posted November 22, 2007 09:33 AM         

One could speculate that a sea creature, even a known one, could be mistaken for a “Ningen”. Skates and rays, for instance, have nostrils and mouths that look like a face. In fact, they look so “human” that they are often mistaken or sold as devils or extraterrestrials — and Japanese fishers know that for centuries.

But the Ningen is allegedly 20 to 30 meters in length. And we may not even have to bother considering it very seriously, because this cryptid seems to be nothing more than a modern Internet legend.

There are no verifiable names for the alleged sightings. In fact, there are no names nor actual sightings, only vague reports that the creature was seen near the Antarctic Ocean. From the artistic interpretations in this page, you can also see that its appearance is pretty much up to the artist’s imagination.

Acknowledging that, though, we can appreciate what’s surely a nice modern version of the old sea monsters legends. Here are some more illustrations: