*♥* Marla's Challenge Logs and Reads *♥* discussion

Cryptid Hunt
Start: 12/1/24

Welcome to FLOAB's Cryptid Hunt!

Challenge Begins: October 1, 2024
Challenge Closes: December 31, 2026

Helpful Links
Q&A Thread
Check-In Thread

The FLOAB Team needs your help proving the existence of cryptids! Complete tasks to take pictures of the Cryptids and collect your photographic badges so you can prove once and for all that cryptids are out there!

How it Works

After you get your camera, complete tasks in order to capture pictures of the various cryptids in the form of badges

There are 50 Cryptids spread over 4 different types (Aquatic/Semi Aquatic, Terrestrial, Hominid, and Flying)

Each Cryptid will have 4 tasks. Each person only has to complete one task in order to complete that cryptid. Duos/Trios can complete the same task, but each person on the team has to complete one task.

All tasks need to be checked in on your individual thread AND on the Check-In Thread using the following format:

LINK TO YOUR THREAD: Marla's Cryptid Hunt
CRYPTID:
BOOK:
AUTHOR:
PAGES:
DATE READ:
RATING:
TASK:
HOW IT FITS THE TASK:

Questions can be asked at the Q&A Thread

Books must be completed after the current task has been posted.

FLOAB GENERAL RULES Apply.

Cryptid Hunt



Cryptids are animals that cryptozoologists believe may exist somewhere in the wild, but whose present existence is disputed or unsubstantiated by science. Cryptozoology is a pseudoscience, which primarily looks at anecdotal stories, and other claims rejected by the scientific community. While biologists regularly identify new species following established scientific methodology, cryptozoologists focus on entities mentioned in the folklore record and rumor. Entities that may be considered cryptids by cryptozoologists include Bigfoot, Yeti, the chupacabra, the Jersey Devil, the Loch Ness Monster, and the Mokele-mbembe.

You are now tasked with hunting out the Cryptids and getting as many photographs as you can! To do so, you will need a camera. Complete one of the following tasks to pick up your camera and join the hunt!

1. Read a book with a photographer MC
2. Read a book with all the letters of HUNT in the title (title only, no subtitle)
3. Read a book with a mythical creature in it
4. Read a book tagged "folklore"

LINK TO YOUR THREAD: Marla's Cryptid Hunt
BOOK: Tricked
AUTHOR: Kevin Hearne
PAGES: 341
DATE READ: 12/17/24
RATING: ★★★.5
TASK: Read a book tagged "folklore"
HOW IT FITS THE TASK: Tagged folklore 5 times

Your first stop on your Cryptid Hunt is the water. From the Pacific Coast of North America, all the way to Russia; Cryptids can be found in waters big and small, so get your camera ready!

1. Cadborosaurus





Cadborosaurus willsi, nicknamed Caddy, is an alleged sea monster from British Colombian coast of Cadboro Bay. It was described as a long, serpent-like beast with flippers, hair on the neck, and a camel-like head. It could be anywhere from 40 to 70 feet long in length. There have been more than 300 claimed sightings during the past 80 years.

Dr. Paul LeBlond, director of Earth and Ocean Sciences at UBC, and Dr. Edward Blousfield, retired chief zoologist of the Canadian Museum of Nature, states every elongated animal has been put forward as an explanation for Caddy. These animals include Conger eels, humpback whales, elephant seals, ribbon or oarfish, basking sharks, and sea lions. LeBlond and Blousfield state no known creature matches the characteristics found in over 200 sightings collected over a century, noting that Caddy is described as having flippers both anteriorly and posteriorly.

There have been more than 300 claimed sightings during the past 200 years, including Deep Cove in Saanich Inlet, and Island View Beach, both of which are also on the Saanich Peninsula, and at San Francisco Bay, California.

With so many sightings, you would think there would be a good photo, but we still need proof! To take a photograph of Caddy, complete one of the following tasks:

1. Read a book set on the Pacific Coast
2. Read a book with the word “Camel” in the text (state location and passage)
3. Read a book where the MC has a nickname
4. Read a book with flippers on the cover

LINK TO YOUR THREAD: Marla's Cryptid Hunt
CRYPTID: Cadborosaurus
BOOK: Touch of Frost
AUTHOR: Jennifer Estep
PAGES: 384
DATE READ: 1/8/25
RATING: ★★★.5
TASK: Read a book where the MC has a nickname
HOW IT FITS THE TASK: Classmates call Gwen "Gypsy Girl"

2. Champ






In American folklore, Champ or Champy is the name of a lake monster said to live in Lake Champlain, a 125-mile (201 km)-long body of fresh water shared by New York and Vermont, with a portion extending into Quebec, Canada. The legend of the monster is considered a draw for tourism in the Burlington, Vermont and Plattsburgh, New York areas.

