Cryptid of the Day - Kongamato

Cryptid of the Day 

Kongamato

       From Unknown Explorers - "Some 65 million years ago, starting in the Jurassic and lasting into the 

Cretaceous, there existed a powerful flying reptile known as the Pterosaurs. The majority of fossils found have been in marine deposits, which means they probably were fish eaters and spent most of their time over coastal waters. These Pterosaurs apparently managed to fly with no feathers, their main aerodynamic feature where wings of membrane supported by an enormously elongated fourth finger. They had hollow limb bones and a large keeled breastbone attached to strong wing muscles which where needed for true flight, not just gliding." 

       Kongamato (Breaker of Boats) are said to still fly over many African countries, even attacking those travelling through the swamps many claim it calls home. Some of these attacks have been fatal. Many alleged sightings of the creature were reported by reputable figures, including members of the British military. For more information, click the link above.

- Mike

Cryptids - Why Some of Them Could be Real

Cryptids - Why Some of the Them Could be Real

Cryptozoologists have been researching "hidden" animals and urban legends for years. Cryptozoology is the study of "hidden animals" and concerns itself with animals whose existence has not yet been proven or recognized by mainstream science. Ever wonder if there's something really lurking in the waters or hiding in the woods?

The Colossal Squid

       The Colossal Squid is in fact a real animal. One of the most feared sea creatures known to man, there have been many reports of sightings since the 18th century (and before!) The large invertebrate has been pinned as the culprit in many wooden ship sinkings. The length of the squid has been estimated to be around 13 - 15 meters (40 - 50 feet) and have the largest eyes in the animal kingdom, measuring 10 inches in diameter. Japanese scientists first caught the creature on camera for the first time on September 28th, 2005, proving beyond a doubt that they are indeed lurkings the ocean depths. The beast was lured to the surface by a bait line, filled with shrimp, that was lowered 3,000 feet into the sea.

The Devil Bird

Also known by the name "Ulama," the Devil Bird is a widely-known cryptid of Sri Lanka. Its said to be a close relative of the Spot-bellied Eagle Owl. It is rarely seen, but often heard. The call of the Devil Bird is said to sound like a horrid shriek, and the bird itself is said to have large horns on its head. Its scream is said to be an omen of death.

The Loch Ness Monster

"Nessie," as locals call it, has dwelled in the depths of Loch Ness in Scotland. It is commonly compared to lake monsters like Ogopogo and Champ. The public's interest for Nessie soared in 1933 when George Spicer and his wife reported seeing it. Ever since, the monster has been vigorously searched for. The most well-known theory of just what Nessie is goes as follows: an evolution of a plesiasaurus. There are quite a few questionable, but not-to-be overlooked, pictures of claimed sightings.

Mothman

West Virginia boasts the most documented sightings of Mothman. On November 15th, 1966, two couples saw a "large white creature two glowing red eyes." Roger and Linda Scarberry and Steve and Mary Mallette told police that the creature they had seen looked like a ten foot man with bat-like wings. Reports of seeing a similar creature were documented just two days after. Some reports claimed the creature looked like a "disformed crane with red eyes." Reports of Mothman became slim after the collapse of Silver Bridge on December 15th, 1967. It is often said that sightings of Mothman are a premonition of upcoming disaster. Was Mothman connected to the collapse of Silver Bridge? 
       Ufologists believe Mothman is an alien experiment that was dropped off to Earth. Paranormal experts say its a supernatural manifestation. Cryptozoologists say its a cryptid. Could all three be true? My personal take on the subject is, I believe, reasonable:
Around the WWII era, there was a TNT plant near Silver Bridge. The company, unrestricted by modern dumping laws, tossed tons of waste into the nearby waters. Perhaps this dumping caused mutations in local animal populations?

