ASTOR, Fla. \u2013 Decades ago, a 35-foot-long creature was allegedly seen along the St. Johns River in Astor, sparking rumors of a mysterious beast lurking in the waters nearby.<\/p>\n
Boaters who saw the so-called \u201cSt. Johns River Monster\u201d described it as grey, horned, four-legged, and with an appetite for hyacinths. Strangely, witness accounts reported seeing it either in the river or on land.<\/p>\n
According to newspaper articles from 1953, the beast \u2014 theorized by some to be a prehistoric creature that had survived to modern times \u2014 had been reported by witnesses ranging from Lake Monroe up to Lake George.<\/p>\n
Photographed illustration of the St. Johns River Monster in an issue of The Orlando Sentinel (Oct. 20, 1953). The creature’s popularity brought crowds out to Astor, bringing to mind the celebrity of the Loch Ness Sea Monster. (Copyright 2024 by WKMG ClickOrlando – All rights reserved.)<\/p>\n
During that year, The Orlando Sentinel<\/a> spoke with Buck Dillard, a longtime Astor resident and river guide who was the first to report seeing the monster.<\/p>\n Dillard told reporters that he was taking a Missouri couple out fishing in Lake Dexter, which is when he spotted the creature\u2019s head pop up out of the water.<\/p>\n [BELOW: This massive Florida circle isn\u2019t natural – here\u2019s what experts think it could be]<\/p>\n \u201cHe looked at us for about a minute, then he went under the water and swam underwater away from us,\u201d Dillard said. \u201cWe waited about two hours in that same spot to see if he would come up again, but he didn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n An animal with the same description was later reported in Blue Creek and the Astore Bridge, among several other locations.<\/p>\n Photographed illustration of the “St. Johns River Monster” published in The Miami Herald (Nov. 10, 1953). The monster was described as grey with a horn on its head and extending around 35 feet. (Copyright 2024 by WKMG ClickOrlando – All rights reserved.)<\/p>\n Rumors of the monster spread to the point that even then-President Homer Wright of the Astor Chamber of Commerce believed them.<\/p>\n \u201cThat thing has been seen by many reliable persons,\u201d Wright said. \u201cI wouldn\u2019t be at all surprised if in the wilds of Florida, there weren\u2019t some creature like that monster.\u201d<\/p>\n Several news outlets at the time reported the decrease in hyacinths along the river, which fed even further into the myths surrounding the monster.<\/p>\n [BELOW: Florida\u2019s deepest sinkhole has a deadly story]<\/p>\n It was even reported by people all the way up in Jacksonville<\/a>, where one woman described it as an \u201cugly thing\u201d and pink \u201clike a boiled shrimp.\u201d<\/p>\n A Kissimmee resident posted a $5,000 reward for anyone who could catch the monster alive. Some people tried to organize a hunt to capture the monster and prove its existence.<\/p>\n Regardless, the legend brought crowds of tourists to Astor, hoping to catch a glimpse of the fabled monster.<\/p>\n However, many biologists at the time believed the creature was just a manatee that had been \u201cexaggerated\u201d by witnesses.<\/p>\n [BELOW: Manatee deaths rise in Florida]<\/p>\n In addition, The Miami Herald<\/a> reported that the disappearing hyacinths were being carried downstream thanks to quicker currents brought about by the rainy season.<\/p>\n What about witnesses who reported seeing it walk?<\/p>\n