Lake Myllesjón in Blekinge, Sweden, has fascinated residents and researchers for years because of a mysterious creature known as the "fish whale." Rumors of its existence date back to the mid-19th century, and numerous sightings in the 1920s and 1930s reinforced the legend. An eyewitness described the creature as a massive back with a fin, leading to several expeditions to capture it. Despite numerous attempts, including the use of unusual lures, the creature remained elusive.
Lake Myllesjón lies in Blekinge in southern Sweden. Rumors of a fish monster inhabiting the lake's cool waters have circulated since at least the mid-19th century. We owe this information to Swedish explorer Richard Svenson. It is most commonly referred to as the "fish whale." It was observed with unusual frequency in the 1920s and 1930s. One eyewitness, cycling along the lakeshore, saw what he initially thought was a large tree trunk. He changed his mind when the water began to ripple and the supposed "trunk" dived and disappeared from view. Another witness claims to have seen a massive back adorned with a huge dorsal fin emerging from the water. Initially, he thought it belonged to a large pike, but no one else confirmed this suspicion, although it cannot be completely ruled out. Local fisherman Sven Johan, after pulling in his nets, found them torn. Someone also saw an animal resembling a whale splashing at the shore of the lake.
The events and stories fueled a desire among local residents to capture the monster. When three girls ran up from the water screaming in terror after seeing a large, whale-like creature sunning itself in the coastal waters, a plan of action was devised and put into action. Richard sent me this report:
A local blacksmith fashioned a hook the size of a ping-pong paddle, a piece of board served as a float, and instead of fishing line, a steel rope tied around a young oak tree. The butcher offered a piglet as bait. The rope, hook, and bait were thrown into the lake. The next day, residents saw the oak tree uprooted and dragged to the middle of the lake, where it remained for a week before sinking. Nothing else of note happened. The monster was therefore presumed dead. However, the residents changed their minds in August 1963 when they again spotted the "trunk" splashing in the lake. This time, a full-scale hunting expedition was organized, following the monster's trail. 425 fishermen participated. They competed fiercely not only for the honor of catching the "big fish" and making history, but also for the prize of 1,000 Swedish kronor. The lake was likely too crowded for the plan to succeed. The largest fish caught at that time was a perch weighing 1.3 kilograms.
Let's return to Richard's account of the Myllesjón monster: In November 1962, several large hooks were made and cast, baited with chickens and calf heads. According to most newspapers, these efforts proved fruitless, although it was also claimed that at least one calf head had disappeared. In 2963, the diving giant was sighted again, and in September, a fishing expedition was organized. This time, the reward was 10,000 Swedish kronor. However, any hopes of capturing the colossus proved futile. Richard also collected reports of the mysterious Lake Myllesjón monster dating back to the 1970s. He fears that the resident of the cool waters may have fallen victim to modern urbanization. In 1996, he went to the lake and was horrified to find a two-lane road and several new houses built right next to it, and the owners had never heard of the monster or had only the vaguest idea. Richard also heard a story about another lake that supposedly housed an animal similar to the resident of Lake Myllesjón. However, he (and I) suspects that both mysterious, unidentified creatures were simply giant catfish (Si-luris glanis), well-known in Europe. According to Richard, the largest specimen, caught in Sweden in 1871, was 3.6 meters long. The Guinness Book of World Records states that the largest known specimen was a veritable monster: 4.5 meters long! It was caught in the Dnieper River in Russia in the mid-19th century.
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