the colour of ancient sea creatures and long living marine predators

Colour of ancient sea creatures revealed

By Rebecca Morelle

The colour of sea creatures that lived millions of years ago has been revealed by scientists. Research suggests that three reptiles found in the ancient oceans were near-black. The international team has found melanin - the light-absorbing pigment that is responsible for colour - preserved in the animals' fossilised skin. The study is published in the journal Nature.The lead researcher Johan Lindgren, from Lund University in Sweden, said: "It's amazing. Suddenly we get this idea of the colour of animals swimming around millions of years ago."

Read rest here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-25653581

Does this mean sea serpents could be black? If they were descended  from ancient creatures perhaps.

Great white sharks 'live for 70 years'

By Jonathan Amos

Great white sharks live far longer than was previously thought.Using a new technique to age the tissues of these impressive creatures, scientists have identified a male great white that lived into its 70s. The researchers say the finding has important implications for the animals' protection.Knowing the longevity of a species, how fast it grows and when it reaches sexual maturity is vital information for designing conservation programmes."These creatures are amazing and it's fascinating to study them," said Li Ling Hamady, who is part of a joint programme between MIT and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in the US.

Read rest here:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-25655666

If  large sea creatures live long lives then sea serpent reports from years ago may still be valid...the sea serpents could still be around . 

Nessie seen in Australia?

Loch Ness Monster Sighting In Australia

January 3, 2014

A few locals have reported sightings of the Loch Ness Monster by Magnetic Island. Many beach goers claim that they saw the curved neck that is known to represent the Loch Ness bobbing out of the water. They believe that it was either the animal, or a relative of some sort.
A man named Herron took a photograph of the creature, and reports that he wasn’t sure what it was, but it definitely could be the Loch Ness Monster.
Read rest here: http://www.365.travel/loch-ness-monster-sighting-in-australia/

new deep sea creatures discovered

Deep sea creatures found off Rockall 'new to science'

Four animals previously unknown to science have been discovered in deep water off Scotland, the Scottish government has said. New species of large sea snail, clam and marine worm were found during surveys by Marine Scotland. The clams and worm were at a suspected cold seep, an area where hydrocarbons are released from the seabed. All were discovered around Rockall, the remains of a volcano 260 miles (418km) west of the Western Isles.If confirmed, the cold seep would be the first to be discovered near Rockall. Some types of commercial fishing could be banned in the area to protect the habitat.The new sea snail Volutopsius scotiae and clam Thyasira scotiae have been named after the research vessel MRV Scotia

Read rest see pics here :http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-25528522

when fish attack

Carnivorous fish attack bathers in Argentina

A school of carnivorous fish related to the piranha has attacked bathers in an Argentine river, injuring about 70.Thousands of bathers were cooling off in the Parana River in Rosario, 300km (186 miles) north of Buenos Aires, on Christmas Day when the attack happened. Officials blamed the attack on the palometa fish, describing the event as "exceptional". Paramedics said dozens of people had their extremities attacked and some had lost digits.

Read rest see video here :http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-25522354

that time of year

I wish you all a very merry christmas . thank you for reading the blog. I hope 2014 brings you all lots of adventures and monster chasing xx

Ho Ho Ho the cry of which cryptid?

Do you believe in the cryptid Father Christmas ?

You may laugh but think about the similarities between Santa and documented  cryptids.

Cryptids tend to be seen in places with difficult terrain where they cannot easily be tracked or seen. -Santa lives in an icy wasteland.

Santa disappears and reappears. There are stories about bigfoot disappearing before people’s eyes and many cryptids are only spotted at certain times of the year when conditions are right .

Santa flies through the air on a sled with flying reindeer. There are many flying cryptids from thunderbirds to mothman.

Then there are his little helpers –the elves. They could be a descendant or offshoot of the Hobbit skeletons that were found in recent years.

He leaves gifts. There are old stories of wildmen who left food for the starving on their doorsteps.

Santa is rather hairy according to many depictions with flowing beard and locks. Ditto are many cryptids.

He has a distinctive cry-Ho Ho Ho. So do many cryptids including a species of giant bat that is said to make a similar noise.

Santa only exists in folklore stories, so do many crytids until people start to hunt for them. Nearly all cryptids from the Loch Ness Monster to the Yeti are first discovered in old stories when one looks back at the time line.

So Is Santa Claus a cryptid? Probably not as there is no eye witness testimony to back up his appearances that I am aware of (that does not include your parent in a red dressing gown and Santa hat and fake beard leaving presents at the bottom of the bed) but next time someone scoffs at your belief in cryptids, remind them they believed in Father Christmas once so don’t knock belief in the unknown.

vampire trail

Bulgaria: Staking out a vampire tourist trail

Two towns in Bulgaria and Romania are planning to boost their tourist appeal by capitalising on their "vampire" past, it seems.Bulgaria's ancient city of Sozopol on the Black Sea coast is teaming up with medieval Sighisoara in Romania, the birthplace of Vlad the Impaler, the ruler thought to have inspired Bram Stoker's Dracula. Last year, archaeologists in Sozopol found the 700-year-old skeleton of a man with an iron spike through his chest. The old pagan ritual was meant to prevent "bad" dead people from rising from their graves.Sozopol's mayor, Panayot Reyzi, saw an opportunity to attract more tourists by twinning his city with Sighisoara. "Both Dracula and our vampire had a limp and could've been cousins," he tells the Flagman news website. Recently he announced the two towns had agreed to create a "vampire trail". Tourists visiting Dracula's house in Sighisoara would also be encouraged to go to neighbouring Bulgaria to see the "Sozopol vampire", explains Focus News. 

Read rest here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-news-from-elsewhere-25449915