The Legend of Altamaha-ha Sea Creature
Legend has it that in the waters of the Altamaha, near the city of Darien, there is a strange creature. The Altamaha-ha often described as having snake or eel-like qualities and is said to travel the river and streams in an undulating fashion with 2-3 "humps." It is said to have a tail that is horizontal, rather than vertical, like that of a porpoise. Others who have seen the animal say that it has dull gray skin and looks to be spotted in some places. It appears ever so often and sightings of this creature go back to the times before whites settled the area.
The local Tama Indian tribe has legends of a giant, snake-like creature inhabiting the waters of and near the Altamaha River that presumably pre-date English settlement of the Georgia coast. In the 1920s, timber men who rode the river reported sighting something that fits the description of Altamaha ha, also known as Altie. Other sightings include a Boy Scout troop from the 1940s and two officials from the Reidsville State Prison from the 1950s. One of the most recent reports was from 2002 when a man who was pulling a boat up the river near Brunswick reported seeing something over twenty feet in length and six feet wide break the water. The man reported that the animal seemed to emerge from the water to get air and then submerge again beneath the depths.
The Altamaha-ha is an aquatic cryptid reported from the myriad network of small streams and abandoned rice fields near the mouth of the Altamaha River particularly around Darien and elsewhere in McIntosh County. Those who claim to have seen it report it to be 10 to 50 feet in length. No physical evidence has been reported. Some have speculated that the Altamaha-ha engages in reproductive spawning in the fresh waters in and around the Altamaha River. In any event, there have been several reports of what appear to be juvenile specimens of the creature, in addition to the more numerous sightings of what are presumed to be adults.
The legend is quite popular on the coast. In fact, The Darien News has covered the story on many occasions. In addition, there was even a children’s book written on the topic by Ann Davis called The Tale of the Altamaha Monster.
Where Georgia Began