El Chupacabra

The Chupacabra, or "goat sucker," is a cryptid that inhabits parts of the United States, Mexico, and Puerto Rico. The creature's physical appearnace varies from report to report. Some say its looks like a small bear with spikes from neck to the base of the tail. Others, however, say its a very small but heavy creature that resembles a dog.
In 2007, Phylis Cannon discovered three odd looking bodies of animals, in Cuero, Texas. She and her neighbors froze the carcasses, later sending them to labs for DNA testing. Scientists said it was a coyote, but it was hairless, with grey-blue skin and large fangs. DNA results identified the creature as a coyote which most likely had mange.

Cryptids are hidden animals that aren't recognized by mainstream science. There are strong eyewitness reports and evidence to suggest some cryptids may exist. No matter where you are in the world, there will always be stories and reports of alleged encounters. The real question is, do YOU think any of them are real?

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Thank you everyone!

- Dale

UFOs: Are they Real?

UFOs: Are they Real?

Unidentified flying objects, or UFOs, have reportedly been seen flying above the Earth since ancient times. Often described as cigar- or disc-shaped, there are plenty of theories as to what these crafts are. Even though studies say the majority of UFO reports are cases of false identification, there are some cases that are simply unexplainable.

Early Evidence

Some scientists and ufologists (yes, that is a word) believe ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics depict UFOs. Many other ancient cultures have both written and oral stories about strange lights and objects in the sky. Mostly put aside by mainstream science as misidentified celestial events, these accounts tell mystical tales of battles and events in the skies.

Egyptian hieroglyphics depicting what look to be UFOs 

Modern Evidence

The first highly publicized case of a UFO sighting in the United States was reported by Kenneth Arnold, who had been flying his private plane over Washington State in 1947. Arnold reported nine objects that were "shaped like saucers," giving rise to the popular term "flying saucer." This first case opened the floodgates for UFO sightings in America, as more and more people came forward with their own stories. Other widely noted incidents include the Roswell Incident in Roswell, New Mexico, the Kecksburg Incident in Kecksburg, Pennsylvania, and the Tunguska Explosion in Russia.

A signed page of Kenneth Arnold's UFO sighting report

E.T. Component

A UFO in itself does not necessarily mean it is extraterrestrial, but in today's word the term has evolved to mean just that. In popular culture, the topic has taken on a life of its own. Many movies have been made that feature ETs, including "Alien" and "War of the Worlds."

Reputable UFO Witnesses

1. Astronaut Leroy Gordon Cooper - Reported multiple UFO sightings
2. Many United States military personnel - "Foo Fighter" reports during and after World War II
3. Arizona Governor Fife Symington III - Witness of Phoenix Lights incident
4. Neil Armstrong - Reported seeing alien crafts from Apollo 11
5. United States President Jimmy Carter - widely public report of having seen a self-luminous aircraft

A picture of the Phoenix Lights incident 

So, what do YOU think? Are UFOs real? Are they manned, alien crafts? Let us know what you think through comments, or on Twitter (@SJUnusual) and Facebook (http://www.Facebook.com/SJUnusual)

Cryptid of the Day - The Maryland Goatman

Cryptid of the Day: August 14th

The Maryland Goatman

              

Part goat, part man, the Maryland Goatman is coming for you! Complete with evil-looking horns and hooves instead of feet, this mysterious cryptid bears a spooky resemblence to the Jersey Devil.  First reported (officially) in 1957, the Goatman was said to stalk areas of Forestville and Upper Marlboro, Prince George's County, Maryland. In the early 1960s, the Goatman was reportedly responsible for murdering 14 hikers (12 of them being children.) Sightings have since been documented in other states, even extending west to the pacific coast and south into Mexico.

There are numerous sources that claim to know the origin of the Maryland Goatman, however the most well-known theory involves Dr. Stephen Fletcher, a scientist working for the U.S. Department of Agricultule. Dr. Fletcher assumed responsibilty for the creature, claiming it was an experiment gone wrong. The experiment involved crossing of human and goat DNA.

