' during the nineteenth century.
Among the many eyewitness reports is one from Brora in which a certain Rev James Joass writes about a strange creature he saw in September 1873: “I saw through a glass, about half a mile out, a floating object which was certainly part of some beast, dead or basking.
“It drifted along with the tide, and suddenly disappeared near the curing shed. At no time did it raise itself higher than when first seen. Colour brown and light yellow; apparent size seen, about 8ft. or 10ft. It was watched for half an hour, and two sketches made there.”
Shine says the creature witnessed by Rev Joass off the Brora coastline may have been a loggerhead turtle “cold stunned” by North Sea temperatures.
The book cites over 100 reports and contains as many illustrations as evidence for its conclusions. The author’s findings, stemming from knowledge of ships, the sea and the true monsters living there, cover the entire spectrum of reports, giving new insight, for example, into the famous HMS Daedalus episode of 1848, the description of a very unusual creature seen by two zoologists in 1904 and the serpent seen by hundreds off the coast of New England in 1817.
This book will certainly generate debate within the cryptozoology movement, yet also challenges the theories of the preeminent sceptical writer on the subject, Dr. Robert France, who has proposed whales and other creatures entangled in pre-plastic era fishing gear as the cause of most sea serpent encounters. Nevertheless, the author shares this ethnobiological perspective and ends with a strong conservation message.
The book is filled with detailed illustrations and photographs, showcasing the diverse range of sea serpents that inhabit the world's oceans from the serpentine shape of the elusive oarfish to the fearsome jaws of the mythical Kraken – every page is filled with intriguing discoveries.
A Natural History of Sea Serpents is available directly from Whittles or from Amazon at: www.amazon.co.uk/Natural-History-Sea-Serpents/dp/1849955883/
ISBN 978-184995-588-1 240 × 170mm 240pp liberally illustrated with c. 110 photos and c. 40 drawings and sketches, colour throughout.
The softback is priced £18.99 with special offers on Amazon.
