The Behemoth

Stories from the depths of the oceans have always captivated the imagination. The globe we share with our aquatic neighbors is over 70% water, and in many cases, the world of science understands more about the Moon and the planet Mars than what lies beneath the salty brine.

Recreation on the beach often times inspires tales of the bizarre and the unexpected, but fishing stories that sometimes bring up a glimpse of the almost unbelievable is perhaps what compels mariners to continue with their ongoing ventures into the unknown. Our story begins many moons ago when a group of medical doctors decided to embark on a sailing excursion in the Gulf of Mexico.

Not surprisingly, the eldest doctor with the most experience was holding court, and sharing anecdotes on the deck of the sailboat that was well offshore. Apparently during the early 1990’s the doctor that was from Mobile, Alabama was on a fishing expedition in Mobile Bay. It was summertime in the Deep South and three doctors were hoping to bring home enough fish for an old-fashioned Alabama fish fry.

The day was progressing nicely; the weather was perfect and the three doctors had almost caught their limit when the senior physician who was telling the story snagged onto something that rocked the boat. When the line went taught, and the hook was unmistakably set, the heavy fishing pole bent almost to the breaking point. After a few moments, it was obvious that something very unusual was happening because of the weight of whatever was pulling down on the hook and the line. When the other men reeled in their lines, brought in the anchor, and began taking turns reeling in the line and the creature that was now pulling the boat; a thrilling excitement began brewing that was contagious even in the men of science.

After every man had a turn reeling in the mysterious behemoth, and the fatigue of the effort was beginning to smother the kindled excitement, a very large and dark shape began to appear alongside the boat in the bay. The dark shape was enormous, but during the last few moments, whatever was under the water suddenly stopped pulling the boat and fighting the line and everyone began to wonder if a Trojan horse tactic was now underway. The doctors were all experienced anglers, but the consideration that the group was about to discover something that might be dangerous could not be ruled out. Inspiration, imagination, and trepidation have always been shipmates on every voyage that has ever cast off and headed offshore.

When the behemoth finally broke the surface of the bay and the water began streaming off the head and the neck in rivulets, the shock of the discovery was not lost on any of the three aboard. When it became obvious the ocean going creature, that was not a fish, had died during the effort that brought it out of the depths, the spark of enlightenment quickly replaced the dread of the unknown.

The reptile that now lay lifeless beside the boat was almost too big to contemplate. The fact that it was a turtle was undeniable, but no one could ever imagine a turtle - that was now gleaming wet in the sunshine - could have ever lived so long it would carry the evidence of aging like a manuscript of life.

There could be no question of hauling the ancient snapping turtle aboard. The behemoth was too big and clearly weighed hundreds of pounds. There were bits and pieces missing from the front feet, the back feet, and the tail, but the head, the eyes, and the giant shell covering the body told a story of longevity and living through the decades under the bay.

The three doctors bound the old snapper with respect to the side of the boat and towed him to the shore. A friend with a tow truck was called to the harbor and soon the behemoth snapper was resting on a makeshift necropsy table at a Mobile university laboratory. The men of science were beyond curious. How could such an obvious aged creature live to be so old and become so large? Was this a unique experience for anglers in the Deep South or was the discovery of the old snapper not unusual?

When the results of the snapping turtle autopsy were revealed, another episode in the mysteries of the ocean depths began reaching into new limits. Apparently, the variety of snapping turtles found in the Deep South can hibernate in winter and can reduce their heartbeat to one-beat-per-minute. As a result, longevity is common among these descendants of ancient replies and it is not rare to find aging snappers in super sizes.

The showstopper for this particular snapping behemoth was when x-rays discovered a small round ball of lead embedded in a front foot next to the neck and head. The lead ball was extracted and then examined by a forensic scientist with expertise in ballistics.

During Hernando Desoto’s ferocious conquest of the American southeast during the 1500, his army carried matchlock musket weapons. The behemoth snapping turtle caught in the 1990’s in Mobile Bay Alabama was apparently shot and wounded by a matchlock musket and carried the musket ball until it died.

When deep sea submersibles travel to great depths in the oceans of the earth, new species of jellyfish are discovered with almost every deep dive. Stories of aging sea turtles in the Gulf of Mexico are always fascinating. Loggerhead Sea Turtles can easily live to be over a hundred years old and produce eggs until they are over 80. Research in outer space is an ongoing quest, but discovering unknown behemoths that are most certainly dwelling in our very own Gulf of Mexico will always be subject matter to stagger the imagination.