The Goatman is said to favor bridges, which may lead back to old stories of trolls collecting a "tax" to cross their bridge. This legend, unfortunately, doesn't seem to have much evidence to hold up its claim. Stories and reports of this creature are probably nothing more than cases of (very) mistaken identity or a product of fear and paranoia. Even if nothing more than local lore, the story of the Maryland Goatman is still interesting enough for us paranormal and supernatural loves to check into!

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Paranormal FAQs - A Guide to Ghosts, Hauntings, and More!

While on twitter overnight, I came across an excellent article featuring FAQs for the paranormal world. For those of us who are just starting out (and believe me, at SJ Unusual we're JUST starting out), or those of us who're experienced in the field, this guide is an excellent source of information. It's from friends of mine over at Maryland-Paranormal, and they hit the nail on the head with this one.

Head over to the Maryland-Paranormal site now and let us know what you think!

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Cryptid of the Day

Cryptid of the Day: August 13th 

Mokele Mbembe 

From MokeleMbembe.com - "In the jungles of the central African countries of Congo, Cameroon, and Gabon are reports of an animal with a long neck, a long tail, and rounded shape tracks with three claws. The closest known animal that has these characteristics is a sauropod dinosaur. When some of the local people of the Likouala region would draw in the dirt or sand a representation of Mokele-mbembe, they drew the shape of a sauropod dinosaur. When shown a picture of a sauropod dinosaur they said that picture is Mokele-mbembe. Mokele-mbembe means 'One that stops the flow of rivers.' French priests in the region called it 'monstrous animal.'"

Boody Mill Road

     Last night, a very unusual place in Southern New Jersey was visited by the SJU Team. Following a thunderstorm and evening full of rain, we set out around midnight to our destination, Boody Mill Road.

     The story behind the Boody Mill Road haunt is told as so: Back in 1992, stood a house on the now-flattened property. A husband, wife, and kids (unsure of how many) inhabited the home. The husband and wife got into a severe fight in which the wife decided to leave the husband and the kids behind. This eventually drove him to the point of insanity. One night while the kids were sleeping, he torched the home with them inside. He left the house to sit in his truck. Watching the home burn, he put a gun to his head and pulled the trigger to claim his own life.

     Boody Mill Road is an isolated road right off of Route 45 in Mantua, NJ. As you enter the road, it looks to be of the norm. Nothing odd about it whatsoever. But when you continue your trek further, you feel like you’re on a roller coaster ride! Miscellaneous twists, turns, drops all lead to a sudden stop in the asphalt. This is where the gravel begins. About two-tenths of a mile ahead, you’ll see a waste management plant off to your right. Just a few feet further until you come across the home’s foundation on the same side of the road.

     I had previous been to Boody Mill three times prior. Two without knowing where the house was, and making two eerie discoveries on the third visit. The last time I was there was with a friend of mine who
lives in the Mullica Hill area. It was nighttime and I drove my Jeep back there. She directed me to the same spot as I was previously; where the gravel road opens up into a panoramic view of nothing but field. With my spot lights on, I saw three shiny objects randomly placed on the road in front of me. I walked towards them only to discover they were three VERY old 35mm cameras. I signaled to my friend who was a photographer. She was just as curious as I was about these very old cameras. We fiddled around with them, trying to pull out the film. We couldn’t figure it out. She had requested that we just bring the whole camera back with us, so she could have them developed the next time. After a moment of thinking, I realized that I didn’t want to see what was on the film. I wasn’t prepared to see something I didn’t want to.

     “I’ll just pick them up tomorrow morning before work and develop them there.” She said.

     We strategically placed the cameras in a tall batch of grass not visible to the naked eye. I ventured over to a tall mound of dirt to relieve myself before the journey home. When I was finished, I slowly looked up from to make out the driveway and foundation of a home that once stood. A few moments later, I heard two foot steps coming from the direction I was looking. Without hesitation, I about-faced, sprinted to my truck, and left. I woke up the next morning with a textmessage that read:

     “It’s 7am and the cameras aren’t here. This is impossible.”

