Montauk Monster Pictures Show Raccoon, Dog, Turtle... What?

Exactly What is the Monster of Montauk?

No one seems to be disputing that some strange creature washed ashore on Montauk in early July. But not many agree on what it might be. Since the pictures surfaced on Tuesday, July 29, and were disseminated worldwide via Gawker.com and other outlets, the Montauk Monster has undergone intense scrutiny and even more intense speculation as to what it might actually be. Jeff Corwin, wildlife expert on Animal Planet, told Fox News that the Montauk Monster was actually an "incredibly rare raccoon." Fox News also reported that a member of animal control at East Hampton Department of Environmental Analysis told New York magazine that it was a raccoon.

Is The Montauk Monster A Raccoon?

There are now several sets of witnesses claiming to have seen the Montauk Monster aside from Alanna Nevitski, who took the original photo. Three young ladies appeared on New York local channel Plum TV and shared a second picture of the 'Monster' with the world. Rachel Goldberg, Jenna Hewitt, and Courtney Fruin were a bit evasive when talking about the creature, but did say that the Montauk Monster had originally been brought ashore by a surfer friend of theirs who had not wanted to run into its floating body while surfing. The surfer himself then appeared -- with a bag of what appeared to be bones -- on television, stating that he was going to have them studied by a scientist.

To add spice to the story, Alanna Nevitski is saying in interviews that the three girls and the surfer are full of what creatures are generally full of and that they had nothing to do with the picture. It has also been suggested that the trio of discoverers photoshopped the picture they presented. They of course deny any tampering with the photo.

So... Is The Montauk Monster A Raccoon?