Case file · Cryptid
HMS Daedalus sea serpent
On 6 August 1848 officers of HMS Daedalus, sailing from the Cape of Good Hope towards St Helena, reported a huge serpent swimming past with its head held above the water.
1848 CE · -24.73, 9.37 · status: account
The account
Captain Peter M'Quhae's report to the Admiralty, printed in The Times, said the animal was at least 60 feet long and passed close enough to be seen through a telescope. It caused a public debate in which Richard Owen argued it was a large seal.
The sceptical view
Explanations offered include a seal, a giant squid seen at the surface, or a floating mass of seaweed; the witnesses were experienced officers, which is why the case is still discussed.