A Niagara Region man sighted a large otter-like creature in Lake Ontario on May 24, 2006. The witness's identity is undisclosed at their request.
The eyewitness, Mr. S, was out walking his dog in the vicinity of the Port Weller marina at 6:30 a.m., observed the calm waters of the lake being disturbed by an unknown source. The day in question was a clear, sunny day.
Port Weller is located eight km northeast of St. Catharines, Ontario and situates itself along the northern most point of the Welland Canal.
At first glance the gentleman noted that the creature resembled an otter, but was unsure due to its speed and massive wake.
Otters are usually found in Northern Ontario in Algonquin Park along the Petawawa River. River otters are also found in the St. Lawrence River basin. Their numbers are limited in the post-colonial period of North America in large part to the poisoning of urban environments.
Mr. S guesstimated that the creature was 100 yards (91.44 m) from the shore and then noted that the creature resurfaced 20 yards (18.3 m) later.
The description given states, "The head was the size of a dog and smooth. It turned away from me and I noticed a flat back about 4.5 to 5 feet long and 3 feet wide in the middle. Then it went back underwater and shook its dorsal fins. It looked to me like a seal."
Further examination of the history of fauna in Lake Ontario does reveal the existence of a seal species within the drainage basin.
The Eastern Atlantic Harbour Seal (Phoca vitulina) was eliminated from the Great Lakes basin by the early 1800s. They are commonly known for their large range among the pinnipeds. Harbour seals reach 1.85 meters in size and approximately 130 kilograms in weight at adulthood.
The eyewitness, Mr. S, was out walking his dog in the vicinity of the Port Weller marina at 6:30 a.m., observed the calm waters of the lake being disturbed by an unknown source. The day in question was a clear, sunny day.
Port Weller is located eight km northeast of St. Catharines, Ontario and situates itself along the northern most point of the Welland Canal.
At first glance the gentleman noted that the creature resembled an otter, but was unsure due to its speed and massive wake.
Otters are usually found in Northern Ontario in Algonquin Park along the Petawawa River. River otters are also found in the St. Lawrence River basin. Their numbers are limited in the post-colonial period of North America in large part to the poisoning of urban environments.
Mr. S guesstimated that the creature was 100 yards (91.44 m) from the shore and then noted that the creature resurfaced 20 yards (18.3 m) later.
The description given states, "The head was the size of a dog and smooth. It turned away from me and I noticed a flat back about 4.5 to 5 feet long and 3 feet wide in the middle. Then it went back underwater and shook its dorsal fins. It looked to me like a seal."
Further examination of the history of fauna in Lake Ontario does reveal the existence of a seal species within the drainage basin.
The Eastern Atlantic Harbour Seal (Phoca vitulina) was eliminated from the Great Lakes basin by the early 1800s. They are commonly known for their large range among the pinnipeds. Harbour seals reach 1.85 meters in size and approximately 130 kilograms in weight at adulthood.
