Encounter Atlas
Morgawr (Cornish for 'sea giant') is a long-necked sea serpent said to live in Falmouth Bay, Cornwall. The first reports came in 1975, describing a humped animal with a long neck and dark skin like a sea lion's near Pendennis Point.
In 1976 the local Falmouth Packet newspaper received photographs said to be from an anonymous 'Mary F', and that July two fishermen said they saw it off Lizard Point. Local showman and magician Tony 'Doc' Shiels, who coined the name, also claimed to photograph it near Mawnan.
A 2022 academic article concluded the whole story began as a hoax, with Shiels at the centre. Sightings are still claimed along the stretch of coast between Rosemullion Head and Toll Point, nicknamed Morgawr's Mile. Owlman, also linked to Shiels, was reported nearby in the same year.
What witnesses report
- A long neck and small head above the water
- Humps on the back
- Dark, sea-lion-like skin
Famous cases
- 1976'Mary F' photographs sent to the Falmouth Packet
Falmouth, Cornwall - 1976Two fishermen report the creature off Lizard Point
Lizard Point, Cornwall
Seen the Morgawr?
Tell us what happened. Every report is read by a person before it goes on the map, and you can stay anonymous.
