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Our favorite sea monsters – Ningen (#4)

Posted on September 7, 2010January 14, 2024 By Andrew Thaler 12 Comments on Our favorite sea monsters – Ningen (#4)
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Sitting squarely in the middle of our favorite sea monsters is a new entrant in the world of cryptic sea monsters, the Ningen. The Ningen is a recent sea monster reported by Japanese fishermen working in the Antarctic. Allegedly, Ningens are up to 30 meters long, have a human like body, and a tail. Reports of what they look like seem to vary quite a bit, but the one consistent bit is that they have a human face and other human features.

an artists interpretation of the Ningen

Despite their impressive size, there are very few actual reports of Ningen, and none that I can find before 2007. Of course, most of the websites are in Japanese, so if any of our Japanese readers have more insight into the Ningen, I’d love to hear it. This creature may be a modern variation of the mermaid myth, or perhaps people are mistaking the undersides of large rays for a human face.

More likely is that the Ningen is a case of pareidolia, the perception of recognizable shapes in a random pattern. Of the thousands of large icebergs floating around the Southern Ocean, a few of them are probably vaguely human shaped.

The novelty and the sheer number of interpretations of the Ningen has earned this beastie a place among our favorite Sea Monsters.

~Southern Fried Scientist

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12 thoughts on “Our favorite sea monsters – Ningen (#4)”

  1. Anonymus Asshole says:
    October 18, 2010 at 4:22 pm

    Ningen is not real the reports are as fake as UFO sightings. YOU SUCK MY DICK

  2. Southern Fried Scientist says:
    October 18, 2010 at 4:30 pm

    Basic reading comprehension eludes you, eh?

  3. WhySharksMatter says:
    October 18, 2010 at 6:34 pm

    Wait, is this guy upset that you claimed that Ningen wasn’t real? Or is upset because he thinks you claimed that Ningen is real? I’m confused.

  4. Southern Fried Scientist says:
    October 18, 2010 at 7:06 pm

    I think he’s upset that he can’t spell Anonymous or use a comma.

  5. trinity says:
    October 25, 2010 at 5:41 pm

    the beast that was brought
    to life by waves on ice is
    not, nor ever was.

    comment modified as per Rule 5a.

  6. Bearfood says:
    November 4, 2010 at 1:35 am

    The Ningen! Outstanding! Just what the world needed – a new sea monster! As my spell check didn’t recognize the Ningen, I just added it as a new word that was spelled correctly. Even that is novel – a novel Ningen, as it were (is) …

    Ok – so my attempt at humor needs something … like humor … :O)

    In any case, thank you for enlightening me, and the rest of the world community, as to this new beast we need (not) worry about when we prowl the surface of Earth’s last great unknown.

    You have a great web site, and I truly appreciate your insights into both the real and imagined world around us.

    And thanks again for all your efforts in enlightening the human community – by helping us to understand our fellow Earth beings. We Humans have a tendency to forget that our ignorance requires interpreters such as yourselves in order for the rest of us to truly appreciate our fellow inhabitants of this planet. I for one applaud your efforts!

  7. Secret says:
    November 15, 2010 at 9:50 pm

    those scare the shit outa me

  8. trinity says:
    November 25, 2010 at 10:25 pm

    i like that that is i wich i saw it

  9. KS says:
    April 10, 2011 at 1:03 pm

    ningen is japanese for human

  10. Southern Fried Scientist says:
    April 10, 2011 at 7:54 pm

    Thanks!

  11. hello says:
    June 4, 2011 at 7:21 pm

    The ningen. Sirens exists I knew it; wait… ningen with no breast? im not interested now.

  12. CrazyAboutMythicalCreatures says:
    October 17, 2011 at 5:40 pm

    This is truly amazing.
    I can’t wait to find out about
    more unknown creatures out there in the sea!

Comments are closed.

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