Old Greeny-Cayuga Lake’s monster
Old Greeny!
Cayuga Lake is the perfect loch for a monster: it’s long and deep (435 feet deep and almost 40 miles long); it was once covered by a giant inland sea; it has savory fishes; and, it oftentimes has murky water.
According to the Ithaca Times, reports of monsters in Cayuga Lake were numerous, perhaps even routine in the 1800s. A story in the January 5, 1897 edition of the Ithaca Journal gives one example. Incredibly, the piece reported that a recent sighting marked the 69th consecutive year in which there was a confirmed encounter with the monster nicknamed “Old Greeny.” The story went on to recount “THE MEMBERS OF THE JOURNAL STAFF HAVE BEEN LIVING IN DAILY ANTICIPATION OF THE MONSTER’S APPEARANCE, AND HAVE ACTUALLY SHUNNED ASSIGNMENTS WHICH WOULD TAKE THEM NEAR THE WATER’S EDGE FOR FEAR OF BEING COMPELLED TO SHUDDER AND TREMBLE AT THE SIGHT OF HIM.“The 1897 incident was reported to have been by an Ithaca resident who was driving along the lake’s eastern shore and saw “what he knew must be the large, long sea serpent.” More sporadic and isolated reports of the creature continued until 1929, when people began reporting not one, but two creatures seen together along the Lake’s eastern shore. The creatures were described by witnesses as being approximately 12 to 15 feet in length. It was speculated that they might be: “…members of the Seneca Lake sea serpent family that found their way into the local waters through a subterranean channel which is believed to exist between the two lakes.” Legends of tunnels connecting Cayuga and Seneca Lakes have long circulated, which anyone with a rudimentary grasp of the notion of water seeking its own level knows would be impossible.
Beyond a doubt the most horrifying account ever associated with these alleged animals occurred in the summer of 1974. In the summer of that year a teenager named Steven Griffen was attacked by what has been described as an “eel-like” creature — perhaps akin to the LAKE ERIE CHOMPER — while swimming in Cayuga Lake.
According to the report, the monster lunged at Griffen’s arm, snapping its jaws down with such tremendous force that it actually broke the bone.
“I would daresay I’ve spent more time underwater than any other human being in this area, in Cayuga Lake anyhow,” said Jack Marshall, owner of Jack Marshall Professional Diving Service. For more than 50 years, Marshall has trained aspiring divers, and even explored his underwater hometown history. Marshall claims that he was boating with some friends on the lake, when he spied what he believed to be a log in front of the boat. Marshall shouted for the helmsman of the boat to stop before he collided with the debris and as the vessel drifted to a halt, they all watched in horror as what they described as a 30 to 35-foot “creature” submerged before their eyes. According to Marshall:
“THERE REALLY IS SOMETHING THERE. I NEVER USED TO BELIEVE IT, BUT CAYUGA KATIE MADE A BELIEVER OUT OF ME.“
On December 4, 2009, a report was published online regarding the claims of an unnamed resident of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, who asserted that in the early part of the 21st Century he had a run-in with Cayuga Lake’s hometown monstrosity:
“I’VE BEEN FACE TO FACE WITH OLD GREENY; NOT MORE THAN 100-FEET AWAY FROM ME AS I STOOD ON THE NORTHERN SHORE OF LAKE CAYUGA LOOKING SOUTH ACROSS THE LAKE; EIGHT OR NINE YEARS AGO. IT RAISED IT’S TRIANGULAR-TOOTH-FILLED JAWS WITH AQUATIC PLANTS HANGING FROM IT’S HALF-OPEN MOUTH TO BREAK SURFACE FOR ONLY ABOUT THREE SECONDS BEFORE ONCE AGAIN SUBMERGING. I WILL NEVER FORGET THAT LARGE, UNBLINKING EYE STARING TO THE WEST AT NOTHING IN PARTICULAR; NEVER ACKNOWLEDGING MY PRESENCE. DON’T LET ANYONE TELL YOU I SAW A FLOATING LOG OR A BEAVER! I KNOW I SAW AN ANIMAL THAT IS NOT SUPPOSED TO EXIST! BY WHAT I OBSERVED I CAN TELL YOU IT WAS STANDING ON THE BOTTOM WHEN IT RAISED IT’S HEAD FOR ME TO SEE; NOT SWIMMING; BUT STATIONARY!”
Does Cayuga Lake have its own cryptid(s)? What do you believe? We’d love to talk about it on your future cruise! Book a trip with us to learn more about our beautiful and mysterious lake!