Altamaha-ha: Georgia’s River Serpent

Georgia’s Altamaha River and the coastal marshes where it meets the Atlantic have produced reports of a large serpentine creature since at least the 1830s. Known locally as Altamaha-ha or “Altie,” this American lake monster has become part of coastal Georgia folklore.

Description

Witnesses describe a creature 20 to 30 feet in length with a serpentine body and a head resembling a seal or crocodile. A ridge of bony protrusions runs along its back. The skin is typically described as gray or greenish.

The creature surfaces briefly before disappearing into the dark, tannin-stained waters. Most sightings occur in the Altamaha River itself or in the sounds and marshes of the Georgia coast.

Historical Reports

Native American traditions from the region include stories of giant serpents in local waterways. European settlers began reporting sightings in the early nineteenth century.

Lumber workers floating rafts down the Altamaha in the 1830s reported encounters with a large serpentine creature. Similar reports continued throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries from fishermen, boaters, and riverside residents.

Modern Encounters

Sightings have continued into the twenty-first century. Boat captains and fishermen have reported encounters with large creatures in the river and coastal waters. Some witnesses have captured video, though the footage remains inconclusive.

In 2018, a boat captain filmed what appeared to be a large creature moving through the water near Darien. The video received media attention but could not be definitively identified.

Assessment

Altamaha-ha represents the southeastern United States’ contribution to lake monster tradition. The dark, murky waters of the river system could conceivably harbor a large creature, and the consistent reports across nearly two centuries suggest something is being seen. Whether that something is an unknown species, misidentified known animals, or purely legendary remains undetermined.