The discovery of the Canvey Island monster remains one of cryptozoology's most bizarre unsolved mysteries.
In November, 1954, several residents on Canvey Island in the UK found the most unusual carcass they had ever seen washed up on the shore. They dragged the body up onto the sand and ran to tell the authorities who, in turn, brought in two zoologist to study the body. The corpse, which was in pretty bad condition, had hind legs which appeared to be adapted to walking bipedaly, and when standing upright the creature would have been two and a half feet tall. It had five toes which were arranged in a curious U-shape and the foot had a concave arch, adding to the strange appearance of its feet. Its eyes were bulging and its head was soft and pulpy, probably due to decay, or possibly to a lack of a skull. Its skin was brownish red and quite thick. After initial examination however, the scientists cremated the body and, after assuring the public there was nothing out of the ordinary, made no more mention of it.
That was until August of the following year, when Reverend Joseph Overs found another dead creature floating in a tide pool. This body was in much better condition and was much larger, being four feet tall when standing. The carcass weighed roughly 25 pounds. The better condition of the body allowed for details such as the eyes, nostrils and teeth to be studied, and it also possessed very prominent gills. However, there is no mention anywhere of what happened to this body, and no more corpses have been officially examined.
To this date, researchers haven't got a clue as to what the Canvey Island monsters are; crazy theories abound, but no reasonable conclusions can be reached. These creatures have, however, been connected with the rash of U-shaped footprints found in the snow in nearby English counties during the 1850's.
