Today’s article takes us down to Georgia to visit the Altamaha-ha (known as “Altie”) in McIntosh County. As Georgia’s most famous Cryptid, it makes sense that it would be the first to receive coverage, as I make my attempt to write articles about one Cryptid from each Southern state.
“Altie” lives on display. (Contributed/Pinterest)
Similar to the Loch Ness Monster, Altie is a water monster who lives in abandoned rice fields according to ExploreGeorgia.org, a site dedicated to introducing tourists to the culture of Georgia.
According to that same article, the beast has been around since the original occupants, the Muscogee people, utilized the land and well into today.
One of the most famous spots inhabited by the monster is the Fort King George Historic Site, which is the oldest remaining fort in Georgia.
Another site (Exemplore.com) claims that Altie is more than thirty feet long and, “capable of moving fast enough to leave ripples behind it like a motorboat.”
The news station for Savannah, Georgia hosts a blog (coincidentally also named “Cryptids of the South!) where writer, Angel Colquitt, states that Altie is indeed over thirty feet long. In fact, she claims that the creature is over seventy feet long. She also describes it as having the head of an alligator or crocodile.
Illustrations of Altie do indeed make her appear to be a small Loch Ness Monster, as she is about the same shape and color as the Scottish legend, though one might find it difficult to compare the Altamaha-ha’s head.
Being the most famous cryptid in the area and the oldest (that has not been disproven), it makes sense that there would be many books, shows, podcasts and movies that mention her. I have known lore about this creature for a while, as she was mentioned in the very first Cryptozoology book I ever owned, “Monsterology” by Dr. Ernest Drake.
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