Here Be Monsters: Robinsons

It was a typical day on the west coast of Newfoundland.

A fishermen from Robinson’s Head had no reason to expect anything unusual — certainly not a creature of monstrous proportions lurking beneath the waves — but that’s exactly what they were to encounter.

July 1907

In July 1907 George Gale of Robinsons, NL was fishing in about 20 fathoms of water when he came face-to-face with a sea creature that defied explanation.

Gale and several other men were fishing from their dories a mile and a half from shore when the calm was shattered — something massive broke the surface of the water, barely a hundred yards away.

What they saw was unlike any creature they had ever known. It was enormous — stretching nearly seventy feet in length, with the visible part of its body alone measuring close to twelve feet around.

Suddenly, the animal reared above the water, sending nearly fifteen feet of its body straight into the air before crashing back beneath the waves. The splash threw a plume of spray clear over Gale’s dory.

Again and again, the creature surfaced, each time revealing more of its massive form. Despite getting several good looks, the men had no idea what they were facing — or what it wanted. But they knew one thing: they didn’t dare stay to find out. Hauling in their lines, they rowed hard for shore.

I can’t say I blame them.

Whatever it was, it has never been explained — and who’s to say it isn’t still out there, waiting beneath the waves.

• Sources & Further Reading

  1. Scared by a Sea Serpent, Harbor Grace Standard, August 9, 1907

  2. From out of the Musty Past, The Western Star, August 4, 1937

Here Be Monsters

On Newfoundland’s foggy coast, not everything strange is imagined—and not everything real can be explained.

The Here Be Monsters series dives into historical sea monster sightings reported in Newfoundland’s headlines — real accounts from people who lived and worked on the water. These stories may not all point to undiscovered creatures, but they remind us that even in well-known harbours and fishing grounds, the sea still has its secrets. And those secrets can surprise, unsettle, and leave even the most seasoned mariners with more questions than answers.