Did you know there have been published mentions of sea-monsters in Wormley Creek? I found an article published in the Richmond Enquirer on March 10, 1846.
Richmond Enquirer, 10 March 1846
To the Editors of the Enquirer:
York Town, March 9th, 1846.
As we have been much gratified for the last two days with the inspection of some strange visiters from the vast numbers that inhabit the watery portion of our world, I thought it would not be uninteresting to you and your readers to be informed of their peculiarities of appearance, their magnitude and numbers. Suffice it to say, that on Saturday morning last, whilst our oystermen were departing from Wormley’s creek to pursue their accustomed occupation of catching those valuable shell fish, for which our waters are so famed, to their surprise and amazement, on the South shore, at the mouth of the creek, where lies an extensive shoal or flat, were to be seen, resting at apparent ease, twenty-eight huge, long, black fish, ranging in length from seven to eighteen feet, and reaching in diameter from eighteen inches or two feet to six and a half feet, according to their respective lengths. When approached, they were perfectly passive and quiescent, suffering persons to punch them on every part, yet were all obviously alive. Of course, these surprisingly strange visiters supplant, with most of their new acquaintances, all other things in their devoted attention- as the obvious certainty of taking them all ashore and reducing their rich treasures of blubber to liquid oil, promised them a much more lucrative employment than oysters or any thing else. Twenty-eight of them have been taken ashore on that side and two on this side of the creek, which two last made their appearance there the day after.
From the description of the Celadinus fish in Goldsmith’s Animated Nature, these are doubtless a species of the Whale called the Grampus. They are of a rich, shining ebony color, having two fins, from nine to twelve inches in width and from twelve inches to two and a half feet in length, according to their size, on the breast, between eighteen inches and three feet from the flat part of their heads; having also a fin of greater or less dimensions about the centre of the back, which seems to act as a rudder or guide; with an expansive tail transverse their bodies, reaching in breadth from fifteen inches to three feet, according to size; and, also, a peculiarly round-shaped head, which, when cut off, is a solid block of blubber. Their eye is just about the size of that of the ox, and is just above the termination of the incision of the mouth. The lower jaw is small and thin, the upper constituting the bulk of the head; having seven and eight teeth, round, sharp pegs, from a half to three quarters of an inch long in each jaw-bone, and a new tooth just appearing in each. On the back of the neck is an orifice about three inches wide, through which they spout water. The male fish of this species is generally the largest, he being of the greatest dimensions herein recited. From some of the females were taken young bucks, measuring from three to four feet, according to the size of their mothers. One of these fish had one of his jaw bones badly broken and the mouth thereby much diseased.
Doubtless, the late tremendous blow and great eruption in the mighty deep brought these very novel and unexpected visiters to our shores – The largest we thought to weigh upwards of two thousand pounds. The skin, when peeled off, (a specimen of which is herewith sent,) is that of the finest oil cloth, beneath this lies a substance or coat resembling lap-black, and beneath that the blubber or fat, which is white like that of a hog, ranging from one to four inches in thickness, according to the size and condition of the animal. The internal conformation is not unlike that of the horse, save that the brains lie below the head, that vast block of fat, and back of the two fins; the inner part of their mouth if rough and hard as a rasp. Their exact similitude is not to be found in the plates of Goldsmith’s Animated Nature. His description of the peculiarities of the Grampus in many respects answers to the character of these fish. So all who have observed them have concluded, that they are of that species. They have truly been the observed of all observers for the last three days – that prevailing and all pervading principle in man, curiosity, acruating and constraining all who could to go and see them. Should we be at fault in our understanding of them, be pleased, if you can, to tell us what they are; and by so doing, you will oblige, besides many others, your friend and most obedient servant, W. N.
[We have submitted the court-plaister-ebony skin of the monster to an old “Salt,” who pronounces it to belong to the “Black fish,” a species of whale. We have no doubt, that our worthy correspondent is correct in designating the “strangers” as of the Grampus kind. We can vouch for the above narrative- for, though strange, it is doubtless a true “fish story.” – Enquirer]
The Richmond Enquirer issued a correction to the above story on March 20, 1846.
In “W. N.’s” interesting description of the huge sea-monsters caught on the banks of Wormley’s creek, two errors of the types occurred, viz: “Celadinus” for “Cetaceous,” and “young bucks” for “young ones.”
The story mentions “the late tremendous blow and great eruption in the mighty deep” which would be a reference to a nor’easter that had recently struck the east coast. The VA Department of Emergency Management has this storm, “The Great Gust”, on its list of historic winter storms. The storm lasted from Feb 27 to Mar 2 and caused $500,000 in damages. There was snow, rain, hail, wind with “unabated violence” and tides that were five feet above normal in Norfolk. This storm is blamed for killing a long leaf pine forest near Knott’s Island. The Richmond Enquirer also had a report on this storm, in the March 6, 1846 edition
The Late Gale seems to have been more or less severely felt in every direction. The Norfolk Beacon states that the damage to property in that city “cannot be safely estimated in the aggregate at less than $30,000.” Several houses were unroofed, and others blown down. The injury sustained by the shipping, it is feared, has also been immense. The Beacon gives a list of the vessels driven ashore, some with loss of masts, &c., whilst several are said to have been sunk. We give, under the marine head, the particulars concerning such as seem to have been connected with this port. The Beacon also states that Mrs. Mason, (wife of Bennett Mason, of Fox Hill, of E. City County,) three children and Miss Sarah Melson, were drowned at their residence during the late gale, the tide being so high as to effectually interdict their egress.
The creatures themselves were referred to in the article as Grampus and Black Fish. Grampus is an older name for Orca, which is also commonly called Black fish. The provided description does not match Orca. There is a Grampus genus, which contains only one species, Risso’s dolphin. This species is light colored and only grows to about ten feet long. In addition to the orca, the name Blackfish is also commonly used for a handful of other cetacenas: melon-headed whale, pygmy killer whale, false killer whale, long-finned pilot whale and short finned pilot-whale. The short finned pilot whale or false killer whale are both about the same length as what’s described in the article, as well as having roughly the same number of teeth. The dorsal fin on the short finned pilot whale is situated closer to the flippers while the dorsal fin on the false killer whale is located closer to the center of the back, which matches the description on the creatures. The false killer whale was first described in an 1846 book, based on a fossil, and was thought to be extinct until the discovery of live animals in 1861. The false killer whale would not have been listed in the reference books used when attempting to identify the Wormely Creek sea monsters. Below is a depiction of a false killer whale.
There you have it. Sea-monsters in Wormley Creek, 170 years ago!