Around March 19 is the anniversary of the most well-known sighting of Colossal Claude the sea monster by the lightship tender, Rose, near the South Jetty in 1934.
According to the Oregon Encyclopedia, newspaper reports said Capt. J. F. Jensen and crew described Claude as having “its head ... under water, but we could see its long body. It appeared to be at least 40 feet in length ... (and) had a neck about eight feet long, with a large head. It opened its huge mouth and gaped at the lightship.” Crew members apparently wanted to chase the critter, but the officers aboard said no. After all, it might just turn on them.
In 1937, Capt. Charles E. Graham of the troller Viv spotted a “long, hairy tan-colored creature, with the head of an overgrown horse, about 40 feet long, and with a 4-foot waist measure.” Also that year, near Yachats, a 55-foot-long similar creature was seen, with “a long neck and tail and a horse-like head.”
Then in 1939, Capt. Chris Anderson on the schooner Argo saw a monster, “10 feet in diameter and 50 feet long,” that was also a thief. In this case, Claude reared up over 10 feet of water while about 10 feet from the vessel before he snatched a 20-pound fish. He was described as “having the head of a camel with fur that was course and grey. He had glassy eyes and a bent snout.”
Also in 1939, a creature was seen 40 miles off Tillamook Bay that was “large-headed and thick-necked,” and more than 30 witnesses spotted 30-foot serpent off the coast Lincoln City, describing it has having “a slender neck and snakelike head.”
Colossal Claude, whose sightings continued up and down the Oregon Coast through the 1950s, has seemingly dropped out of sight. The mystery continues.
Elleda Wilson is an editorial assistant for The Astorian and author of the award-winning In One Ear community column. Contact her at 971-704-1718 or ewilson@dailyastorian.com.
