Legends of curious creatures who dwell in the world's oceans have persisted from the time of the first sailors until the present. Walter Buehr, author of many books about the sea and sailing, examines here some of the most interesting reports, both ancient and modern, of such "sea serpents," and offers the opinions of various scientists about some of the mysteries.

During the past seven centuries, there have been thousands of reports by eye-witnesses, many of them scientists, naval officers, and other responsible people, of the sighting of huge, unidentified creatures both at sea and along the shore. Some of these "sea monsters" have turned out to be masses of seaweed, water-logged trees, or members of well-known, living species such as whales, basking sharks, giant squid, sea lions or manatees.

At the same time, there are many descriptions and photographs which cannot be entirely explained away, nor can they be ignored as the imaginings of hysterical observers or practical jokers. As one example, the author cites the capture, in 1930, of an eel larva, 6.5 feet long, at a depth of 1,000 feet off South America. Scientists projecting the growth rate of such an eel have suggested that an adult of this species might be as much as 60 feet long. This and many other findings are examined here. Various scientific theories are presented, some of which explain away the "sea monsters," while others admit the possibility of the existence of some large, unknown species of sea creature. 

From the dust jacket