The HMS Daedalus Sea Serpent
Officers of a Royal Navy ship watched an enormous serpent swim past them for twenty minutes, its head held high above the waves.
What was reported
On 6 August 1848, the Royal Navy frigate HMS Daedalus was sailing in the South Atlantic when a midshipman reported something approaching. The captain, Peter M'Quhae, and several officers saw what they described as an enormous serpent, with about 60 feet of its body visible, its head held above the water, swimming steadily past the ship.
They watched it for about 20 minutes. The captain reported it to the Admiralty, and the account, with drawings, was published in The Times, causing a sensation in Victorian Britain.
Explanations offered
The scientist Richard Owen argued they had seen a large seal. Others have suggested a giant squid swimming near the surface, a whale, or an oarfish, a very long fish rarely seen alive. The officers were experienced seamen, and they rejected Owen's explanation.
- When
- 6 August 1848
- Where
- South Atlantic Ocean, west of southern Africa
- Witnesses
- Captain Peter M'Quhae and officers of HMS Daedalus
- Status
- Disputed
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.