The original story is related to Iroquois legends of giant snakes, which the Mohawk named Onyare'kowa. French cartographer Samuel de Champlain, the founder of Québec and the lake's namesake, is often claimed to be the first European to have sighted Champ, in 1609. The earliest source for this claim is the summer 1970 issue of the magazine Vermont Life. The magazine quoted Champlain as having documented a "20 ft (6.1 m) serpent thick as a barrel, and a head like a horse."

Champ reportedly can be seen in a video taken by fishermen Dick Affolter and his stepson Pete Bodette in the summer of 2005. Close examination of the images may be interpreted either as a head and neck of a plesiosaur-like animal and even an open mouth in one frame and a closed mouth in another; or as a fish or eel. Although two retired FBI forensic image analysts, who reviewed the tape, said it appears authentic and unmanipulated, one of them added that "there's no place in there that I can actually see an animal or any other object on the surface"

Quick! Although there have been recent sightings, there are still those that won’t believe without photographic proof. To take a photograph of Champ, complete one of the following tasks:

1. Read a book where the MC is a champion
2. Read a book set in Quebec
3. Read a book with either a snake or a horse on the cover
4. Read a book where a character goes fishing

LINK TO YOUR THREAD: Marla's Cryptid Hunt
CRYPTID: Champ
BOOK: Wildcard
AUTHOR: Marie Lu
PAGES: 352
DATE READ: 1/31/25
RATING: ★★★.5
TASK: Read a book where the MC is a champion
HOW IT FITS THE TASK: Emika is on Warcross championship team

3. Giglioli’s Whale






Giglioli’s Whale (Amphiptera Pacifica) is a purported species of whale observed by Enrico Hillyer Giglioli. On September 4, 1867, on board a ship called the Magenta about 1200 miles off the coast of Chile, the zoologist spotted a species of whale that he could not recognize. It was very close to the ship (too close to shoot with a cannon.) and was observed for a quarter of an hour, allowing Giglioli to make very detailed observations.
The whale looked overall similar to a rorqual, 60 feet (18 m) long with an elongated body, but the most notable difference was the presence of two large dorsal fins about 6.5 feet (2 m) apart. No known whales have twin dorsal fins; the rorqual only has a single fin and some other whales have none. Other unusual features include the presence of two long sickle-shaped flippers and a lack of furrows present under the throats of rorquals.

Another report of a two finned whale of roughly the same size was recorded from the ship Lily off the coast of Scotland the following year. In 1983 between Corsica and the French mainland, French zoologist Jacques Maigret sighted a similar-looking creature.

It’s been decades since the last sighting, now’s your chance to have solid proof!. To take a photograph of Giglioli’s Whale, complete one of the following tasks:

1. Read a book where the MC travels by ship
2. Read a book set in Chile
3. Read #2 in a series
4. Read a book with “observed” in the text

LINK TO YOUR THREAD: Marla's Cryptid Hunt
CRYPTID: Giglioli’s Whale
BOOK: Archenemies
AUTHOR: Marissa Meyer
PAGES: 560
DATE READ: 3/17/25
RATING: ★★★.5
TASK: Read #2 in a series
HOW IT FITS THE TASK: Renegades #2
TASK: Read a book with “observed” in the text
HOW IT FITS THE TASK:
p. 141 "...she observed the crowds of costumed children."

4. Dobhar-Chu






The Dobhar-chú (lit. 'water dog' or 'water hound'), or King Otter, is a creature of Irish folklore. It resembles both a dog and an otter, though it sometimes is described as half dog, half fish. It lives in water and has fur with protective properties. There are little to no written records of the Dobhar-Chú since its legend has relied heavily on oral storytelling and tradition.

