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International Sea Serpent Reports
MYSTERY MONSTER

The Daily News (Perth, WA)
Date: March 6, 1941
Page Number: 2
VANCOUVER, Wednesday.
     A 10-foot object with a head like a horse and a body composed of soft cartilage covered with bristly hair has
been washed up. It could not be identified. Dr. Clemens, biology professor, has no idea what it is. "The cartilage formation indicates a shark, but a shark has no hair. The hair indicates a seal but seals have bones," said Dr. Clemens. "I don't believe in sea serpents, but what is this?"
Strange Animals
 
International Sea Serpent
Vancouver, Canada
Biologists Study Sea Serpent Carcass

Spokane Daily Chronicle (Washington, USA)
Date: March 5, 1941
Page Number: 29
VANCOUVER, B.C., March 5.
     Biology experts today rolled up their sleeves, held their noses, went to work on the body of a 10-foot "sea serpent" found on a beach near here last night, and finally pronounced it was a shark.
     "It's a shark, all right," said Dr. W. A. Clemens, F. R. S. C., biology professor at the university of British Columbia, but he admitted he didn't know what species. Last night, Dr. Clemens was baffled by bristly hair on the body--but today he said it was part of the gills.

     "The jaws have fallen off, giving the appearance of a cow or a horse," he said.
     Four youths who had carted the remains to a garage and planned to charge admission to view the "monster" promptly made plans to dispose of it.
     Dr. Clemens, saying he still didn't believe in sea serpents, added he would like to study the remains further.
The above article appeared around Australia in the following newspapers:
 
TRUTH IS STRANGER THAN FICTION - The Argus (Melbourne, Vic.)
MYSTERY OF THE SEA. Shark, Seal, or Serpent? - The West Australian (Perth, WA)
WHAT IS THIS? - Barrier Miner (Broken Hill, NSW)
STRANGE OBJECT. Washed Up By Sea. - Townsville Daily Bulletin (Qld)
"SEA SERPENT" WASHED UP VANCOUVER (B.C.) - Advocate (Burnie, Tas.)
Body Washed Up on Beach Baffles Biologist - Examiner (Launceston, Tas.)
Strange Creature Washed Up VANCOUVER - The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA)
Strange Creature Washed Up Vancouver - Border Watch (Mount Gambier, SA)
STRANGE OBJECT. - The Northern Miner (Charters Towers, Qld)
Geraldton Guardian and Express (WA)
STRANGE CREATURE ON CANADIAN BEACH - The Courier-Mail (Brisbane, Qld)
Western Mail (Perth, WA)
 
None of them provided any follow-up information.
 
North American newspaper articles below:
'SEA SERPENT' IS STRANGE CREATURE

The Victoria Advocate (Texas, USA)
Date: March 5, 1941
Page Number: 1
VANCOUVER, B.C., March 5.
     The body of a 10-foot "sea serpent" with a horse-like head and bulbous nostril, which was found on a beach near here, defied identification today.
     Dr. W. A. Clemens, biology professor at the university of British Columbia and director of the Dominion Biological Station here, said he was unable to classify the decomposed specimen.
     It had a head resembling that of a horse, except that it had a cartilaginous, instead of bone, skull. The body was covered with bristly hair.
     Dr. Clemens said the cartilage formation was similar to that of a shark, but sharks are hairless. The hair resembled that of a seal, but seals have bone. Sea lions have neither hair nor cartilage.
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PACIFIC'S DEAD "CADDY" ONLY A SHARK

The Leader-Post (Saskatchewan, Canada)
Date: March 6, 1941
Page Number: 5
VANCOUVER, March 6.
     Dr. W. A. Clemens, University of British Columbia zoologist, dashed the hopes of those who thought that Cadborosaurus - legendary sea monster of the west coast waters - had met his death on the rocks of English Bay, leaving open the possibility the real "Caddy" is still at large.
     A 10-foot long monstrosity, described as snake-bodies and horse-headed which was found on the shore of the bay Monday by schoolboys, was identified by Dr. Clemens as "definitely a shark."
     "When a shark dies its jowls fall off and what is left resembles a cow or a horse," Dr. Clemens explained. He said he had been unable to find any traces of long gray hairs which at first were reported on the carcass.
     First glimpse of the decomposing body on the beach led observers to believe that the mystery of Cadborosaurus was near solution. For years respectable citizens have reported seeing a serpentine monster undulating through coastal waters.
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Basking Shark
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Wilbert A. Clemens
(1887-1964)
 
Biography

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Cadborosaurus