The Giant Tadpole of Hook Island
In 1964, a photographer published pictures of a huge, tadpole-shaped creature lying on the sea floor off an Australian island, more than 20 metres long.
What was reported
In December 1964, Robert Le Serrec, a French photographer, said that while sailing in Stonehaven Bay off Hook Island, in Queensland's Whitsunday Islands, he and his companions saw a gigantic creature lying motionless in the shallow water. They described it as like a giant tadpole, with a huge head and a long, thin tail, about 23 metres long.
He published photographs showing a long, dark shape under the water. He said that when they swam closer, it opened its mouth and swam away.
Explanations offered
Many researchers believe the photos were a hoax, perhaps made with a plastic sheet or tarpaulin weighed down on the sea floor. It was later reported that Le Serrec had been planning a book about sea monsters before the trip. Others have suggested a large fish, such as a whale shark.
- When
- December 1964
- Where
- Hook Island, Whitsunday Islands, Queensland, Australia
- Witnesses
- A French photographer and his companions
- Status
- Probably a hoax
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.
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