The Sea Monster is a well-known and hotly debated myth in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.
GTA Vice City
The Sea Monster is a prominent myth in GTA Vice City. It has been widely rumored since the release of the game. Players claim to have witnessed a strange creature in the waters of Vice City. The uproar began when a rumor started close to 2008 after Saints Row 2's release, sightings of a strange creature similar to a Plesiosaur were reported on online forums. Reports claim that the creature will flip over the player's boat, killing or drowning the player. Users have also reported sightings of the monster under the Prawn Island Bridge, Washington Beach Bridge and near the Lighthouse in Vice City. The monster has also been sighted in the Vice City River and Leaf Links. Attempts have been made to locate textures or models of the large sea creature in the game's internal files, but all have turned out inconclusive. That dropped a bombshell on the credibility of the myth. Investigators toil to uncover the truth, even years after the release of the game, but this myth still remains a mystery. The monster is also thought to exist/originate from the Abyssal Ocean.
Notable Sightings
Late 2002
One of the earliest sightings to emerge was on the Neoseeker discussion board. It was posted by jb339, a gamer in late 2002. The post was published under the name Hoax or Horror. It features a personal encounter with an unexplained force in the waters, near the Lighthouse:
The following is from yours truly, and is not designed for spam or for a rarity in GTA Vice City, that's for YOU to find out.
| “ | "I recall a night on Ocean Beach, off the coast of the lighthouse. I had been out on the sea for hours celebrating my victory. My victory over the town and my new empire for now I was no longer a two-bit hitman, but a king among men. During my lofty recount, I noticed a thick fog had rolled in from the east. I then decided to return to the mainland and my hideout. When among the waters, a ripple, no, a strong wave rocked my boat and a lightning thundered in the air. I regathered myself, wondering what thing was strong enough to rock my Rio. BOOM, lightning filled the sky, rain fell from the heavens, and I was left on my boat with my M4. Another ripple appeared among the waters, stronger, faster. I had no choice but to gas up the boat and escape to the shore. I speeded quickly, but blindly for the fog hid everything from me. My heart thundering in my chest while IT pounded my boat. I decided then and there that I was no coward, and unleashed wave and wave of M4 rounds on it. Bullets everything had calmed, I broke out a smile, and the fog cleared a ray of moonlight, once again I celebrated my victory. But today not anymore, for IT attacked with, a vengeful growl, and all its strength in a single flash. But my friends, fear more, for I had not drowned, but I died from my head being swept off clean... |
” |
| -jb339, former Neoseeker user. | ||
Early 2004
Several other sightings were reported by Wikia user Xalbadar Gliese 581C (Ali Rocky), an active myth hunter. He claims certain flipping of the boat, by an unidentified force, believed to be the Sea Monster, further claiming to have seen shadows of such a monster in the game, twice, near the Washington Bridge and at Vice Point:
| “ | In the year 2004, I didn't know how to follow the storyline back then, I used to climb on the edge of the bridge b/w Vice Point and Prawn Island, and jump of it in order to get into a boat. So, it was a sunny day when I was boating near the Vice Point Beach and something flipped my boat, it was a plesiosaur shadow, drifting past after flipping my boat. I still remember that day, when I caught another sight of the Sea Monster near the Washington Beach Bridge, although it was just a glimpse. In 2013 I mistook a a bridge shadow for a sea monster, but I admitted it. Still my sightings in 2004, as I remember was not just a shadow, they were accurate figures of Plesiosaurs. | ” |
| -Xalbador Gilese 581C (Ali Rocky), GTA Myths Wiki. | ||
Red-Orb Sighting
A lesser-known, user named keir.pillow.5, posted his personal experience with a monster, claiming to have seen further anatomy of the monster, including red-orb eyes:
| “ | They say the myth is false, because they couldn't see it. But I just flew the sea plane to the most south-eastern part of the map and it turned upside down then I got out and the plane proceeded to sway violently side to side until I fell off and I saw two red orbs when the screen turned white. | ” |
| -Keir.pillow.5, GTA Myths Wiki. | ||
Explanation
Underwater Sightings
Legitimate first-hand encounters with the Sea Monster have become increasingly sparse as many players have mistakenly identified dark underwater textures under bridges as the creature. Myth Hunters have termed these dark recesses of the under-water world, the Monster’s Pit.
Epipelagic Zone (Surface Level Sightings)
Similar to the Loch Ness Monster, copious amount of sightings are reported to be on the uppermost layer of the ocean. According to a theory, the monster at rare occasions tends to peek it's humps/head out of the ocean for a quick span of time. However, the monster isn't demonstrated to exist with respect to the phenomenon but most of the sightings are none less than authentic. The games' draw distance, casts a pitch-black shadow over the rocks in the ocean, leaving the players to consider the rocky figure as a monster, in addition to this, these rocks have certain spikes, absolutely resembling the monsters' humps.
Stormy Weather Sightings (Boat Flipping)
Notable sightings/encounters include flipping of boats, mostly during abnormal weather states. A technical explanation is applicable that Vice City is mostly occupied by precautionary hurricanes, causing the wave pressure to flip the boats at a furious speed. While, this phenomenon is hard to come across, a certain glitch enables the waves to act abnormal even at daytime, while, players ponder about the existence of the Sea Monster. Reports of spotting a shadow during this phenomenon is merely because of the fact that the waves in Vice City can reflect black textures resulting in a sea monster sighting.
Red-Orb Sighting
Over the years, a peculiar sighting has emerged, namely; the red orb sighting. Players have spoke out about the nature of this sighting, stating that whenever a helicopter or aero-vehicle crashes into the ocean, they sight a pair of red orbs before fainting/passing out. This has to do with the red navigation lights around the ocean, that one may mistake for red-orbs while passing out.
Shipwrecks
Numerous Players have theorized a correlation between the Monster and the Shipwrecks, the Chartered Libertine Lines Shipwrecks were speculated to be inhabited by the Sea Monster. Some of the claims included spotting the Monster in the wrecks. However, internal file search discarded these claims and it was technically concluded that the Chartered Libertine Line Shipwrecks are entirely hollow and doesn't feature any concealed species of Sea Monsters.
Video Investigation
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