Ayia Napa sea monster
 'Ammochostos Monster', Travels in the Eastern Mediterranean, John Smith Moffat, Published 1889 | |
| Grouping | Cryptid |
|---|---|
| Other name(s) |
The Friendly Monster, Creature From The Depths |
| Country | Cyprus |
| Region |
Cape Greco Kouris Dam |
| Habitat | Sea |
The Ayia Napa Sea Monster is a cryptid, claimed to inhabit the coast off of Ayia Napa in Cyprus, a popular tourist resort on the Mediterranean. Most sightings occur around Cape Greco (Cavo Greko). It is known by the local fishermen as "To Filiko Teras",[1] which translates as "The Friendly Monster". There have been no reports of it causing any harm, although it has been reported at times to rip and drag away fishing nets. There have been countless sightings of the "Creature from the Depths", with some local newspapers calling the mystery the "Cyprus Loch Ness". It has been speculated to be something like a crocodile or serpent.[2]
There is no evidence that the monster actually exists, except in folklore and through various sightings by tourists and locals alike. There exists little photographic evidence, except unverified short-films and pictures. A search for the monster was recently featured in a Destination Truth episode on the SyFy (formerly Sci-Fi Channel) series in Series 04 (episode 13).
Many believers of the myth of the Ayia Napa Sea Monster like to link it with the common mythical sea monster of Greek mythology called Scylla, which is depicted in the mosaics that remain in the House of Dionysus, a Roman villa from the 2nd century AD in Paphos, Cyprus.[3] Many ancient authorities describe it as a monstrous form of a giant maiden in torso, with a serpent for its lower body, having six snarling dog-heads issuing from its midriff, including their twelve forelimbs. This is the form described by Gaius Julius Hyginus, the Bibliotheca and the Suda, among so many others, and it is this form most often depicted on vase paintings. According to a description from Hyginus, a Latin author, actually it possessed “more heads than the vase-painters could paint”, and whoever encountered it was killed almost instantaneously.
Government officials have started a search for the monster. The hope of spotting the Ayia Napa Sea Monster remains a highlight for many tourists on boating day-trips. Many hotels boast to being close to sightings. There is no possible link to any such sea monster and any monster said to be living in Kouris Dam, which according to reports are more likely to be crocodiles that had been kept as pets but unlawfully released.
References
- ↑ HadjiPavlou, P (March 14, 2007). "To Filiko Teras". Cyprus Weekly. p. 18.
- ↑ Alethea Reynolds (28 October 2008). "Cyprus officials search for mystery 'monster'". Famagusta Gazette. Retrieved 2009-12-29.
- ↑ Department of Antiquities, Republic Of Cyprus