Uploaded December 2021 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
The wildest cryptid hoaxes of all time — from historical examples to the internet age. Some of these fake monsters shocked the public, while others never fooled anyone...
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Lyle Zapato Website: cafepress.com/zapatopi/7689324
Lyle Zapato Twitter: twitter.com/LyleZapato
While working as the Archivist of my collection of curiosities, I’ve researched a lot of cryptids. Famous monsters like Bigfoot and the Yeti, but also lesser-known creatures like the Sheepsquatch and the Loveland Frogman
I have to admit that a lot of the evidence for such creatures — as amazing as they are — can be somewhat questionable. Indeed, there’s a long and hilarious history of people trying and failing to fake the existence of cryptids to the masses. So today, I’ll be unveiling some of the greatest historical cryptid hoaxes.
So, let’s shine a light on these stories…
0:00 Greatest Cryptid Hoaxes
1:00 Nantucket Sea Serpent
2:13 Feejee Mermaid
3:32 Loch Ness Monster (Surgeon's Photo)
4:57 Cardiff Giant
6:23 Cottingley Fairies
7:36 Piltdown Man
9:15 Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus
10:13 Outro
Academic Sources:
Nantucket Sea Serpent - John Campopiano: pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/nantucket-sea-monster
The Feejee Mermaid - Jessie Szalay: livescience.com/56037-feejee-mermaid.html
Loch Ness Monster - Samantha Drake: washingtonpost.com/history/2023/08/21/loch-ness-monster-photos-scotland-hugh-gray
Cardiff Giant - Evan Andrews: history.com/news/the-cardiff-giant-fools-the-nation-145-years-ago
Cottingley Fairies - Hazel Gaynor: time.com/4876824/cottingley-fairies-book
Piltdown Man - NHM: nhm.ac.uk/our-science/services/library/collections/piltdown-man.html
Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus Guide: loc.gov/item/lcwaN0010826
Copyright Disclaimer: Under section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education, and research. All video/image content is edited under fair use rights for reasons of commentary and social satire.
I do not own the images, music, or footage used in this video. All rights and credit goes to the original owners.
♫ Beauty Flow by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0
♫ Music credit to Hooksounds ♫
#CuriousArchive #Cryptids #Mystery
The wildest cryptid hoaxes of all time — from historical examples to the internet age. Some of these fake monsters shocked the public, while others never fooled anyone...
---
Lyle Zapato Website: cafepress.com/zapatopi/7689324
Lyle Zapato Twitter: twitter.com/LyleZapato
While working as the Archivist of my collection of curiosities, I’ve researched a lot of cryptids. Famous monsters like Bigfoot and the Yeti, but also lesser-known creatures like the Sheepsquatch and the Loveland Frogman
I have to admit that a lot of the evidence for such creatures — as amazing as they are — can be somewhat questionable. Indeed, there’s a long and hilarious history of people trying and failing to fake the existence of cryptids to the masses. So today, I’ll be unveiling some of the greatest historical cryptid hoaxes.
So, let’s shine a light on these stories…
0:00 Greatest Cryptid Hoaxes
1:00 Nantucket Sea Serpent
2:13 Feejee Mermaid
3:32 Loch Ness Monster (Surgeon's Photo)
4:57 Cardiff Giant
6:23 Cottingley Fairies
7:36 Piltdown Man
9:15 Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus
10:13 Outro
Academic Sources:
Nantucket Sea Serpent - John Campopiano: pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/nantucket-sea-monster
The Feejee Mermaid - Jessie Szalay: livescience.com/56037-feejee-mermaid.html
Loch Ness Monster - Samantha Drake: washingtonpost.com/history/2023/08/21/loch-ness-monster-photos-scotland-hugh-gray
Cardiff Giant - Evan Andrews: history.com/news/the-cardiff-giant-fools-the-nation-145-years-ago
Cottingley Fairies - Hazel Gaynor: time.com/4876824/cottingley-fairies-book
Piltdown Man - NHM: nhm.ac.uk/our-science/services/library/collections/piltdown-man.html
Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus Guide: loc.gov/item/lcwaN0010826
Copyright Disclaimer: Under section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education, and research. All video/image content is edited under fair use rights for reasons of commentary and social satire.
I do not own the images, music, or footage used in this video. All rights and credit goes to the original owners.
♫ Beauty Flow by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0
♫ Music credit to Hooksounds ♫
#CuriousArchive #Cryptids #Mystery
