The Labynkyr Devil
In one of the coldest places on Earth, the people of Yakutia speak of a huge, dark creature living in a deep lake.
What was reported
Lake Labynkyr lies in the Oymyakon area of Yakutia, one of the coldest inhabited regions on Earth, and stays frozen for much of the year. Local people have long told of a large dark creature in the lake, which they call the Labynkyr devil.
In 1953, Soviet geologist Viktor Tverdokhlebov, working at the nearby Lake Vorota, wrote that he saw a large animal, the size of an orca, swimming towards the shore. In 2012, a researcher said sonar picked up large objects underwater in Labynkyr.
Explanations offered
The lake is deep and cold, with fish that could grow large. Suggested explanations include giant pike, a large seal or a story that grew among outsiders. Scientists point out that the lake could not feed a large animal through the long winters. No clear photographs or remains have been found.
- When
- Told for generations; reported in 1953
- Where
- Lake Labynkyr, Yakutia, Russia
- Witnesses
- Local Evenk and Yakut people; Soviet geologists
- Status
- Unconfirmed
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.