River Monsters

MYSTERIOUS TALES OF UNSOLVED MURDER CASES,

SUSPICIOUS ATTACKS

THAT COULD BE EXPLAINED BY AN UNDERWATER CREATURE

ALWAYS CATCH MY EYE.

AND RECENTLY, I CAME ACROSS A VERY STRANGE CASE INDEED.

Wade: IN 2011 ON A BEACH IN MEXICO,

FIVE FISHERMAN WASHED UP DEAD.

THE ARTICLE STATES THAT

THE CORPSES WERE BADLY BEATEN WITH HORRIFIC BRUISES.

IT SOUNDS TERRIBLE,

BUT IN A COUNTRY RAVAGED BY DRUG WARS,

FINDING MUTILATED BODIES IS NOT NECESSARILY UNUSUAL.

IT'S WHAT COMES NEXT THAT HAS REALLY GRABBED MY ATTENTION.

IT WASN'T THE POLICE, BUT A MARINE BIOLOGIST

WHO WAS CALLED IN TO INVESTIGATE

BECAUSE ACCORDING TO THE REPORT,

THE FINGER OF SUSPICION DOESN'T POINT TO A HUMAN,

BUT TO A DEADLY SEA CREATURE.

MY NAME IS JEREMY WADE,

AND I NORMALLY INVESTIGATE CASES OF RIVER MONSTERS...

FISH ON! FISH ON!

...FRESHWATER KILLERS

THAT PLAGUE THE RIVERS AND LAKES OF OUR PLANET.

THIS THING REALLY IS A RIVER MONSTER.

MYSTERIES OF THE SEA ARE OUTSIDE MY COMFORT ZONE,

BUT THIS STORY ABOUT FISHERMAN ATTACKED

BY A MYSTERIOUS SEA CREATURE IS SO INTRIGUING,

I CAN'T IGNORE IT.

CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS

**

I'M INVESTIGATING A CHILLING STORY

ABOUT FIVE DEAD FISHERMEN

WASHED UP ON A BEACH IN MEXICO'S SEA OF CORTEZ.

ONE OF THE KEY CLUES

IS THAT THE BODIES WERE COVERED IN STRANGE WOUNDS.

THE LOCAL MARINE BIOLOGIST WAS CONVINCED

THAT THEY WERE THE WORK OF AN ANIMAL.

THE MARINE PREDATOR THAT ALWAYS SPRINGS TO MIND IS A SHARK.

BUT SHARKS LEAVE A CLEAR SIGNATURE,

A WOUND WITH THE DISTINCT CURVE

OF A SHARK'S JAW.

TO GET TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS CASE,

I NEED SOME DETAILS ABOUT THOSE MYSTERIOUS WOUNDS.

BUT I CAN'T TRACK DOWN

THE MARINE BIOLOGIST IN THE ARTICLE.

MM-HMM.

NOBODY'S HEARD OF HIM.

I'M BEGINNING TO HAVE DOUBTS ABOUT THIS STORY.

BUT I HAVE UNEARTHED OTHER STRANGE REPORTS

OF FISHERMEN ATTACKED BY MYSTERIOUS CREATURES

IN THE SEA OF CORTEZ.

THIS ONE TALKS ABOUT TWO MEXICAN FISHERMEN

DRAGGED FROM THEIR BOATS AND CHEWED SO BADLY,

THEIR BODIES COULD NOT BE IDENTIFIED,

EVEN BY THEIR OWN FAMILIES.

AND ANOTHER ONE ABOUT A MAN WHO FELL OVERBOARD.

AS HE REACHED UP FOR HELP, HE WAS PULLED TO THE DEPTHS,

NEVER TO BE SEEN AGAIN.

FINDING SUCH SIMILAR STORIES

IN ONE LOCATION CAN'T BE A COINCIDENCE.

I NEED TO GET ON THE GROUND TO INVESTIGATE.

MEXICO'S BAJA PENINSULA IS A REMOTE STRIP OF LAND

SEPARATED FROM THE MAINLAND BY THE NOTORIOUS SEA OF CORTEZ.

THESE INFAMOUS WATERS HAVE A DARK HISTORY OF VIOLENCE,

STORIES OF HIDDEN COVES

WHERE SPANISH PIRATES BURIED THEIR TREASURE,

AND WHERE DRUG CARTELS STILL BURY THEIR VICTIMS.

