| Kraken | |
|---|---|
 Illustration of a Kraken. | |
| Cryptid Information | |
| AKA | N/A |
| Year First Seen | Unknown |
| Biological Class | Cephalopod |
| Authenticity Status | Considered Authentic |
| Location | Varied |
Thought to be the scariest, most feared sea beast ever to inhabit our planet's waters, the Kraken was said to be more than a mile long.
Artist's rendition of a Kraken.
Tales of these creatures describe them as being giant cethalapods and having giant tentacles that would envelope and capsize ships.
As the ships would sink to their demise, the beast was said to eat those on board or let them drown in the ship's wake.
Encounters/Legends
Dating back to 12th-century Norway, the legendary Kraken is said to be the only sea monster to have roots in reality.
With its many arms and bulbous eyes, it's now believed the giant squid may be to blame for all the high seas hubbub. Either way, it's a wonder anyone took to the ocean blue while this legend was at its height.
Since the late 18th century, kraken have been depicted in a number of ways, primarily as large cethalopods, and it has often been alleged that Pontoppidan's kraken might have been based on sailors' observations of the giant squid.
In the earliest descriptions, however, the creatures were more crab-like than octopus-like, and generally possessed traits that are associated with large whales rather than with giant squid.
Some traits of kraken resemble undersea volcanic activity occurring in the Iceland region, including bubbles of water; sudden, dangerous currents; and appearance of new islets.