‘Mythical sea dragon’ glimpsed off the Sussex coast?
April 1, 2023
Is this the long-awaited proof for the existence of a mythical Sussex water serpent said to prey on livestock and villagers?
The image, which seemingly shows a serpent-like creature stalking the waters off the coast at Seven Sisters Country Park, was taken by Seaford-based fisherman Alan “Al” O’Frilop on Saturday 18 March.
Stories of “knuckers”, fearsome dragons that emerge from their “knuckerholes” to petrify villages in Sussex, have been passed down through generations with a number of places associated with the legend.
It’s believed these stories were only tall tales, designed to scare local children not to venture too far from conventional paths.
But, with this new “sighting”, perhaps there is some truth in the legend.
Archaeozoologist Fiona Lotom, author of the book Fantastical Creatures and Where You Might Find Them, said:
“There are lots of stories of so-called “mythical” creatures that have turned out to be real or semi-real.
“Giant squids were once thought to be the drunken ramblings of sailors who spent too much time in the sun but, as we’ve seen over the years, large specimens of 12 metres or more have washed ashore.
“Whilst many dismissed the Norse myth of “The Kraken”, often emerging on stormy nights to add additional panic, this myth was probably an early run-in between ships and genuine giant squids.
“Even unicorns have some truth when you look at rhinos – a horse-like creature with a large horn on its head. The first encounter with a narwhal was probably also met with some disbelief by folks back home.
“Is it so hard to believe that a “knucker” might just be a hard-to-observe species of sea snake, waiting for serious zoological study?”
Whether you believe the sighting or not, one thing we can all relish in are the incredible habitats and biodiversity we have across the South Downs National Park – in the sea and on land.