Cryptid Vault
Pressie

Pressie

Also known as: Lake Superior Monster, Mishipeshu

The largest Great Lake may harbor the largest Great Lake monster, a creature linked to Ojibwe legends of the underwater panther.

First Reported

Ojibwe oral tradition (ancient), modern reports from 1800s

Origin Area

Lake Superior, U.S.-Canada border

Size

30-75 feet long (modern estimates)

Temperament

Powerful, associated with storms

Status

Occasional sightings from boaters and fishermen

Eyewitness reportsUnknown DangerNorth AmericaLake

The Lore

Pressie is the informal name for a large aquatic creature reported in Lake Superior, the largest freshwater lake by surface area in the world. Ojibwe tradition describes Mishipeshu, a powerful underwater panther or serpent that controls the lake's storms and currents. Modern sightings describe a long, dark creature with a serpentine body moving through the water at considerable speed. Lake Superior is up to 1,332 feet deep and cold enough year-round to preserve almost anything that sinks into it. The lake's immense size and depth make it one of the more plausible settings for a large undiscovered animal.

Body Type

SerpentineAquatic

Folklore Origin

Indigenous traditionModern urban legend

Similar Real Animals

Lake sturgeonGreenland shark