Colossal Squid
Likely the most infamous story told by sailors on the high seas had to do with the fearsome Kraken. This was a mythical creature that usually appeared near the coast of Norway. Many feel the story was embellished by Vikings that was held as fact in order to protect one of their most notable homelands. It helped as the Kraken story was told from the 17th to 18th Century. Francesco Negri referenced it in 1700 and the Dano-Norwegian missionary/explorer Hans Egede described it in detail and equated it to an Icelantic sea monster from medieval times. Perhaps no one is more synonymous with the Kraken than Pontoppidan, a Norweigan Bishop.
In 1753, he described it as a giant octopus and claimed it had taken down several ships. Then Frenchman Denys-Montfort in the 19th Century started to pioneer the idea of gigantic octopuses existing. Noted novelists like Victor Hugo and Jules Verne even referenced it. However, we all thought it was just a myth. That was until we found out the colossal squid actually does exist. They reach up to a little over 1,000lbs on average but can get up to 1,500lbs. The length can be pretty extreme, with the largest versions reaching 33 to 46 feet! These squids remain some of the mysterious animals in the ocean and are very rare to come across.