SHOAL OF SEA SERPENTS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXV, Issue 68, 23 March 1915, Page 2

SHOAL OF SEA SERPENTS.

A shoal of sea serpents appeared off the Kiritehere Beach on Tuesday, 23rd February, at 7.20 ,p.m. (writes the correspondent of the Kawhia Mail). The facts are as follow: Kiritehere 'is a small river running into the sea 20 miles south of Kawhia. Mr J. Wouldes, a settler, lias a farm in the Kiritehere Valley, the house being on a rise about a mile from the sea. On the date in question, after tea, lie with other members of the family were having a chat, and, as the sea was very calm, they talked of going down to the beach and having a little fishing, when his son Tom exclaimed, “Look at that great shark!” On looking they saw an enormous fish, probably 300 ft. long, shaped like a huge eel or serpent, being thickest in the middle and gradually tapering towards the head and tail. It was dark in color, and when located was about three-quarters of a mile from the coast, going north at about 10 miles an hour. A second fish, following the first at about 100 yards distance, was about 150 ft. long. Close behind this was a third, of abnormal size, probably from 600 ft. to 800 ft. long, with an enormous body about as thick as a small yessel. These were followed by a shoal of others equally as large as the first ones. The shoal reached as far as the eye could see. They came from the south-west, and seemed to strike the coast a, little above Tirau Point. Mr Wouldes and his family watched the procession for fully 20 minutes, when darkness set in. They had fieldglasses, and could distinctly see the water parting from the noses of the serpents. At this time the fish would be about two miles away, and as they moved through the water they appealed to bo about half submerged. Mr Wouldes vouches for the absolute truth of the foregoing, which was witnessed by about seven people. “Truth is stranger than fiction.”