     The SJU Team and I reached our destination around 12:30am. As we pulled up, the rain we were just driving through, ceased. We exited the vehicle and observed our surroundings. I was the only one who had
been there previously. I pointed to the same large mound I once stood and told the others, “That’s our entrance.”

The photo above shows a shoe we found near the dirt mound entrance

     With me, I had the brightest LED flashlight I've ever owned. Immediately I pointed out four spots of interest. We took the path up to spot number one, the house. All that was left was the A-frame peak of the
house and some rubble left inside. We snapped a few photographs but didn’t enter. Exposed through the remaining wood were nails, and the remains itself were not sturdy. They looked as if they would collapse
any moment!

     We ventured onward to spot number two, the little house/shed. More of this structure was standing as it seems it was less affected by the blaze. However, inside was nothing of interest (that we could find).
Again, we snapped a few photos and continued.

     The third spot looked to be a garage. As the team and I approached the garage, we suddenly came to a halt thirty feet from it. There was an overwhelming amount of spiders guarding the structure, and we
didn’t want any part of that! We have some pretty bad cases of arachnaphobia!

     The last structure on the property was identified as the cap to the back of the truck (where the man apparently shot himself). There was no truck just the cap. We lightly examined it but didn’t find anything
significant. What a bummer!

     We went back to my car to do some further research. All of us, simultaneously doing web searches, looked for a ritual or position we could sit in to make something happen. Finally, a web search revealed
that we must sit in the car with the rear against the cornfield, directly looking at the home’s entrance. We waited and waited. What we all noticed was that the combination of moon-lit light in the opening behind the home and the slight movement of the branches made a flickering effect from where we watched. This could have given the illusion of a television set on or perhaps a burning building in the distance. Either way, we felt watched the entire time and had the feeling of uneasiness up until the moment we reach the asphalt again, and made that right off Boody Mill Road. Would we go back? Absolutely.
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- John

Purgatory House

Purgatory House - Research Report

Located in Southampton Township, Burlington County, NJ, near Route 70, lies a "haunted" attraction locals have dubbed the "Purgatory House." The house is actually on Purgatory Road. I heard about it for the first time from a few friends, a couple on our current team, who had been on a ghost hunt to the location. I became very intrigured by their accounts, and did some research into the subject. After reading numerous blogs and watching a few videos, I wanted to write a comprehensive "research report" on the case. This post documents what I found...

I haven't found found a reason as to why the road is called "Purgatory" Road, but what I read from other bloggers states:
a) Purgatory has something to do with the rivers and ravines near the road
b) Obviously, the word's most well-known definition: The midpoint between Heaven and Hell

       Honestly, this is one of the biggest concerns I have. Why is it called Purgatory? As far as I can tell, nobody knows for absolute certain. I've read a lot of different reports on the house, and people's accounts of the history of the house is varied. The neighbor says, "there's no house and no ghosts," while many others says the complete opposite, reporting that there is indeed a very haunted house there. A deteriorating old farm house abandonded apparently back in the 1940s-50s, it's three stories tall with busted out windows and covered in graffiti.

       An eyewitness mentioned that some of the graffiti read, "God please bless this house." It sounds like someone is trying to keep someone (or something) else out. But what? What the hell happened in this house? I read an account that a man who owned the house brutally murdered his family with an axe. What could have caused him to do that? Is this a case of a cold-blooded killer, or did the house get the best of the man and his family?

       There's a common factor in many accounts and I was happy when I came across a name: Alacon. Apparently, a young girl named Maria Alacon, 17-18, got into a car crash near the intersection of Route 541 and Church Road. She reportely lived in the house. She was gruesomely decapitated in the accident. This story was seemingly validated by a Sandy **********, who wrote on a topix.com forum, "I knew both of them and the house[.] it was haunted[,] I grew up around there." Some say a girl still lives on the property. Could this be Maria? Her mother, being very religious, felt the evil in the house and abandoned it soon after the accident. Some say the kitchen floor shakes from the captured anguish and anger in the house.

