Skip to content
Category

Mythological aquatic creatures

page 1
Cancer
fourth astrological sign in the zodiac
Loch Ness Monster
lake monster of Scottish folklore
Hydra
ancient serpent-like chthonic water monster, with reptilian traits, that possessed many heads, in Greek mythology
kraken
thumb|A "colossal octopus" attacking ship, Wash (visual arts)|pen and wash by Pierre Denys-Montfort, engraved by Étienne Claude Voysard, 1801
Mokele-mbembe
In several Bantu mythologies, mokele-mbembe (also written as "mokèlé-mbèmbé") is a mythical water-dwelling entity that is believed to exist in the Congo River Basin. It is variously described as a reptilian creature, a spirit, or a member of the extinct lineage of sauropods.
Makara
thumb|Makara as the Vahana (vehicle) of the goddess Ganga Makara () is a legendary sea-creature in Hindu mythology. In Hindu astrology, Makara is equivalent to the Zodiac sign Capricorn.
sea monster
mythical or legendary creature, believed to dwell in the sea and often imagined to be of immense size
kelpie
thumb |One of six kelpies in the globe fountain at Shuttle Row near to Blantyre, South Lanarkshire, Scotland
Ogopogo
The Ogopogo is a lake monster said to inhabit Okanagan Lake in British Columbia, Canada in Canadian folklore. Some scholars have charted the entity's development from First Nations folklore and widespread water monster folklore motifs. The Ogopogo now plays a role in the commercial symbolism and media representation of the region.
selkie
Cetus
sea monster or large sea creature, associated with Andromeda of Greek myth
lake monster
monster said to dwell in a lake
Umibōzu
thumb|400px|Umibōzu, from the (pub. 1801) thumb|upright|The , a kibyōshi by . Here appears an umibōzu with scales and a fin.
Ichthyocentaurs
thumb|upright=1.2|Icthyocentaur with trident. [[Hotel Sacher, Vienna.]] thumb|upright=1.2|Four-legged ichthyocentaur. Fountain of the Centaurs, Missouri State Capitol.
sea monk
marine monster of the Renaissance
Afanc
The Afanc (, sometimes also called Addanc, ) is a lake monster from Welsh mythology. Its exact description varies, being described as resembling a crocodile, beaver or dwarf-like creature, or a platypus and is sometimes said to be a demon. The lake in which it dwells is also uncertain and it is variously said to live in Llyn Llion, Llyn Barfog, near Brynberian Bridge or in Llyn yr Afanc, a lake near Betws-y-coed that was named after the creature.
Akkorokamui
is a gigantic octopus-like monster from Ainu folklore, similar to the Nordic kraken, which supposedly lurks in Uchiura Bay in Hokkaido.
ahuizotl
Aztec mythological creature
Dobhar-chú
The Dobhar-chú (; ), or King otter, is a creature of Irish and Scottish folklore. It resembles both a dog and an otter, though it sometimes is described as half dog, half fish. It lives in water and has fur with protective properties. There are little to no written records of the Dobhar-Chú since its legend has relied heavily on oral storytelling and tradition.
sea goat
legendary aquatic creature
Rahab
Biblical Hebrew term
Lotan
right|250px|thumb|The Destruction of Leviathan by [[Gustave Doré (1865)]] Lotan (Ugaritic: 𐎍𐎚𐎐 LTN, meaning "coiled"), also transliterated Lôtān, Litan, or Litānu, is a servant of the sea god Yam defeated by the storm god Hadad-Baʿal in the Ugaritic Baal Cycle. Lotan seems to have been prefigured by the serpent Têmtum represented in Syrian seals of the 18th–16th century BC, and finds a later reflex in the sea monster Leviathan, whose defeat at the hands of Yahweh is alluded to in the biblical Book of Job and in Isaiah 27:1. Lambert (2003) went as far as the claim that Isaiah 27:1 is a
Lusca
In Caribbean folklore, the Lusca is a name given to a mythological sea monster said to exist in the region of the blue holes nearby Andros, an island in The Bahamas.
