Skip to content

Southern Fried Science

Over 15 years of ocean science and conservation online

  • Home
  • About SFS
  • Authors
  • Support SFS

Ocean of Pseudoscience Shorty – The Montauk Monster

Posted on September 9, 2010February 2, 2012 By Bluegrass Blue Crab 4 Comments on Ocean of Pseudoscience Shorty – The Montauk Monster
Uncategorized

The headlines read: “Dead Monster Washes Ashore in Montauk”

So what exactly was this crazy dead thing? Some call it a marketing scheme and no one can deny that it brought attention to the town of Montauk.

Others say it might have been a prank by a local filmmaker to bring attention to his movie. There’s a pretty good understanding of how the story unfolded but no conclusion on how the story started and whether it’s a normal hoax or a hoax of a hoax.

In the end, the actual carcass appears to be a dead, waterlogged raccoon.

~Bluegrass Blue Crab

Share this:

  • Share on Bluesky (Opens in new window) Bluesky
  • Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit
  • Share on Threads (Opens in new window) Threads
  • Share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp
  • Share on Mastodon (Opens in new window) Mastodon

Related

Tags: Montauk Monster pseudoscience

Post navigation

❮ Previous Post: The Aquatic Ape Hypothesis
Next Post: Ocean of Pseudoscience Shorty – Chemosynthetic ecosystems and independence from the sun ❯

You may also like

Uncategorized
Ocean of Pseudoscience Linkfest, Round 6
September 10, 2010
Popular Culture
Michael Specter takes on Pseudoscience
April 14, 2010
Uncategorized
Ocean of Pseudoscience Shorty – Pickles for Seasickness
September 8, 2010
Uncategorized
365 days of Darwin: September 5, 2010 (1/7)
September 5, 2010

4 thoughts on “Ocean of Pseudoscience Shorty – The Montauk Monster”

  1. Patric Douglas says:
    September 9, 2010 at 4:30 pm

    No so fast there, this story had legs and WILL WALK. In fact a similar critter washed up on California’s Ocean Beach that same summer:

    http://sharkdivers.blogspot.com/2008/09/mother-of-montauk-breaking-news.html

    Yes, the Mother of Montauk, believe it, there’s a picture!

  2. Southern Fried Scientist says:
    September 9, 2010 at 4:39 pm

    It will walk , crawl, and fly! Don’t foget the mother of all Montauk Monsters – The Panamanian Pandemonium Slothfather!

    http://scienceblogs.com/tetrapodzoology/2009/09/panamanian_blue_hill_monster.php

  3. John Carroll says:
    September 9, 2010 at 4:44 pm

    I live on the east end of Long Island. You couldn’t imagine the theories and hysteria when this happened. Many locals thought for sure it was some creature created at the Plum Island Animal Research Facility which is located just off the coast of the North Fork. Another “Montauk monster” washed up somewhere else on the east coast this past summer, but I can’t remember where.

  4. Patric Douglas says:
    September 9, 2010 at 4:59 pm

    Back to our theory. An alien circus ship with all manner of off-planety critters crashed in the Pacific and these monsters are washing up all over.

Comments are closed.

Popular Posts

What Ocean Ramsey does is not shark science or conservation: some brief thoughts on "the Shark Whisperer" documentaryWhat Ocean Ramsey does is not shark science or conservation: some brief thoughts on "the Shark Whisperer" documentaryJuly 2, 2025David Shiffman
Save the seals.  Congress is trying to shoot its way to salmon recoverySave the seals.  Congress is trying to shoot its way to salmon recoveryJuly 22, 2026Southern Fried Science
Shark of Darkness: Wrath of Submarine is a fake documentaryShark of Darkness: Wrath of Submarine is a fake documentaryAugust 10, 2014Michelle Jewell
What is a Sand Shark?What is a Sand Shark?November 12, 2017Chuck Bangley
That's not a blobfish: Deep Sea Social Media is Flooded by AI SlopThat's not a blobfish: Deep Sea Social Media is Flooded by AI SlopDecember 19, 2025Andrew Thaler
What can the funniest shark memes on the internetz teach us about ocean science and conservation?What can the funniest shark memes on the internetz teach us about ocean science and conservation?November 8, 2013David Shiffman
The “Conservation Paywall”: why saving the planet has become a luxury sportThe “Conservation Paywall”: why saving the planet has become a luxury sportJuly 23, 2026Chris Parsons
Our favorite sea monsters – Ningen (#4)Our favorite sea monsters – Ningen (#4)September 7, 2010Andrew Thaler
Jumping the shark: New study reviews the breaching behavior of sharks and raysJumping the shark: New study reviews the breaching behavior of sharks and raysSeptember 19, 2024David Shiffman
Considering writing a popular science book? Here's my adviceConsidering writing a popular science book? Here's my adviceJuly 7, 2025David Shiffman
Subscribe to our RSS Feed for updates whenever new articles are published.

We recommend Feedly for RSS management. It's like Google Reader, except it still exists.

Southern Fried Science

  • Home
  • About SFS
  • Authors
  • Support SFS


If you enjoy Southern Fried Science, consider contributing to our Patreon campaign.

Copyright © 2026 Southern Fried Science.

Theme: Oceanly Premium by ScriptsTown