SANTA ROSALíA IS ONE OF THE FEW POPULATED AREAS,

A REMOTE FISHING COMMUNITY.

I ASK AROUND TO SEE IF ANYONE KNOWS ABOUT THE ATTACKS.

I'M TOLD I NEED TO GO TO THE BEACH AT SUNSET

TO SPEAK TO THE LOCALS

BEFORE THEY HEAD OUT NIGHT FISHING.

OKAY, GRACIAS.

BUENOS NOCHES. -BUENOS NOCHES.

I ASK ABOUT THE FIVE DEAD BODIES.

THEY SAY THEY'RE NOT AWARE OF THE CASE.

BUT THEY DO HAVE OTHER STORIES

OF FISHERMEN WHO WERE ATTACKED AT SEA,

INCLUDING ONE ABOUT A MAN LEFT COVERED IN UNUSUAL BITE MARKS.

THIS SOUNDS LIKE THE STORIES

THAT BROUGHT ME HERE AND ADDS TO MY SUSPICION THAT

THERE'S AN ELUSIVE PREDATOR IN THESE WATERS.

BUT WHEN I ASK WHERE I CAN FIND THIS MAN,

I'M TOLD HE COMMITTED SUICIDE.

I'M TOO LATE FOR THAT VICTIM.

BUT THE FISHERMEN TELL ME THE ATTACKS HAPPENED

IN DEEP TRENCHES OFF THE COAST.

THE SEA OF CORTEZ SITS ON A SERIES OF MAJOR FAULT LINES

AND WAS FORMED WHEN THE EARTH'S TECTONIC PLATES RIPPED APART.

UNDER THE SURFACE ARE UNDERWATER CANYONS

WITH DEPTHS REACHING THOUSANDS OF FEET.

THE NEXT MORNING, I HIRE A BOAT TO TAKE ME OUT TO SEA.

I NEED TO GET MY LINE IN THE WATER

TO FIND OUT WHAT IS REALLY OUT THERE.

**

AS WE APPROACH THE DEEP WATERS,

I START TO SEE AN ABUNDANCE OF LIFE.

THERE'S SOME BIG OL' SEA LIONS ON THIS, UH, ROCK HERE.

NOW THEY MIGHT LOOK A LITTLE BIT CUDDLY

AND COMICAL OUT OF WATER...

...BUT THEY ARE ACTUALLY VERY EFFICIENT PREDATORS.

THEY'VE BASICALLY GOT TEETH RATHER LIKE A DOG.

LIKE SHARKS, SEA LIONS WOULD LEAVE VERY DISTINCTIVE MARKS

AND CERTAINLY NOT THE UNUSUAL WOUNDS

I'VE BEEN HEARING ABOUT.

BUT THE FACT REMAINS,

THE FISHERMEN HERE HAVE BEEN ATTACKED BY SOMETHING

THAT LIVES BENEATH THE SURFACE.

THIS IS WHAT I'M GONNA PUT ON THE END OF THE LINE.

THIS MIMICS SMALL FISH IN THE WATER.

I'M USING WIRE BECAUSE THE CHANCES ARE ANYTHING

THAT GOES AFTER A SMALL FISH IS GONNA HAVE TEETH.

SO LET'S CLIP THAT ON HERE.

THERE YOU GO. THAT'S READY TO GO IN.

WE MOTOR AT SPEED,

SO MY LURES MOVE LIKE SMALL FISH FLEEING A PREDATOR.

ALL RIGHT. ALL SET.

NOW WE JUST, UH, WE JUST WAIT AND WATCH.

BUT I DON'T HAVE TO WAIT LONG.

OH, YEAH.

**

SO LIFT.

WIND DOWN.

LIFT.

WIND DOWN.

IT DOESN'T FEEL VERY BIG, WHATEVER IT IS.

THIS ISN'T A FISH THAT'S CAPABLE OF ATTACKING A HUMAN,

BUT IT'S A PROMISING SIGN.

SKIPJACK TUNA AND, UH,

THESE ARE PERFECT MEALS FOR ANYTHING LARGER.

AND THE FACT THAT THESE ARE AROUND --

I MEAN, IT'S A BIT LIKE, YOU KNOW,

IF THE ZEBRAS ARE AROUND,

YOU KNOW THE LIONS ARE GONNA BE THERE SOMEWHERE.