       The Purgatory House still attracts people today. Partying teenagers, burglars, and satanic cults have all polluted, but also added to, the eerie feel of the house. There are still unanswered questions for me: Why is this particular house so evil-sounding? And what evil drove the Alacons out of that house?

       South Jersey Unusual is planning to further investigate the Purgatory House, and attempt to answer unsolved mysteries. We are eager to check it out, and will share our results with everyone as soon as we get them!

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- Dale

Shadow-like Figure?

Investigation Log #2

Undisclosed building, Franklinville, Gloucester County, NJ

Our second investigation was definitely not planned to the extent it should have been, but is worthy of a mention. A few of us, gathered around my bedroom, wanted to check out an old, seemingly forgetton building in Gloucester County, NJ. We grabbed some equipment and quickly took to the road, anxious to finally check out the place we had all driven by so many times. We parked at a friends house only a few hundred yards up the road and marched towards our destination.

After gaining access to the inner part of the structure, and realizing they had recently done some sort of small renovation, the team walked throughout the entire first floor, taking pictures and EVP recordings. After an uneventful two hours, we left the building. Upon leaving, while our last team member was still inside, the outside light above our exit suddenly switched off, leaving my poor comrade running out of the place with his tail between his legs. Only one picture showed anything even worth mentioning here:

The picture above shows what a couple team members thought to be a shadow-like figure standing just in front of a large board down the hall. Most likely a product of pesky light-blockage. 

Nobody had seen anything while inside, and the only sounds were those of the footsteps we were creating and the occasional creak of an older foundation. Nobody had felt anything either, and for the most part, this location was taken off of our places of interest list.
Haunted? Probably not.

An Eyewitness Account -The Purgatory House

Good morning everyone! As I was brainstorming last night about a decent post, this story came to mind, because I still remember the feelings I got as I listened to the chilling account of this location. I wanted to share it with you, and hopefully hear some stories of yours!

    I was talking to one of the new delivery drivers  at work and he told me some pretty interesting paranomal stories. I brought up a story about how my friends and I were checking out a  closed-down school that was said to be "haunted,"  and he seemed interested in the topic. He had a story of his own to tell, and this is coming from his point of view:

    "About two years ago my buddies called me at work and somehow talked me into checking out this 'supernatural' road (Purgatory Road) just past Marlton, in Burlington County, New Jersey. It was a sunday, and I was planning on going after work at about 6 PM. Then my boss tells me i have to close, so I didn't get out until close to 11:30. I called my friends and tell them that we have to reschedule for tomorrow. The next day, we all met up my house around 10:30 and drove out to the location, which is 45 minutes from where I live. There were two cars, both filled, so we had about 8 people going. We stopped at Wawa to grab a bite to eat, and the woman working there was confused. She must have been wondering, "Why are there eight kids in Wawa at almost midnight in a slow-paced town?" We explained to her that we were going to check out an old, desolate road named "Purgatory Road." She stopped everything she was doing and looked at us with a frightened face and asked us not to go there. She knew exactly which road we were talking about, and told us that she had been there a few times. She had enough bad experiences to make her stay far away from the road. We told her we came a far way to see this place and are set on doing so. Suprisingly, she simply made us promise to not enter the a certain house along the road. We agreed and left.

 "As we approached the road, two cops passed, and we noticed one was turning around. I guess it was because not many people travel down that road at that time of night. So, we both pull over and the cop pulled up behind us. He walked up to the car, realized what we were up to and told us not to go there because a woman in her early twenties had been found dead there that morning. We agreed, and drove back up the road until the cop left. Quickly, we turned around to go back to the road, and immediately you can tell it was old and barren. Two miles, all we could see was an old iron fence. It was pretty long, so we parked at the end of the fence, right in front of a very, very long driveway. The grass was high, and the property looked like it was from the eighteen-hundreds. We knew we had the right place. Everyone got out of the car, and I turned on my LED head lamp to lead the way for my seven fellow explorers. After about 3 minutes of walking down the driveway, I turned around to tell my friends that this driveway was so long that we wouldn't be able to hear anyone pull up, and to ask if anyone knew how far away the house was."

