“Raising a sort of horned head much larger than the girth of its neck 12 feet above the
shimmering waters off Smith’s Point as the fog lifted at 9:30 Sunday morning a sea monster
about 120 feet in length was recognized ¾ of a mile at sea by Gilbert Manter prominent business
man here.”
This report, which appeared in the Atlantic edition of the Christian Science Monitor, might not at
first appear a hoax. But a hoax – or rather a publicity stunt – is exactly what it was.
The reported sea monster sighting that August 7th was in fact part of an elaborate scheme
dreamt up by Nantucket summer resident Tony Sarg and perpetrated with the help of several
local residents.
Sarg, a noted artist, puppeteer and designer of the huge helium filled balloons that are the
centerpiece of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade had created a dragon balloon for the 1937
parade. Calculating that its “discovery” on a beach at Nantucket would be great publicity both
for the island and the balloon, Sarg arranged for a sighting by Bill Manville. A subsequent
sighting and the discovery of footprints on Madaket Beach by Ed Crocker and Gilbert Manter
one week later was meant to provide confirmation and build up the hype.
Amazingly, the stunt had the full cooperation of the Macy’s organization, which asked only that
their name be kept out of it. Also complicit were several off island newspapers and the Pathé
Newsreel Company.
When the news leaked out on the 18th, the dragon was inflated on Coatue where it could plainly
be seen from the harbor. The following day the monster balloon was inflated again on South
Beach where it was visited by many residents and photographed with its creator.