With all of the mysterious beast and unknown creatures roaming rampant throughout the world, nothing is more cared for than the White River Monster. Also known as ‘Whitey’, this creature has been legally protected by Arkansas State Legislators around the town of Newport, Arkansas, where it has mostly been spotted. It’s home is declared as the ‘White River Monster Refuge’ and it is currently illegal to harass, wound, or kill the mythical beast. But it has not always been this way, decades ago locals sought to detonate the creature into smithereens.
The White River Monster’s first real noticeable appearance was in early July 1937, where men fishing the White River had a hard time catching fish. They ended up spotting a strange beast lurking within an underwater whirlpool. The fishermen detailed the monster having skin similar to that of an elephant, five feet in width, and twelve feet long with the face of a catfish.
The local plantation owner was abruptly notified and completely shocked when he witnessed the mysterious beast lurking in the water. He was worried that the creature was going to be a nuisance to his crops so he submitted a request to the local authorities to have the vortex blown up with TNT. The officials declined his request, but by that time thousands of people had gotten wind of the phenomenon taking place. Folks came as far as the west coast, with explosives, cameras, and rapid-firing weapons. Strategies such as capturing the beast with a net, and using a deep-sea diver fell through almost instantly. Since the people who traveled long ways started to lose interest in the phenomenon, the local plantation owner started to get accused of initiating a hoax. Even though there were clearly over 100 confirmed sightings of ‘Whitey’ throughout the short thrill of exhilaration.
Although the enthusiasm of the White River monster died down for several decades, it made a noticeable return to public consciousness in 1971. While fishing with friends, a man witnessed water suddenly spout out above the surface from a 20-foot creature with considerable spikes on its’ back. The man effectively snapped a photograph of the unknown creature which he inevitably sold to the Newport Daily Independent as proof. The daily viewers of this newspaper were thoroughly unimpressed by its lucidity.
Nevertheless, a substantial amount of witnesses stick to their story of seeing a longated, grey beast surface within the White River. Several say the creature was similar to the length of a car, while others detail strange noises coming from the beast similar to that of livestock. Others who were able to see the monsters face described an odd fang projecting from its’ forehead. However, thanks to the Arkansas Senate officials, in 1973 they passed a resolution to protect the unknown beast from any harm the humans might cause.
From the details observers have supplied, scientists speculate that ‘Whitey’ could likely be a case of mistaken identity. Some experts believe the monster could have been mistaken for a migrating seal, or some other known aquatic animal which had wondered outside its natural habitat. A firm speculation instigates that ‘Whitey’ might possibly be an elephant seal who swam up the Mississippi River and into the White river. Since the fact that elephant seals only have a lifespan of about 15 years, it’s quite a longshot for one animal to have sustained life and to have attributed to all these sightings for nearly a century. Whatever the White River Monster truly is, is still shrouded in mystery, and thanks to the State Senate, this monster is guaranteed a safe passage throughout the river.