I WONDER IF I CAN USE THIS MEAL-SIZED FISH

TO MY ADVANTAGE AND UP MY GAME.

I'M NOW FISHING WITH ONE OF THESE, UH,

SKIPJACKS AS BAIT.

WITH A WHOLE SKIPJACK TUNA ON THE END OF MY LINE,

I'M HOPING TO ATTRACT A MUCH BIGGER PREDATOR.

OH!

THIS ROD JUST SPRUNG BACK.

DOESN'T FEEL LIKE THERE'S ANYTHING ON THERE.

THIS IS WEIRD. THIS IS WEIRD.

THAT WAS DEFINITELY A BITE,

BUT THE TUNA AND THE END OF MY LEADER ARE GONE.

SOMETHING HAS JUST BITTEN THROUGH A PIECE OF WIRE.

ANYTHING THAT CAN BITE THROUGH WIRE

MUST HAVE SOME SERIOUS TEETH.

THERE'S CLEARLY A BIG PREDATOR DOWN THERE.

WELL, I'M NOT GONNA FIND OUT WHAT THAT WAS

BECAUSE, UH, IT'S GONE.

BUT I THINK, UH, NOTHING FOR IT REALLY

BUT TO GET THIS LINE IN AGAIN.

WITH ANOTHER WHOLE SKIPJACK AS A BAIT,

I'M HOPING TO LURE THE CULPRIT BACK.

OH, THERE WE GO. I SAW THAT ONE SURFACE.

SAW THAT SURFACE.

THIS TIME, IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S STILL THERE.

WE USED THE POWER OF THE ENGINE TO SET THE HOOK.

GO! GO, GO, GO, GO, GO, GO GO!

OH!

**

**

Wade: I'M IN THE SEA OF CORTEZ IN MEXICO

INVESTIGATING MYSTERIOUS ATTACKS ON FISHERMEN,

UNUSUAL BITES,

AND NIGHTMARE ENCOUNTERS.

I'M SEARCHING THE WATER, TRYING TO LURE IN A PREDATOR.

AND I'M USING A WHOLE 4-POUND FISH AS BAIT.

SOMETHING HAS JUST BITTEN THROUGH A PIECE OF WIRE.

MY METAL LEADER HAS ALREADY BEEN BITTEN OFF,

SO I KNOW THERE'S SOME KIND OF POWERFUL PREDATOR OUT THERE.

OH, YEAH.

GO! GO, GO, GO, GO, GO, GO, GO!

WITH A NEW LINE IN THE WATER, WHATEVER'S DOWN THERE

HAS LATCHED ON TO AN ENTIRE SKIPJACK TUNA.

NOTHING JUMPING YET.

BUT, UH, WHATEVER IT WAS CAME UP ON THE SURFACE

BEFORE IT MADE THAT FINAL HIT.

THERE'S SOMETHING. IT'S OFF. IS IT OFF?

UM, THERE'S NOTHING THERE.

SOMETHING HAS JUST, UH, TORN THE, YOU KNOW, FISH.

TORN ITS HEAD OFF, BASICALLY.

THE FACT THAT NOTHING ACTUALLY JUMPED OUT OF THE WATER,

THE FACT THAT THIS HAS JUST BEEN CUT PRETTY CLEANLY

OFF THE REST OF THE BODY...

UM, IT'S CUT THROUGH FLESH.

IT'S ALSO CUT THROUGH THE -- THE BACKBONE.

AND IT'S CUT THROUGH THE GILL PLATE HERE.

SO THAT SPEAKS VERY MUCH OF SHARP TEETH.

AND WITH THAT SORTA SHAPE THERE, IT'S LIKE A SIGNATURE.

AND THE SIGNATURE SAYS VERY CLEARLY SHARK OF SOME SORT.

THIS WOULD EXPLAIN MY BITTEN OFF LEADER.

BUT I DON'T THINK THIS HELPS MY INVESTIGATION.

GREAT WHITES, HAMMERHEADS, AND MAKOS

ARE ALL NATIVE TO THESE WATERS.

BUT I'VE ALREADY RULED OUT SHARKS

BECAUSE THEIR BITE MARKS ARE SO DISTINCT.