Greetings, my friends, and welcome back to another episode of Scholar Minor.
This afternoon I spent the day on the beautiful California coast with two of my very favorite people, in an effort to escape the heat and routine of the central valley. We visited the San Francisco Zoo, had some wonderful seafood, and spent some time meandering along the misty and majestic Ocean Beach.
As we walked along the seaside inspecting all the strange and wonderful things peeking out from the sand, it truly struck me how weird the stuff in the ocean is. Kelp - bulbous, slimy, and alien-like pods - little clams that bury themselves in the sand and blow bubbles, the myriad of bizarre invertebrates that leave behind their beautiful shells and sand dollars.
Despite seeing all sorts of wonderful things, my folks and I did not, unfortunately, see Caddy - or, as they are known officially, the Cadborosaurus. Sightings of this majestic and slightly terrifying beastie have been reported up and down the Pacific coast, from San Francisco all the way up to Alaska. So in preparation for future seaside adventures, I thought some research into this lesser-known sea monster was in order . . . just in case.
Thanks for listening, and I hope you enjoy.
"'On the 16th of last October, when the vessel was forty-six mile south of Alaska, an object wa perceived in the distance whose proportions and shape indicated it to be a monster sea-lion. A boat was immediately lowered. As the distance was decreased between the boat and the huge animal, they became convinced that it was the famed sea-serpent.
When they came within a few hundred yards, the monster made a dash for the boat, striking out its immense tail against the craft . . . [when it was dead] the capture was seen to be a villainous-looking thing. Its head closely resembles that of an alligator, while the body resembled that of a lizard. It measured thirty-three feet in length, the tail being nine feet long. The tail was cut off and stuffed and brought to this city, and is now on exhibition.'"
This harrowing tale, recounted by the mate of an Alaskan whaling ship, was published in the San Francisco Chronicle in 1884.
By the late 19th and early 20th centuries, sea serpents had already firmly embedded themselves in the lore of the sea, alongside terrifying peers like the many-tentacled Kraken. Aristotle makes references to sea snakes in his Historia Animalium, and Pliny the Elder discusses some of the monstrous creatures of the ocean in Naturalis Historia.
Many of these are believed to reference normally-proportioned, very real sea serpents - but by the time the middle ages rolled around, the true identity of these creatures had been lost and mythical monsters took their place in the human imagination.
Interestingly, though, sea serpents are a global phenomenon. The Babylonian ocean-dwelling goddess Tiamat is sometimes described as having a glistening, serpentine form and Norse mythology describes Jormungandr, the World Serpent, who was thrown into the ocean by Odin and now resides there - his body so large that he encircles the entire world, his jaws clamped tightly on his own tail.
Cadborosaurus is a recent moniker used to refer to some of the sea serpent sightings off the Pacific coast of the North American continent. Debates about the true identity of Cadborosaurus still rage on, and this particular beast has a particularly interesting story.
Some Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest and Canada have historically incorporated a serpent-like water creature in stories and artistic motifs. Sometimes referred to as a “sea-wolf”,
the creature depicted has flippers and fins, but a long wolf-like muzzle. Its likeness can be found carved onto water going vessels like canoes.
It’s important to note, however, that this creature is one of substantial cultural and spiritual significance - and shouldn’t be lumped into the same cryptozoological category as Cadborosaurus. Taking that into account, it is interesting that serpent-like inhabitants of the Pacific coast have, for a very long time, had a rich local presence and history.
Caddy's story began in October 1933, when the managing editor of the Victoria Daily Times in Canada, Archie Will, published an article about a sighting of a monstrous sea serpent in Cadboro Bay. The witnesses, Major William H. Langley and Fred W. Kemp, claimed the beast was around 25 meters - or 82 feet - long.
The publication of the article on October 5th inspired other readers to submit their own reports of sightings to the newspaper. Nearly all claimed that the creature was serpent-like and long, some describing its head as horse or camel-like. At this time, the sea monster didn't have a name - so Willis asked for naming suggestions. Cadborosaurus, or Caddy, became the agreed upon moniker.
1933 became a big year for mysterious water-dwelling creatures, as Scotland's Loch Ness Monster had gained global popularity due to an uptick in sightings and an inexplicable photograph resembling an . . . unidentified slimy thing, taken in November 1933. In 1934, the iconic photo of Nessie with her neck and head above the water was taken by gynaecologist Colonel Robert Kenneth Wilson.
With horse-headed water serpents all the rage, Victoria was proud to have their very own - Caddy. Archie Mills wrote that, "[Caddy's] antics, such a his gobbling up seagulls, ducks and fish (all non-eviscerated), the way he winks his left eye, the power of his tail (don't misspell that), and the curl of his mane delight the readers."
In 1937, an unidentifiable something was discovered in the stomach of a dead sperm whale at Naden Harbour. Rumours swirled that this creature was a Caddy - perhaps even a baby Cadboroaurus. A witness described the find as around 10 feet long and reptilian in appearance, with a head resembling that of a large dog or horse.
The American Whaling Company, who had discovered the carcass, sent it to Bellevue, Washington where it was temporarily shown to the public. After that the story of the baby Caddy gets a little murky - it was sent back to British Columbia for scientific analysis, where it was likely dismissed as a fetal whale - and then disappeared. Most likely discarded.
In 1943 a Victoria fisherman claimed he had rammed Caddy with his boat and killed him. Cadborosaurus fans were livid. Luckily, the fisherman must have run into something else, because sightings continued. By 1960 up and down the Pacific Coats there had been more than 600 reported sightings.
During the height of Caddy’s popularity, Doctor C. McLean Faser, head of the Zoology Department at the University of British Columbia, mused that, "Until someone gets a lasso around one of these things we will never be able to get much farther. It is possible there are such things."
Caddy is what is known as a cryptid. A cryptid is a creature whose existence has never been proven. There are countless cryptids out there, and by their very nature, many are deeply entwined with folklore and mythology. The Loch Ness monster, the Kraken, Bigfoot or Sasquatch, and the Mothman are other examples of cryptids.
The sea is certainly an ideal place for mysterious beasts to hang around unbothered by their human neighbors, and if you’re interested in hearing about some more ocean monsters, check out some of Scholar Minor’s previous episodes - Episode 9, The Kraken, and my very first episode, Mermaids, Sirens, and Selkies. Do be a little gentle if you do listen to that first episode - I think my recording skills have improved a bit 22 episodes later.
While I didn’t see any sea monsters on my trip to San Francisco, there’s always next time. And since they seem to be pretty common - keep an eye out if you have any local bodies of water. You never know.
Thanks for joining me, everyone. My downloads are steadily climbing and I see lots of new listeners popping up on my stats map - please know that I am so humbled and appreciate each and every one of you.
My sources are available in the show notes, as is a link to my website and email. Please feel free to reach out if you have a topic you’d like to hear about, and definitely subscribe to Scholar Minor if you haven’t already. It’s available wherever you get your podcasts, including YouTube - I’m currently learning to edit videos, so there will be some new content up on the channel soon.
Take care, be safe, and I look forward to talking to you all again next week.