Sea Monsters Around the World
Sailors have reported seeing strange ocean creatures and sea monsters for hundreds of years. Many of these monsters were likely real creatures that sailors didn’t know about or recognize. Still, the world’s oceans and deep lakes hold many mysteries. Who knows what sorts of creatures are yet to be discovered?
Kraken (Norway):
The fearsome kraken was said to pull large ships under the ocean and eat entire crews. The legends were likely based on giant squid, which can grow to about 40 feet (12 m) long.
Megalodon (Pacific Ocean):
The megalodon was one of the most fearsome creatures to have ever lived. The giant shark’s teeth measured up to 7 inches (18 cm) long. Based on this, scientists think the beast grew up to 80 feet (24 m) long. That’s almost three times as large as a modern-day great white shark!
St. Augustine Monster (Florida):
In 1896, a huge mass of decaying flesh was discovered on the beach in St. Augustine, Florida. For many years it was thought to be a dead giant octopus. Scientists later determined that the fleshy glob was the remains of a whale.
Sea Serpents (Worldwide):
Tales of huge, snakelike sea serpents that attack ships come from all over the world. Stories about these monsters are probably based on oarfish, which can grow 50 feet (15 m) long or more.
Montauk Monster (New York):
The body of a strange, hairless creature was discovered on the beach near Montauk, New York, in 2008. At first people wondered if it was an unidentified sea creature. But researchers believe the beast was a dead raccoon or dog that had lost its hair and was partially decayed.
Bunyip (Australia):
Native Australians have long told tales of the legendary bunyip. The creature is said to resemble a seal with a head like a bulldog. It’s believed that stories of these mythical creatures are based on seals that sometimes find their way up Australia’s rivers.
Glossary
bioluminescence (bye-oh-loo-muh-NEH-suhns) —
light produced by living organisms
breach (BREECH) —
to emerge from or jump out of the water
cephalopod (SEF-uh-luh-pod) —
a type of mollusk, such as an octopus or squid, that lives in the ocean and has tentacles and a beak
cryptid (KRIP-tihd) —
an animal or creature that people have claimed to see but has never been proven to exist
cryptozoology (krip-toh-zoh-AH-luh-jee) —
the study of evidence for unproven creatures such as Bigfoot or the Loch Ness monster
extinct (ik-STINGKT) —
no longer living; an extinct animal is one that has died out, with no more of its kind
galley (GAL-ee) —
a small kitchen, often found on a ship, plane, or camper
helm (HELM) —
the part of a ship or boat by which it is steered and navigated
port (PORT) —
the left side of a ship as you look forward
reef (REEF) —
an underwater strip of rocks, coral, or sand near the surface of the ocean
shiver (SHIV-uhr) —
a group of sharks
silhouette (sih-luh-WET) —
the outline of something that shows its shape
simulate (SIM-yuh-layt) —
to copy or imitate the appearance or actions of something
silt (SILT) —
small particles of soil that settle at the bottom of a river, lake, or ocean
sonar (SOH-nar) —
a device that uses sound waves to find underwater objects; sonar stands for sound navigation and ranging
starboard (STAR-bohrd) —
the right side of a ship as you look forward
tentacle (TEN-tuh-kuhl) —
a long, armlike body part some animals use to touch, grab, or smell
Other Paths to Explore
Look at the descriptions of creatures on pages 106–107. Reports of strange ocean creatures can be found all over the world. If you could pick one unexplained beast to track down, which would it be? How would you prepare for your journey? Where do you think your search would begin?
Scientists believe there are many undiscovered animal species in the world’s oceans. Think about the deep ocean trench you see during the hunt for megalodon. What other kinds of creatures do you think might live at such depths? What do you think life looks like thousands of feet below the ocean’s surface?
During your adventures, you relied on cameras to take photos and capture video evidence of the creatures you were investigating. What other kinds of evidence could you look for instead? Could you try to get audio recordings or use a different kind of camera? What if a body was discovered? How would you determine if it was one of the legendary creatures you were studying?
Read More
Goddu, Krystyna Poray. Sea Monsters: From Kraken to Nessie. Minneapolis: Lerner, 2017.
Polinsky, Paige V. Giant Squid: Mysterious Monster of the Deep. Minneapolis: Abdo Publishing, 2017.
Internet Sites
seahistory.org/sea-history-for-kids/oarfish-harmless-fish-or-deadly-sea-serpent/
What Was the Kraken?
wonderopolis.org/wonder/what-was-the-kraken
About the Author
Brandon Terrell
(B.1978 – D.2021)
Brandon was a passionate reader and Star Wars fan, amazing father, son, uncle, friend, and devoted husband. Brandon received his undergraduate degree from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design and his Master of Fine Arts in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Hamline University in St. Paul, MN. Brandon was a talented storyteller, authoring more than 100 books for children in his career. This book is dedicated in his memory.—Happy Reading!
