“The Ugly:” Is there a monster lurking in the St. Johns River?

Astor, Florida – Decades ago, a 35-foot-long creature was sighted along the St. Johns River in Astor, sparking rumors that a mysterious beast was lurking in nearby waters.

Boaters who saw the so-called “St. Johns River Monster” described it as gray, horned, four-legged, and a hyacinth-eater. Curiously, eyewitness accounts report seeing it either in the river or on land.

According to a 1953 newspaper article, the beast, which some believe is a prehistoric creature that survived into modern times, was reported by witnesses from a wide area from Lake Monroe to Lake George.

That year, the Orlando Sentinel spoke with Buck Dillard, a longtime Astor resident and river guide who first reported sightings of the monster.

Dillard told reporters that she had taken the Missouri couple fishing in Dexter Lake and discovered the creature’s head sticking out of the water.

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“He looked at us for about a minute, then went under the water and swam away from us,” Dillard said. “We waited in the same spot for about two hours to see if he would show up again, but he didn’t.”

Animals with similar characteristics were subsequently reported at Blue Creek and Astorbridge, as well as several other locations.

Rumors of this monster became so widespread that even Homer Wright, then president of the Astor Chamber of Commerce, believed it.

“It was witnessed by a number of reliable people,” Wright said. “I wouldn’t be surprised at all if there weren’t any of those monstrous creatures in the Florida wilderness.”

At the time, several news outlets reported on the decline of hyacinths along the river, further deepening the myth surrounding this monster.

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The incident was reported by people as far away as Jacksonville, with one woman describing it as “ugly” and pink, “like boiled shrimp.”

A Kissimmee resident posted a $5,000 reward for anyone who can capture the creature alive. Some tried to organize a hunt to catch this monster and prove its existence.

Either way, this legend has brought crowds of tourists to Astor to catch a glimpse of this legendary monster.

However, many biologists at the time believed that this creature was just a manatee that had been “exaggerated” by eyewitnesses.

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Additionally, the Miami Herald reported that faster currents from the rainy season are carrying the missing hyacinths downstream.

What about the witnesses who reported seeing it walking?

Former Florida Game and Freshwater Fish Commissioner John DeQuinn told the Orlando Sentinel it could have been an ordinary cow.

“If you’ve ever been to that country and seen a cow with eelgrass and weeds on its head, you might imagine it’s a monster,” he says. “They stick their heads in the water to get eelgrass.”

Despite these theories, Dillard didn’t believe it could be a manatee.

“I’ve seen herds of 25 manatees. They’re always in the river. I’ve seen some of them 800 or 900 pounds long and 15 feet long,” he said in October 1953.

Perhaps the “St. Johns River Monster” was not some kind of prehistoric beast, but there is no way to know for sure what Dillard saw on the water that day.