Update: Alaska Cadborosaurus Footage
Posted by: John Kirk on September 22nd, 2010
Regarding the news that Craig relayed earlier today here on Cryptomundo regarding the Hillstrands.
Paul Leblond was part of that principal photography in June.
He discussed the Caddy footage with the Hillstrands. They did not obtain the footage. It was obtained by a Washington state fisherman who also fishes in Alaska.
I will enquire into the fate of the footage, but I think it likely they will use it in another part of Deadliest Catch. Original Productions produces both shows and they are the new owners of the footage after acquiring it from the Washington man.
I’ll keep readers advised when I get some news.
About John Kirk
One of the founders of the BCSCC, John Kirk has enjoyed a varied and exciting career path. Both a print and broadcast journalist, John Kirk has in recent years been at the forefront of much of the BCSCC’s expeditions, investigations and publishing. John has been particularly interested in the phenomenon of unknown aquatic cryptids around the world and is the author of In the Domain of the Lake Monsters (Key Porter Books, 1998).
In addition to his interest in freshwater cryptids, John has been keenly interested in investigating the possible existence of sasquatch and other bipedal hominids of the world, and in particular, the Yeren of China. John is also chairman of the Crypto Safari organization, which specializes in sending teams of investigators to remote parts of the world to search for animals as yet unidentified by science. John travelled with a Crypto Safari team to Cameroon and northern Republic of Congo to interview witnesses among the Baka pygmies and Bantu bushmen who have sighted a large unknown animal that bears more than a superficial resemblance to a dinosaur.
Since 1996, John Kirk has been editor and publisher of the BCSCC Quarterly which is the flagship publication of the BCSCC. In demand at conferences, seminars, lectures and on television and radio programs, John has spoken all over North America and has appeared in programs on NBC, ABC, CBS, PBS, TLC, Discovery, CBC, CTV and the BBC.
In his personal life John spends much time studying the histories of Scottish Clans and is himself the president of the Clan Kirk Society. John is also an avid soccer enthusiast and player.
I don’t know how this can get any weirder. Footage exists. LeBlond thought it credible. It seems that, a year later, no one can work out a proposition for getting it on TV. Money and legal rights have been a discussion point in this mess from the beginning, and it’s possible the footage could end up just sitting somehwere.
Does anyone else feel like this is ‘apples and oranges’ programming? It just seems that the ‘Deadliest Catch’ is the wrong venue for this Cadborosaurus video.
I wouldn’t watch ‘Dancing With the Stars’ for UFO footage.
I do, however, see Stellar Sea Cows in the audience of ‘Toddlers and Tiaras’.
LOL@ MountD… I have seen those cows, sadly.
I’m curious, though, why “Deadliest Catch” is the wrong venue given the choices. I mean I do see the variance from their normal programing about the trials of catching my seafood that I comfortably get in a package, thank you. But a Fisherman supposedly shot the video – it’s not that big a stretch, but a place to start? I guess I am postulating that getting it out there for analysis is at least better than wasting time peddling the right venue?
I’m guessing that the Discovery Channel bought the rights to the footage, but don’t really have any crypto-related shows on right now, and decided Deadliest Catch was the closest match.
However, I think this is a lesson in crypto-footage for all of us. Selling it to a network is all fine and good, and I’m sure it brought a decent paycheck, but now it’s caught up in some sort of legal nonsense. AND it could be a long while before anyone actually gets to see this footage.
I’m not sure what I would have done and would do if I caught something like that. Obviously most people go for selling the rights to it to make profit, but is that the best option? I know, it’s hard to turn down a check. Not saying I wouldn’t either, but again, if we’re here to discover the truth, what’s the best option?
I think that could be a goooood topic for discussion. Craig, Loren, John, Rick–in order to get evidence and footage to the right people, exactly where should I go when I get that elusive 2 and a half minute footage of bigfoot tearing off with my picnic basket, or Nessie lazily swimming by?
I know of the BFRO, and John’s group, but where else can or SHOULD you consider sending this stuff to if you actually get the holy grail? (And no, Tom Biscardi is not on the list)
Obviously if you hand it out to anyone and everyone, it becomes public domain, and then, yes, you get no selling rights, but is that really what cryptozoology shifted to be all about? Or is it the discovery of the unknown, and pursuit of the truth?
If this video was any good they’d have it on a show with or without the Hillstrands. The new season of DC doesn’t start until January or Feb usually, and if they are willing to sit on it that long, I’m sure its nothing special.
I can understand someone wanting to capitalize on something they deem a breakthrough not only in cryptozoology but natural biology in general, but from what I could gather this story hasn’t garnered ANY news coverage or even the slightest hint of interest from other fields of cryptozoology as far as I can tell from searching National Geographic, Science Magazine, or even Discovery Channel’s website.
This thing is just screaming hoax.
Selling the rights to a channel is one of the most idiotic thing anyone can do. Of course if money is more important then fine. But these TV channels they work in the interest of those who don’t want these creatures existence to be proven. Coverup artists.
I fear that the footage will be distorted and displayed so that no conclusion can be reached and the whole thing will be dismissed.
That is where this is heading, unless I am mistaken this time.
Bill and Bob Clark did the right thing by refusing to sell their footage to any channel. After watching the disrespectful way Nat Geo treated their video, I realized what kind of people run these ‘educational channels’.
Obviously it would have been better if the Caddy footage hadn’t been sold to a TV company given what has now happened. As a community of people with a real interest in cryptozoology, we probably know what we would have done differently if one of us had filmed the footage ourselves. We have to remember however, that not everyone shares our enthusiasm for the subject or has the increase of scientific knowledge as their priority. Who can blame the guy who filmed it for making a few bucks? Let’s just hope the TV company can find a suitable program to broadcast the footage soon, and we don’t have to wait until 2011 to see it.
I don’t think I can take the suspense any longer!
And by the way, I think its premature to assume this is a hoax. I think it’s just been an unfortunate set of circumstances that have compounded the delay.
Also I think the fact that John Kirk and Paul LeBlond have seen the footage and believe it to be genuine should give us hope that when this footage is shown, it will prove to be significant.
In the future, agreements for footage could be made with time limits. Half of the money upfront, half when it airs; yet they have only a certain time to air it or then the rights go back to the original owner. That happens in logging.
Today’s news mentioned that the Hillstrands and Discovery Channel have gone their separate ways over some legal/contract dispute and will no longer be part of the Deadliest Catch team.
If there were no profit motive they should have given the footage to any scientific foundation that showed interest, but that didn’t happen, so we all await the first viewing of a collection of sea dragons with bated breath.
They could have at least allowed some stills to be shown to chum the water a bit. 😉