The Shapinsay Sea Serpent off the Douche, Orkney (1905)

Shapinsay lies a short crossing from the Orkney mainland. Between them runs the String, a tidal channel with strong tidal currents. On the island's south coast, Elwick Bay offers a sheltered anchorage. At the tip of the bay, beside Balfour pier, stands the Douche.

The Douche is a 17th-century round doocot on the rocky Point of Dishan. After Balfour Castle was finished in 1848, it was converted into a saltwater shower. A cistern on top was filled with seawater. In November 1905, two fishermen were working their creels in the water just off it.

It was a Saturday. The monster suddenly raised itself out of the water at the side of their boat.

The men could not give a precise description. They were sure it was unlike anything they had seen. The body was as massive as that of a horse. It was covered with a scaly surface. It was spotted.

And then there were the eyes. They were said to have been as large as a bowl. The creature looked at the occupants for a moment. Then it gradually sank out of view, much to the relief of the fishermen.

It did not stay away. On the Wednesday, fishing near the same place, the same men had another glimpse of the sea serpent. According to the report, it seemed to be enjoying itself in the boisterous waters of the String, with a tendency to sun itself near Shapinsay, quite close to the rocks under Balfour Castle.

On 11 November 1905, The Orcadian carried the story under the headline "The sea serpent in Orkney". The report opened by saying the sea serpent had again made its appearance. The witnesses were not named. The paper noted that the encounters had caused somewhat of a sensation locally.

Opinion split. The more superstitiously inclined leaned to the belief that it was the sea serpent. Others thought it was nothing more than an extra large seal. They pointed to the large numbers of sillocks, young coalfish, then swarming around Elwick Bay. No official investigation is known.

The account survives through a handful of retellings. Wikipedia's entry on Shapinsay recalls a creature the size of a horse, with a spotted body covered in scales. Orkney Ferries lists the Shapinsay Serpent among the stories of its North Isles crossings. An older Orkneyjar article on the case has since vanished from the web. The word "again" in the report hints at earlier sightings. None have been traced.

Orkney has a long history with things from the sea. The Stronsay Beast of 1808 was identified as a basking shark. The Deepdale Monster of 1941 was judged most likely a big shark. Behind them all stands the Stoor Worm of island folklore. The two fishermen of Shapinsay saw something else. A spotted, scaly head. Eyes as large as a bowl. Watching them, for a moment, from the water beside their boat.