A century-old sea monster, a stinking mystery on the shoreline, and the scientific investigation that led to California’s strangest cryptid story.
Episode Summary
In the early 1900s, something washed ashore on Moore’s Beach near Santa Cruz — something that shouldn’t have existed. Locals described a creature with a 20-foot neck, a body longer than a wagon, and a stench so powerful that newspapers noted it could be smelled from blocks away. The carcass inspired panic, curiosity, and a wave of sensational reporting that spread up and down the California coast.
Scientists eventually descended on the scene, among them Dr. Barton Warren Evermann of the California Academy of Sciences. Their investigation revealed a far more grounded truth — but not before the legend had already taken hold. The bizarre descriptions, eyewitness sketches, and early newspaper exaggerations helped transform the creature into a genuine piece of West Coast lore.
This episode explores how a decomposing whale became a cryptid, how poor science and sensational headlines shaped early monster stories, and how the name “Bobo” stuck around long after the creature was identified. Today, the legend remains one of California’s most entertaining pieces of coastal mythology — and an example of how a good story often lasts longer than the facts underneath it.
Quick Facts
Location: Moore’s Beach (now Natural Bridges State Beach), Santa Cruz, California
Date of Event: 1925
Creature Description: 20-ft neck, 35-ft body, overwhelming odor
Investigators: Dr. Barton Warren Evermann & Alvin Seale, California Academy of Sciences
Modern Identification: Baird’s beaked whale (Berardius bairdii)
Episode Runtime: 6:51
Sources Used:
- San Francisco newspapers (via Newspapers.com)
- California Academy of Sciences archival notes
- Historical reports by Dr. Evermann & Alvin Seale
- Contemporary coastal accounts
Behind the Story
I visited Monterey Bay and Natural Bridges State Beach to film on location for this episode. The site of the original Bobo sighting is still accessible today — quiet, scenic, and full of coastal wildlife. Standing on the same beach where early Californians panicked over a supposed sea monster lends the story a surreal weight. History becomes easier to feel when you’re literally standing in it.
Credits & Sources
- Historical newspaper clippings via Newspapers.com
- Scientific analysis and historical notes courtesy of the California Academy of Sciences
- Photographs and archival material are attributed to their respective owners
- All modern footage was recorded on location in Monterey Bay, Natural Bridges State Beach, and the surrounding areas
- Stock footage licensed through Envato Elements
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