     "They were all looking above my head, with a zombie-like expression on each of their faces. I turned around to see what I was missing, and a three-story, really spooky-looking house isn't even five feet in front of us. Everyone was pretty freaked out by how creepy this place was, and some wanted to go back. It took about twenty minutes to convince them to even walk around the place. The house was creepy as hell, graffiti all over the first floor. You could just tell that it was abandoned. We all wound up walking around the outside of the house. A few of us just wanted to take a peek inside, but somehow we all managed to actually go in. The first room was basically a kitchen, and you could see down the hall. There were holes in the floor and ceiling of the hallway; you could see the basement and part of the second floor. Four of us, including me, decided we were going to wait outside while the other four checked it out. We were all outside, standing back to back so we would know if anything was approaching us. I heard a loud, inhale-like sound coming from the top of the house and was really freaked out. The other four came out of the house, and we all figured it was time to get out of there. We ran out to the cars and hopped in them."

"On the way home, we stopped at Wawa once again to get food. You could hear everyone talking about the shit that they saw. The lady we spoke to earlier in the night asked us how it went. We responded with some really interesting stories and talked for a bit. She asked us, 'Did you actually go into the house?' We told her some made-up reason as to why we didn't go in and left. Everybody went home. I was a little creeped out by the stuff I had seen and heard. The next morning, at about 9 am, my friend called me. She sounded panicked, and repeatedly asked me to come over immediately. I thought it must be something serious and important, and agreed to take a trip to her house. When i got there, we talked about what the cop had said to us the night before about a stabbing. It turns out that woman was one of her friends from work, and that she had been found in the front yard of the house. She went there a few nights before we did with her friends and didn't want to be inside anymore. She went outside to get away from the group and whatever is in that place,  and I believe she was indeed the girl the cop told us about. I was so shocked, thinking that if we had gone only a day earlier, I would have been leading the pack that night, and any of us could've been stabbed out there."

     He told me he would never go back there, even though he's a big paranormal enthusiast. He had "never been so scared in his life."

     I hope that I can somehow talk him into going there one more time so we can perform an investigation there.

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                                                                             - Dan

Haunted Railroad Tracks

Investigation log #1

Railroad Tracks, Richland, Atlantic County, New Jersey - Haunted?

Our investigations, or adventures as some may prefer, started a few weeks before this post. A buddy of mine had come over, and we wanted to do something different. After expressing an interest in the paranormal, we decided to head out in his truck and go to a few locations that some believe to be "haunted." 

After our first few stops were blocked off by fences or cement blocks, I told my friend stories I had heard about a certain stretch of railroad tracks in Atlantic County, from a little boy throwing a baseball at you to a horrible murder/suicide that took place in the area. We decided to give it a shot, and try to decide for ourselves if anything was "unusual" on the tracks. 

When we got to the tracks, we pulled off the road into a patch of grass. It was almost midnight by this point, and the roads were completely dark with the exception of two street lights spaced a few hundred feet apart. The tracks cut diagonally across the road, leading into the woods in one direction and back to town in the other. Walking down the dark tracks, I began to take pictures every so often. I would come to a complete stop and use flash. Two of these pictures, below, are the only two that offered any unusual results: 

The photo above shows what appears to be a bright, long mark; most likely some sort of flash reflection.

The photo above again shows an usual bright trail; most likely some sort of flash reflection.

After walking for about 45 minutes, we decided to turn back. After discussing the event, neither of us had seen, heard, or felt anything to give us the feeling the place wasn't as it seemed. Feeling kind of defeated, we headed home, already planning our next trips.

Haunted? Not likely.

Introduction

Welcome! 

Throughout this blog, I will document the findings of my paranormal adventures, based out of southern New Jersey. I hope you'll find it interesting, and come back to visit to view the newest posts! 

My local team is based out of southern New Jersey, and include myself and close friends. Through our adventures and investigations, we hope to uncover both truth and mystery, and keep the paranormal field alive and well.