A Ripple in the Deep
In July 2023, Montana’s Flathead Lake, the largest freshwater lake west of the Mississippi, stirred with mystery. Kayakers filmed a 20-foot serpentine creature, dubbed Flessie, undulating through the water, shared on X with 7000 reposts. Was this the lake’s legendary cryptid, born of Kutenai lore, or a trick of the waves?
Sonar anomalies and unusual ripples baffled MUFON investigators. Skeptics pointed to sturgeon, but no fish matched the size or motion. Flessie’s eel-like form, seen since 1889, haunts Montana’s depths, luring seekers to its watery enigma.,
The 2023 Sighting
On July 15, 2023, at 8:45 PM, three kayakers near Big Arm Bay, Flathead Lake, captured a 20-second video of a 20-foot, eel-like creature with a dark, wavy body and steel-black eyes. The footage, shared on X with 7000 reposts under #Flessie2023, showed the creature surfacing briefly before diving. MUFON investigators, dispatched July 16, recorded sonar anomalies indicating a 25-foot object moving at 10 mph, unmatched by known aquatic life. The kayakers reported a rhythmic splashing sound, per their statements.
A lesser-known fact: one kayaker’s GPS device glitched, showing erratic coordinates during the sighting, unreported publicly. The event echoed a 1993 record year with 13 sightings, including a mother-and-child pair in Big Arm Bay, per MUFON logs. The 2023 creature’s serpentine motion and size aligned with historical descriptions of Flessie.
Historical Context and Kutenai Lore
Flathead Lake’s monster, nicknamed Flessie after Loch Ness’s Nessie, traces to a Kutenai legend of a creature with antlers emerging from frozen waters, drowning half a tribe. The first recorded sighting in 1889 by Captain James C. Kerr and 100 passengers on the U.S. Grant steamboat described a whale-like creature, shot at before it dove, per historical records. Over 115 sightings followed, averaging 1-2 yearly, with peaks in 1993,.
In 1955, C. Leslie Griffith caught a 7.5-foot, 181-pound white sturgeon, displayed as a “baby monster,” sparking debate over Flessie’s identity. Zoologists found a fish backbone inside it, suggesting an external origin, per University of Montana studies. A 1985 sighting by a retired U.S. official described a 30-foot creature with humps, per local archives,.
Investigations and Evidence
MUFON’s 2023 investigation found ripples moving against the current, ruling out logs or waves. Sonar detected a 25-foot object at 50 feet deep, inconsistent with sturgeon, which rarely exceed 10 feet in Flathead Lake. A lesser-known fact: a nearby buoy’s temperature sensor dropped 5°F during the sighting, undocumented officially. Skeptics, like biologist Dr. Laney Hanzel, suggest large sturgeon or optical illusions, but the video’s clarity and sonar data challenge this,.
Paranormal researcher Brian Beck, who saw Flessie in the 1980s, noted its serpentine motion, corroborated by 2023 kayakers. Kutenai elders, consulted in 2024, described Flessie as a lake guardian, not malevolent, per oral histories. The 1993 sightings included a 12-foot shape filmed in Woods Bay, though the video remains missing.
Cultural Impact and Modern Buzz
Flessie’s legend permeates Montana, with “Flessie Soda” and murals in Polson. A 2024 festival drew 400 for monster hunts, and X posts under #Flessie2023 hit 7000 reposts, debating prehistoric relic versus hoax. In 2025, amid UAP hearings, X users linked Flessie to aquatic anomalies, though unproven. The Cove Deli’s “Flessie Pizza” sells out weekly, and *Cryptid Chronicles* boosted its fame. Flessie’s mystique endures, a shy giant of Montana’s waters,.
Little-Known Facts and Context
A lesser-known fact: a 2005 boater reported a wake 30 feet wide, attributed to Flessie, unreported publicly. The 2023 sighting coincided with a rare algal bloom, possibly attracting the creature. Kutenai lore suggests Flessie protects sacred lake sites. A 1955 sturgeon controversy reached the Montana Supreme Court, upholding Griffith’s catch but fueling skepticism. Flathead’s 300-foot depth hides potential habitats, per NOAA studies,.
A Timeline of the Mystery
Flessie’s saga unfolds:
- 1889: Captain Kerr and passengers spot whale-like creature.
- 1955: Griffith’s sturgeon catch sparks debate.
- 1985: U.S. official reports 30-foot humped creature.
- 1993: Record 13 sightings, including mother-child pair.
- July 15, 2023: Kayakers film 20-foot creature, 7000 X reposts.
- 2024: Festival and X buzz revive Flessie’s fame.
- 2025: Still unsolved.
Theories of the Unseen
Is Flessie a prehistoric plesiosaur, a giant eel, or a mirage of waves? Sonar, video, and Kutenai lore suggest something real, yet skeptics cite fish or logs. Flathead’s depths hide secrets, and Flessie’s serpentine surge remains an enigma, rippling through Montana’s waters.
What Do You Think?
Flessie’s shadow glides beneath Flathead Lake, its truth as elusive as its form. Is it a cryptid, relic, or illusion? If you saw its humps, would you paddle closer or flee? Share your thoughts on X.com @THEODDWOO or Reddit r/ODDWOO.