Montauk Pioneer - August 8, 2008 - Fishermen Spot "Monta"

It has been quite the drama. The unidentifiable "monster" carcass that was found by Montauk locals Jenna Hewitt, Rachel Goldberg and Courtney Fruin ashore the Surf Side Inn has created international buzz. The "monster" pictured at right, drew national attention as websites as far reaching as CNN.com to the comedy show "The Colbert Report" have reported on it and speculated on exactly what it is.

Montauk surfer and real estate agent Eric Olsen created quite a stir when news broke that the animal carcass had been stolen. According to reports, when Eric found the carcass in front of the Surfside Inn he bagged it and brought it to his friends house, Noel Arikian, with intentions of selling it to an esteemed artist who already found a buyer interested in the bones of the "Montauk Monster." He left the carcass outside of his home, and it has been reportedly stolen. Nobody is certain by who, however.

Plum Island denies that they have anything to do with the creature and it seemed that nearly everybody in the nation was weighing in on exactly what it was they were looking at. Some suggested that it was a turtle without a shell, others have suggested that it is a raccoon or a dog.

Two days ago however, three fishermen aboard the Montauk vessel Football headed out miles off of the coast of Montauk for a day of fishing. The vessel, owned by Montauker James Buildison was heading out early morning for a day of fishing when they saw for the first time, according to them, live "Montauk Monsters" jumping out of the water. "I didn't believe it. At first I thought it was a baby seal," James says.

As he drew closer however, there was no doubt in his mind that what he was looking at was a school of "Montauk Monsters" snapping their jaws wildly at the bluefish that were circling around the area. "They had the same body as the picture I saw on television and the same mouth, so we got excited. Every time we hooked one another one would swoop in and bite through the line. They were very smart. We managed to haul one in. Its body is black, kind of like a seals body, but with scales, and it has flippers. The other strange part is that it has gills underneath its belly, so it is definitely a fish. You can tell when you see its skin up close. Its skin is black, but has scales. It is a very odd looking fish."

After catching three they headed back in and word on the radio spread through Montauk like wild fire.

James has already delivered the fish to New York State's Bureau of Animal Identification for verification that it is a new species, but he kept the other two with intentions of having it for dinner. Only in Montauk. "We figured what the hell? Let's see if this thing tastes good."

James and a few of his friends cooked the fish and gave it a bite and according to him, it is absolutely delicious. "This fish is going to be the new delicacy. It's soft, light and perfect. Excellent with a salad, potato or just on its own. We can't call these fish the Montauk monsters, it will turn people off. I want to call it "Monta," because it's kind of like a Montauk style of tuna."

After the word spread that Monta tastes good, more fishermen headed out this week with intentions of catching them. Animal rights groups have already become involved and are pushing for state quotas on the "Monta's" in anticipation of them being over fished. "Right now it is a good time to fish for Montas because we don't have to throw any back. This could save the Montauk fishing industry."

It is well known that fishermen in Montauk are having financial dire straits due to high fuel prices and intense fishing regulations.

I asked James where he thought they came from, "Your guess is as good as mine. They could be a Plum Island thing, or they could just be coming up from the bottom of the ocean due to global warming. All I know is that they taste good and are fun to catch."