Index
bait, 30, 31, 34, 46, 47, 48
bioluminescent lure, 30, 34–35
bunyip, 107
Caribbean Sea, 8, 9, 14
cephalopods, 10
coral reefs, 7, 78, 80–81, 82, 83, 94, 95, 98, 100
cryptozoology, 9, 38, 52
fossils, 105
giant squid, 14, 31, 34, 35, 103–104, 106
great white sharks, 11, 73, 78–79, 80, 82, 83, 88–89, 90–91, 92, 93, 96, 99, 100, 101, 106
hammerhead sharks, 7–8
harpoons, 67, 68–69, 70
kraken, 9–10, 13, 14, 19, 27, 28–29, 31, 33, 35, 73, 103–104, 105, 106
Mediterranean Sea, 10, 37, 38, 40–42, 43–44, 45
megalodon, 11, 73–74, 78, 82, 83, 84–85, 86, 89, 91–92, 97, 100, 101, 105, 106
Mesozoic era, 38
Montauk Monster, 107
myths and legends, 10, 14, 15, 37, 103–104, 105, 106, 107
oarfish, 38, 52, 56, 71, 104, 107
ocean trenches, 74, 81, 83–85, 98–99, 101
plesiosaurs, 38
sea serpents, 10, 37–38, 39, 41, 44, 45, 49, 50, 52, 56, 60–61, 66, 68–69, 70–71, 73, 104, 107
sizes, 14, 27, 73, 78, 83, 85, 92, 104, 105, 106, 107
St. Augustine Monster, 107
teeth, 73, 96–97, 100, 105, 106
tentacles, 9, 14, 20, 27, 28–29, 35, 103
tiger sharks, 74, 77, 78, 87, 96
Published by Capstone Press, an imprint of Capstone.
1710 Roe Crest Drive
North Mankato, Minnesota 56003
capstonepub.com
Copyright © 2022 by Capstone. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission of the publisher.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication
Data
Names: Terrell, Brandon, 1978–2021 author. Title: Can you catch the kraken? : an interactive monster hunt / by Brandon Terrell Description: North Mankato, Minnesota : Capstone Press, [2022] | Series: You choose : monster hunter | Includes bibliographical references and index. | Audience: Ages 8–11 | Audience: Grades 4–6 Identifiers: LCCN 2021008499 (print) | LCCN 2021008500 (ebook) | ISBN 9781663907639 (hardcover) | ISBN 9781663920300 (paperback) | ISBN 9781663907608 (ebook PDF) | ISBN 9781663907615 (ebook) Subjects: LCSH: Kraken—Juvenile literature.
Classification: LCC QL89.2.K73 T47 2022 (print) | LCC QL89.2.K73 (ebook) | DDC 001.944—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021008499
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021008500
Summary: Reports pour in from around the world. A giant kraken lurks off the coast of Norway. A huge, snakelike sea serpent is spotted in the Mediterranean Sea. And the biggest shark ever seen reportedly roams the Pacific Ocean. Are these creatures the legendary sea monsters of old? It’s up to YOU to find out! With dozens of choices, you can follow the clues to the end. Which path will YOU CHOOSE to discover the truth?
Editorial Credits
Editor: Aaron Sautter; Designer: Bobbie Nuytten; Media Researcher: Kelly Garvin; Production Specialist: Katy LaVigne
Photo Credits
Getty Images: duncan1890, 36; Jon Hughes, 72; Shutterstock: 80’s Child, top 10-11, Airin.dizain, bottom 107; Bottom of Form, Al McGlashan, 48, Andrea Izzotti, 24, blue-sea.cz, 81, cgterminal, 61, Dabarti CGI, 35, David Hyde, 55, Dotted Yeti, 53, Drew McArthur, 6, Dudarev Mikhail, 99, E.A.stasy, cover, IADA, middle 106, middle left 107, Ingrid Pakats, 12, Jan Hendrik, 42, littlesam, 29, Morphart Creation, 102, Pisit Rapitpunt, 46, Sammy33, bottom 106, Shane Gross, 88, The Mariner 4291, 75, Thomas Sandberg, bottom 107, tristan tan, top 107, Umomos, 67, VisionDive, 79, W. Scott McGill, 97, zaferkizilkaya, 84
All internet sites appearing in back matter were available and accurate when this book was sent to press.