Creature Feature Friday: Ningen
The Ningen may be one of the oddest cryptids you’ve never seen…
Alleged Ningen photograph.
1) The Ningen is a water cryptid that was first sighted by Japanese fishermen and research vessels around the Antarctic. At first, those aboard the ship believed they saw a foreign submarine on the horizon, but upon approaching realized they were looking at a living creature, until it disappeared under the surface. The Ningen has since been spotted in the oceans of Antarctica and southern Asia, both above and below the waters. There have also been some sightings in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, but the mysterious sea creature seems to thrive the most in frigid water temperatures. In the Japanese language, Ningen means “human.”
2) The Ningen is allegedly enormous in size and humanoid in shape, reaching lengths of up to 98 feet long! The upper body of the Ningen vaguely resembles a human with a rounded head and long arms, sometimes reported to have five distinct fingers at the end of them. The lower half of the Ningen is disputed, with some eyewitnesses claiming it has two hind legs (and can walk on land) and others believing it has a mermaid-like tail. Along with its huge size, the Ningen has distinctive blubbery white skin, two large eyes, and a slit-like mouth - but no other facial features.
Ningen sighting on Google Maps.
3) The Ningen is a relatively "new" cryptid, with sightings gaining popularity at the turn of the 21st century, a peculiar fact considering how many centuries people have been sailing the seas. Even in the last few decades, very little information has ever surfaced about the creature. Many Ningen sightings to date have primarily occurred at night or underneath the ocean water, making identification and collection of photographic evidence a very difficult feat. The Japanese publication MU Magazine published an alleged Ningen photo around 2007, which is said to have been captured on Google Maps off the coast of Namibia. It joins the small and questionable collection of Ningen photos available on the internet.
Image claimed to be from a video of the Ningen.
4) There are (unsubstantiated) reports that the researchers and fishermen aboard the vessel that first caught sight of the Ningen actually extensively documented the encounter with visual evidence, but the Japanese government prevented it from being released. Rumors persist that they monitor the internet for pictures of the Ningen, attempting to remove any that may prove its existence. Some theorize that the Japanese government covers up the Ningen because the creature either possesses a powerful compound that can be used for healing, or a toxin that they want to weaponize.
5) There are a number of possible explanations as to what the Ningen might really be, including melting icebergs or submerged pieces of ice; whale carcasses or misidentification of a known whale species, such as the beluga whale; an undiscovered species of ape that is capable of breathing underwater; an albino ray; and of course, just a plain old hoax.
Do you believe the Ningen could be a real live cryptid, or is it a legendary figure of modern folklore? Share a comment below!