In 1722, Grace McGloighlin, locally known as Grace Connolly (her maiden name), lived in the townland of Creevelea at the north-west corner of Glenade Lough. One morning she went down to the lough [lake] to wash some clothes. Some accounts say that her husband, Terrence, rushed to the shore after hearing her scream whilst others say that he went down after she failed to return that evening. Both accounts say Mr. McGloighlin rushed down only to find her mutilated body with the Dobhar-Chú sleeping on top of her. Terrence runs home and grabs a dagger before returning to kill the Dobhar-Chú. As the beast died it let out a whistling yell to its mate, who soon rose from the lough. The second beast chased him from the lough, and after a long and bloody battle, which some accounts say he did not face alone, he killed the second Dobhar-Chú
Be very careful, the Dobhar-chú is dangerous! You may want to use your long range lens and complete one of the following tasks to get a picture:

1. Read a book where someone does laundry
2. Read a book set in Ireland
3. Read a book with fated mates
4. Read a book with a lake or other body of water on the cover

LINK TO YOUR THREAD: Marla's Cryptid Hunt
CRYPTID: Dobhar-Chu

BOOK: Storm's Heart
AUTHOR: Thea Harrison
PAGES: 305
DATE READ: 8/12/25
RATING: ★★★.5
TASK: Read a book with fated mates
HOW IT FITS THE TASK: Fated mates
TASK: Read a book with a lake or other body of water on the cover
HOW IT FITS THE TASK: Lake Michigan on the cover

5. Gloucester Sea Serpent





The Gloucester sea serpent is a legendary creature reportedly seen around and off the coast of Gloucester, Massachusetts and Cape Ann area in the United States. The heyday of sightings began in August 1817 and continued into 1818–1819. Described as a massive serpent-like creature with humps along its back, the Gloucester Sea Serpent has been the subject of numerous sightings and tales of encounters by fishermen and sailors. The earliest alleged sighting of such a creature off Cape Ann was recorded in 1638 by John Josselyn. Occasional sightings continue into the 21st century

Over the years, numerous other sightings of the Gloucester Sea Serpent have been reported, with descriptions of the creature varying widely. Some have described it as a long, snake-like creature, while others have reported seeing a hump-backed creature with a head like a horse or a dinosaur. Because hundreds, and possibly even thousands of people saw the creature, combined with the Linnaean Society's report, this serpent is one of the most well documented sea serpents ever. Despite the numerous sightings and tales of encounters, the existence of the Gloucester Sea Serpent remains a subject of debate and skepticism. Some have speculated that the creature could be a large species of eel, while others have suggested that it may be a hoax or the result of misidentification of known marine animals.

The last sighting may have been when the crew of a Gloucester fishing vessel claimed to have had an up close encounter with a sea serpent matching that description circa 1980. The fishermen had initially pledged not to say a word to anyone about their experience, but the story got out. When questioned, as a group they said they were experienced fishermen and knew what they saw. It was unlike anything they had ever seen, and when it turned its head and stared straight at them, its serpentine eyes were pure evil. The men never spoke of it again

Settle the debate! Grab a picture so that everyone knows exactly what the Gloucester Sea Serpent looks like by completing one of the following tasks:

1. Read a book where someone goes fishing
2. Read a book with a character you’d describe as “pure evil”
3. Read a book set in the 1980s
4. Read a book with an MC or author named John

LINK TO YOUR THREAD: Marla's Cryptid Hunt
CRYPTID: Gloucester Sea Serpent
BOOK:
AUTHOR:
PAGES:
DATE READ:
RATING:
TASK:
HOW IT FITS THE TASK:

[image error]

[image error]

[image error]

LINK TO YOUR THREAD: Marla's Cryptid Hunt
CRYPTID:
BOOK:
AUTHOR:
PAGES:
DATE READ:
RATING:
TASK:
HOW IT FITS THE TASK:

[image error]

[image error]

[image error]

LINK TO YOUR THREAD: Marla's Cryptid Hunt
CRYPTID:
BOOK:
AUTHOR:
PAGES:
DATE READ:
RATING:
TASK:
HOW IT FITS THE TASK:

[image error]

[image error]

[image error]

LINK TO YOUR THREAD: Marla's Cryptid Hunt
CRYPTID:
BOOK:
AUTHOR:
PAGES:
DATE READ:
RATING:
TASK:
HOW IT FITS THE TASK:

[image error]

[image error]

[image error]

LINK TO YOUR THREAD: Marla's Cryptid Hunt
CRYPTID:
BOOK:
AUTHOR:
PAGES:
DATE READ:
RATING:
TASK:
HOW IT FITS THE TASK:

[image error]