The Lake Ontario Serpent is a Canadian lake monster. There are many sightings for this creature, as well as local legend, ranging from children's stories, settler's tales, and modern sightings. The one thing that all the sighings have in common is that they tell of a long and serpent-like creature. The creature is known by other names, such as has many variant names, such as the Gassyendietha, the Metrosaurus, and Kingstie from Kingston and the east side of the lake. The creature or creatures could be inhabiting most of the Great Lakes too. This is because there are some sightings of long eel-like monsters and all the lakes are connected in some way.
Sightings Timeline[]
Pre-Columbus[]
Seneca legend told of a huge beast called Gaasyendietha that inhabited the depths of the lake. They described it as large and serpent-like. What was odd is that they described it as also being able to fly and spew fire from its mouth. They also call it the meteor dragon. This is because of its supposed origin which was from a meteoroid that struck Earth. This could make it an alien.
First Fur-Traders[]
The crew of a fur trade boat reported seeing a 30 ft long 'great snake'. This made them unexpectedly turn back and post-pone their trip from Toronto (York) to the Niagara region.
1817[]
On July 3rd 1817, the crew of a ship witnessed a blackish snake-like monster “one foot in diameter and 30 – 40 ft in length.” The monster was witnessed 3 miles offshore.
1829[]
On August 5th 1829, two children believed that they had seen a 20-30 ft long snake-like creature. Their account was published in the local newspaper stating: “not the first one of the kind that has been seen in Lake Ontario; and…there can be no doubt of the existence of such monsters in our inland seas.” It was also published in the Kingston Gazette and Religious Advocate another newspaper. It stated the children witnessed a “hideous water snake, or serpent, of prodigious dimensions.”
1833[]
On July 1st 1833, Captain Abijah Kellogg and some of his crew aboard the Polythermus had spied a 175 ft blue serpent on their way to Kingston Harbour. The creature had no obvious head, but rather tapered off at either end as they compared to a giant earthworm. It made a leisurely fly-by of the ship before smoothy making its way up the St. Lawrence. The entire account was published in the Oswego Palladium-Times.
1842[]
On an unnamed date in 1842, two boys, their names both McConnel, reported seeing a brown, 30-40 ft creature with a large head swimming off the shore of Gull Beach. They were quite surprised and quickly told their father. He reacted quickly and summoned a man who owned a rifle, but before he could shoot the beast it disappeared back into the depths.
1872[]
On July 25th 1872, city residents of Olcott New York witnessed a "bellowing monster leap 50 ft out of the water" before making its way northward, out of sight.
1877[]
In August of 1877, the creature was spotted in Burlington Bay, where it was described by fishermen as resembling a log with a mouth like a crocodile. Even one fisherman claimed that the monster had snapped off his oar, leaving visible tooth marks. A journalist from Kingston Daily News noted that, “We give the story as gathered for what it is worth, and leave the reader to investigate for himself.”
1882[]
On August 22nd 1882, a serpent was witnessed in the water near Fort York. Three witnesses described it as being 50 ft long, as wide around as a man and bluish-grey with stiff bristles covering its body. The account was published in the the Toronto Mail and then later re-published in the New York Times. The creature spent sometime floating and basking in the sun before swimming off into the distance.
1968:[]
On an unnamed date in 1868, a resident of Scarborough witnessed a "20 ft long eel-like creature, with a mane of some sort" in the waters off Toronto.
Kingstie[]
Kingstie is the name of all the creatures that were spotted near Kingston and the east side of the lake.
1881[]
In September 1881, passengers and the crew of the steamship Gypsy got a glimpse of a huge creature. It was described as being 25-40 ft and having small legs and a large tail.
1888[]
In the summer of 1888, two sailors reported seeing a serpent creature in the channel between Wolfe and Simcoe Islands.
1892[]
In July 1892, a couple were attacked by a monster while fishing near Brackey's Bay. The husband fended off the monster with his fishing pole saving both their lives. The couple described the creature as "a huge serpent with eyes like balls of fire."
1931[]
In August 193, two physicians spotted a 30 ft creature as they sailed from Alexandria Bay to Kingston’s yacht club. The two described it as having “one eye in the middle of his head as well two antler-like horns.”
1934[]
A hoax. More Information here.
1970 'Till Now[]
During the 1970's a creature was sighted twice by the same person. He was an employee of the Ministry of Natural Resources. For both sightings he said that he saw "a large creature dive into the lake from the shores of Prince Edward County.”
Year Timeline[]
Before 1492, 1500's, 1817, 1829 , 1833, 1842, 1872, 1877, 1881, 1882, 1888, 1892, 1931, 1934, 1968, 1970's,
Facts[]
- It is believed that a majority of the sightings were each its own creature.
- It probably has its own breeding poulation as they are different lengths each sighting and they spand from before European colonizaton.
- The lengths vary from a 20 ft creature to a 175 ft creature.
- The first sighting is so old it is undated and the last is probably somewhere in the 1970's.
- It is almost always described as long and serpent-like.
- It's skin is dark and was reported to be either blue or brown.
- It can jump or rise from the water.
- It is very fast and strong.