25 mythical monsters and where to find them
You might not be a cryptozoologist, but you don’t need to be one to search for mythical creatures. All you need is a trustworthy camera, a map, and a will to go out on an adventure. And even thought you might not see any Trolls, Fairies, Dragons, or any other monsters you will at least discover some of the worlds most beautiful landscapes.
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Bigfoot BigFoot is native to the Western world. Indigenous tribes of the Pacific Northwest have various legends of the creature, with most referring to a dark-haired, ape-like wild man, believed to stand up to nine feet tall, and weigh several hundred pounds. Best place to find one: The Pacific Northwest
Chupacabra Said to attack animals, the chupacabra first burst on the scene in the 1990s when animals around Puerto Rico were found dead from puncture wounds in the neck. Best place to find one: Puerto Rico
Bungisngis The Bungisngis is a one-eyed giant, much like the Cyclops from Greek mythology. In addition to its one eye, the creature is said to have tusks, oversized teeth and a hearty laugh that is often the last sound its victims hear. Best place to find one: Philippines
Centaur Centaurs are half-human, half-horse creatures. They have the body of a horse and the torso, head and arms of a man. Best place to find one: Greece (said to live in herds around Mount Pelion in Thessaly)
Chinese dragon The dragons have many animal-like forms such as turtles, fish, and imaginary creatures, but they are most commonly depicted as snake-like with four legs. Best place to find one: China Mountains, seas, skies
Fairy The fairies are often depicted as female, elf-like creatures with a penchant for magic. Tales coming from Sweden and Denmark highlight the beauty of these creatures — and their cunning ability to trick men. Best place to find one: Scandinavia
Fur-bearing trout The trout has created a thick coat of fur to maintain its body heat. Tales of furry fish date to the 17th-century and later the “shaggy trout” of Iceland. Best place to find one: Ice-cold waters in Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Canada and Iceland
Jackalope A jackrabbit with antelope horns or deer antlers, the jackalope is widely accepted as a creature born of some creative taxidermy. Best place to find one: Wyoming
Kappa A Koppa is a yōkai demon or imp. Kappa are distinguished for having a small pool of water suspended on top of their head, signifying their life force and habitat. Best place to find one: Japan
Kraken A number of authors over the years have postulated that the legend originated from sightings of giant squids that may grow to 40–50 feet in length. The creature in the original tales was not described as having tentacles and more closely resembled a whale or crab. Best place to find one: Norway and Greenland
Leprechaun They are usually depicted as little bearded men, wearing a coat and hat, who partake in mischief. They are solitary creatures who spend their time making and mending shoes and have a hidden pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Best place to find one: Ireland
Lizard man The Lizard Man is generally described as being 7 feet tall, bipedal, and bulky, covered in dark hair with scaly lizard-like skin on its hands, feet and face. Best place to find one: Lee County, South Carolina
Loch Ness Monster The Loch Ness monster was first spotted in 565 C.E. when an Irish priest reportedly saw the brontosaurus-like sea creature. Best place to find one: Loch Ness, Scotland
Menehune This creatures hides from humans in forests and valleys and are said to love bananas and fish. Best place to find one: Kauai, Hawaii
Mermaids A mermaid is an aquatic creature with the head and upper body of a female human and the tail of a fish. Mermaids appear in the folklore of many cultures worldwide. Best place to find one: Worldwide (Ocean, Sea)
Michigan Dogman The creature is described as a seven-foot tall, blue-eyed, or amber-eyed bipedal canine-like animal with the torso of a man and a fearsome howl that sounds like a human scream. Best place to find one: Wexford County, Michigan. (According to legends, the Michigan Dogman appears in a ten-year cycle)
The Mothman The first newspaper report was published in the Point Pleasant Register dated November 16, 1966, titled “Couples See Man-Sized Bird … Creature … Something.” Some claiming sightings connected with UFOs, and others claiming that a military storage site was Mothman’s “home”. Best place to find one: Point Pleasant area of West Virginia
Ogopogo Ogopogo has been allegedly seen by First Nations people since the 19th century. The most common description of Ogopogo is a 40 to 50-foot-long sea serpent. Best place to find one: Okanagan Lake, in British Columbia, Canada.
The Jersey Devil The creature is often described as a flying biped with hooves, but there are many different variations. Best place to find one: New Jersey, United States
Wendigo Wedingo is a cannibal monster or evil spirit. The wendigo may appear as a monster with some characteristics of a human, or as a spirit who has possessed a human being and made them become monstrous Best place to find one: Northern forests of the Atlantic Coast and Great Lakes Region of both the United States and Canada
Werewolf Werewolf is a human with the ability to shapeshift into a wolf or a therianthropic hybrid wolf-like creature, either purposely or after being placed under a curse or affliction. Best place to find one: Forests in England and north east US
Yeti The Yeti, sometimes called the Abominable Snowman, is part ape and part man, and it’s believed to roam the snowy Himalayan Mountains. Best place to find one: The Himalayas