Incident #991704
Salt Springs, Marion Cty, Florida
Oct 1977
Account
Rev S.L. Whatley was cutting firewood on Hugh's Island in Ocalla National Forest (a sandy hill covered with oaks and surrounded by sand pines) when he saw an erect, dark, hairy creature, like a gorilla but with a face like a man, standing knee deep in palmettos looking across its shoulder at him. He turned away and when he looked back it was gone.
When
- Observation Date
- OCT 11 1977
- Month
- Oct
- Year
- 1977
- Season
- fall
- Time of Day
- early afternoon
- Duration
- half minute
Where
- State / province
- Florida
- County
- Marion Cty
- Nearest Town
- Salt Springs
- Latitude
- 2922
- Longitude
- 8151
What was seen
- Individuals
- one large, sex unknown
- Total Individuals
- 1
- Population Status
- wild
- First Seen
- in
- Terrain Object
- bushes
- Near or/at
- road
- Tracks
- not found
Witnesses
- No. of Witnesses
- 1
- Witness(es) Sex
- Male
Setting
- Terrain
- woods
Weather and light
- Lighting
- daylight
Source
- Source
- Miami, FL, Herald, Nov. 15, 1977 and May 14, 1978 quoting Rev. S.L. Whatley, Salt Springs, FL.
Creature description
- Hair Covered
- yes
- Height
- 7-8 ft
- Posture
- erect
- No hair on
- on face
- Hair Colour
- dark
- Hair Shorter On
- arms
- Shoulders
- wide
- Nose
- no snout
- Breast
- small
- Arms
- long
- Movement
- staying still
- Later Movement
- watched observerýdisappeared
- Position when first seen
- erect
Witness
- Witness Saw with
- naked eye
- Observer Was
- work outdoors
- Closest horizontal distance
- 100 yards
- Action on sighting
- studied