Sea Kraits, Sea Snakes, and the Unending Success of the Sea Serpent

For most of human history, we have had a fascination with the sea, and mingled with that fascination - a deep seated fear and respect for its untamable power, which has manifested throughout the world in stories of gods and sea monsters. Among the most enduring of these is the idea of the sea serpent, no doubt an extension of our own long and complicated relationship with snakes. Sea serpents have permeated our imaginations, featuring everywhere from the tall tales of Victorian sailors to the legends of some of the most ancient civilizations on Earth. In some stories they are responsible for the creation of the world, in others for its destruction. Most supposed sightings of sea serpents throughout history are in actuality the result of exaggeration or misidentification of other objects. But far from being relegated to myth, sea serpents are very real, and they are among the most successful of all marine tetrapods, spanning between them nearly 100 million years of Earth’s history. Though they may be far from the monstrous, ship-sinking giants of myth, the vibrant reality of the sea serpent is every bit as fascinating and alluring as any legend.

Reconstructing Marine Reptiles: a Guide to Soft Tissue

Disclaimer: Before I begin, I’d like to clarify certain things about this blog post. This post is not meant to chastise or call-out any specific artists or artworks, nor is meant to complain or to rant. The purpose of this post is to compile a sort of guide for paleoartists when they are reconstructing the …