Cowichan Lake Monster, 1885
Posted by: Loren Coleman on October 12th, 2010
Victoria Daily Colonist
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
November 17, 1885
“SNAIX!”
An Extraordinary Appearance in Cowichan Lake.
A short time ago as Mr. Charles Morrow, accompanied by an Indian man and woman, was paddling in a canoe through Cowichan lake, he was suddenly transfixed with astonishment and terror at the appearance of an extraordinary object which quickly lifted its head out of the water, and continued to raise it until it was some 20 feet above the surface. The head was eel-like in shape and the part of the body that appeared above the water resembled that of a gigantic snake, being of a reddish brown hue on the back and a dull white star on the belly. The monster, Mr. Morrow says, was “as big around as the Amelia’s smokestack.” After surveying the party in the canoe for a few moments the serpent (for such it appeared to be) took a “header” and disappeared, leaving the water as greatly agitated as were the occupants of the canoe. In conversation with some old Indians afterwards Mr. Morrow was told that there was a tribal tradition that many years ago several huge water snakes were often seen in the lake and that the forefathers of the Indians now living were in the habit of shooting arrows into them. If the presence of a veritable serpent in Cowichan lake should be demonstrated[,] what an attraction for tourists the lake would become; and a price would probably be set on the head of any man who should offer to harm one of the remarkable creatures.
About Loren Coleman
Loren Coleman is one of the world’s leading cryptozoologists, some say “the” leading living cryptozoologist. Certainly, he is acknowledged as the current living American researcher and writer who has most popularized cryptozoology in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
Starting his fieldwork and investigations in 1960, after traveling and trekking extensively in pursuit of cryptozoological mysteries, Coleman began writing to share his experiences in 1969. An honorary member of Ivan T. Sanderson’s Society for the Investigation of the Unexplained in the 1970s, Coleman has been bestowed with similar honorary memberships of the North Idaho College Cryptozoology Club in 1983, and in subsequent years, that of the British Columbia Scientific Cryptozoology Club, CryptoSafari International, and other international organizations. He was also a Life Member and Benefactor of the International Society of Cryptozoology (now-defunct).
Loren Coleman’s daily blog, as a member of the Cryptomundo Team, served as an ongoing avenue of communication for the ever-growing body of cryptozoo news from 2005 through 2013. He returned as an infrequent contributor beginning Halloween week of 2015.
Coleman is the founder in 2003, and current director of the International Cryptozoology Museum in Portland, Maine.
Hi guys,
I think what is really amazing is how consistent this encounter is to what people have reported seeing in Cameron Lake and Sproat Lake, which are also on Vancouver Island, as well as Ootsa Lake on the mainland of British Columbia, and of course Lake Okanagan.
This “huge water snake” phenomenon has been reported for decades in so many different bodies of water, several hundred of kilometers away from each other, in British Columbia and in many other Canadian provinces. I remain optimistic that good photo or video evidence of one or more of these creatures will emerge in the near future.
Cheers,
-Adam McGirr
I saw this Lake creature today with my son while fishing from the shore. I have in the past noticed disturbances in the water which seemed odd, but have always chalked it up to minor tremors or wind, which both are common here. Today though I actually saw an object moving in the water. It was about 10:45 am or so on Sunday October 7th, 2012. My son and I had been fishing with friends who had just left to go back to the house for breakfast. We were planning to return shortly ourselves. A motor boat had just taken a water skier across the lake and had disappeared around the point a few minutes minutes prior to the sighting. I noticed a disturbance in the middle of the lake and a large dark object surfaced, it began to move east to west at a fast rate. There was a huge wake behind it and white water at the front and moving away from the front leaving a large wake. I yelled at my son to look, he had already seen it from his position on the beach. I fumbled for my camera and tried to change the setting from photo to video and began shooting. Unfortunately, I did not catch much more than the wake and my own voice… Very disappointing. I was in shock afterwards as I could not rationalize what it could have been. It was very large and although 500m or so away I could make out it was an animal and alive. It was not a log or bird. Searching on the internet I found a name for the creature, Stin-Qua, so named by the local natives. I found this site and am grateful for two things, one my son saw it with me and two others have seen it too. I will be ready the next time… Something is out there.