Matching 50 mythical creatures with each of the 50 states

Maryland: Chessie

Much like West Virginia had their own monster of American folklore, so too does Maryland. However, unlike their creature that flies, for the people of Maryland, their monster is all about the water.

Perhaps to the Loch Ness Monster, Chessie is the sea monster of the Chesapeake Bay. With sightings of Chessie going back to 1936 when a military helicopter reported seeing an unknown reptilian creature in the waters of the Bay, this is one mythical creature that has gotten around. Much like the elusive Mothman of West Virginia, there have been multiple sightings of Chessie over the years, with many people sharing what they saw in the waters.

In 1982, there was even a video made of a creature in the waters, and it seemed to help cement the legend that is Chessie. Over the years, this creature has become an icon of the environment, even going so far as to be used by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to promote youth conservation efforts in the area.

Honestly, Chessie might be one of the only monsters on this list to actually be real, because even the U.S. Geological Survey biologists have apparently confirmed sightings of this creature. With so much “proof” to back up the existence of this sea-dwelling creature, it just makes sense for us to believe that there really is a sea monster named Chessie swimming around in the Chesapeake Bay area.

Whether Chessie is real or not, it just makes sense for this sea monster to represent the state of Maryland, after all, it already does!