Serpent of the Altamaha River in Darien

Near the mouth of the Altamaha River in southeastern Georgia is said to reside a hissing sea monster. Called Altamaha-ha, for the river, or “Altie” for short, the legend predates British-English colonization and is said to have originated with the Lower Muskogee Creek Tribe.

Altamaha-ha

We have all heard stories and legends of fantastic creatures from around the world. Animals like Sasquatch in the forests of North America and Canada, El Chupacabra in Mexico, and the Loch Ness monster from Scotland. Often thought to be real, many have sought out to hunt them, but no one has been able to verify any of these creatures past a blurry photograph or video. Only catching glimpses or hearing strange noises. Sightings like these have been happening for generations right here in our own back yard, in the coastal town of Darien.

There are reports of strange hissing sounds and an oddly shaped figure lurking in the waters of the Altamaha river near fort King George, in Darien. Originally established as an English outpost, Fort King George was abandoned after several years because of the unfamiliar coastal weather. In 1763 General Oglethorpe brought Scotsman from the Highlands of Scotland, who made use of the Altamaha River by establishing the area as a major shipping port.

The Altamaha river is 137 miles long, is fed by the Ocmulgee River and the Oconee River, ending in the Atlantic Ocean as it passes Darien. The Altamaha River is one of the most dominant rivers in Georgia and is also the second largest river basin in the country. For centuries, the river has provided transportation, fishing, and hunting to inhabitants of Georgia. There is, “at least 130 species of rare or endangered plants and animals, including seven species of freshwater mussels found nowhere else in the world”.