Altamaha-ha
In Georgia folklore, the Altamaha-ha (or Altie) is a legendary creature, alleged to inhabit the myriad small streams and abandoned rice fields near the mouth of the Altamaha River (after which it is named) in southeastern Georgia. Sightings are particularly reported around Darien and elsewhere in McIntosh County.
Ḫedammu
Ḫedammu, Hurrian Apše ("Snake"), is a sea-dragon from Hurrian-Hittite mythology, which caused trouble on the Syrian coast. His Hittite counterpart was Illuyanka.
Hafgufa
' ( "sea" + "steam"; "sea-reek"; "sea-steamer'") is a sea creature, purported to inhabit Iceland's waters (Greenland Sea) and southward toward Helluland. Although it was thought to be a sea monster, research suggests that the stories originated from a specialized feeding technique among whales known as trap-feeding.
Boobrie
thumb|upright 1.1|alt=illustration of a great auk|A great auk, which may be the source for descriptions of the boobrie The boobrie is a mythological shapeshifting entity inhabiting the lochs of the west coast of Scotland. It commonly adopts the appearance of a gigantic water bird resembling a cormorant or great northern diver, but it can also materialise in the form of various other mythological creatures such as a water bull.
Jengu
A jengu (pl. miengu, also called bisima) is a water spirit in the traditional beliefs of the Sawabantu groups of Cameroon, like the Duala, Bakweri, Malimba, Subu, Bakoko, and Oroko people. Among the Bakweri, the term used is liengu (plural: maengu). Miengu are similar to bisimbi (singular: simbi) in the Bakongo spirituality and Mamba Muntu, who is present in many West and Central African cultures.
Bakunawa
The Bakunawa, also called the Philippine moon-eating dragon, the Philippine moon dragon, moon dragon, or the moon-eating dragon, is a dragon-like serpent in Philippine mythology. It is believed to be the cause of eclipses, earthquakes, rains, and wind. The movements of the Bakunawa served as a geomantic calendar system for ancient Filipinos and were part of the rituals of the babaylan priestess. It is usually depicted with a characteristic looped tail and a single horn on the nose. It was believed to inhabit either the sky or the underworld.
Oilliphéist
The Oilliphéist (, ) is a sea serpent or dragon-like monster in Irish mythology and folklore.
Labbu
The Labbu Myth is an ancient Mesopotamian creation epic. Only one copy of it is known from the Library of Ashurbanipal. It is commonly dated no later than the Old Babylonian period, although recent work suggests a later composition. It is a folktale possibly of the Diyala region, since the later version seems to feature the god Tišpak as its protagonist and may be an allegory representing his replacement of the chthonic serpent-god Ninazu at the top of the pantheon of the city of Eshnunna. This part is played by Nergal in the earlier version. It was possibly a precursor of the Enûma Eliš, wher
ayakashi
yōkai that appear above the surface of some body of water
Bukavac
Bukavac () is a demonic mythical creature in Slavic mythology. Belief in it existed in Syrmia.
Nguruvilu
thumb|300px|Ngúrúvilu of the Mapuche
wani
dragon
Gaasyendietha
Gaasyendietha, also known as the meteor dragon according to Seneca mythology, is a giant serpent that dwells in the deep areas of rivers and lakes of Canada, especially Lake Ontario. This serpent could fly on a trail of fire, and it could also spew fire, which has led to it being viewed as analogous to European dragons.
Amemasu
or (rain trout) is a giant whale- or fish-like creature from Ainu folklore. Some of the largest amemasu are said to live in Lake Mashū and Lake Shikotsu in Hokkaidō, with smaller ones inhabiting lakes throughout northern areas of Honshu. The amemasu are known for capsizing boats, creating earthquakes, and causing other natural disasters.