Fantastic Sea Monsters

Exhibition for rent

Whether they are fearsome fantastical creatures or astonishing real-life animals, humans have always been fascinated by the “monsters” of the oceans, lakes, and rivers.

Even in the Bible, Jonah was swallowed by a big fish and the Leviathan terrorized sailors and captured the imagination of land dwellers.

For ages, sailors were convinced that the ocean—the realm of the Devil—was home to terrifying beasts that destroyed ships and craved human flesh: krakens, mermaids, whales, sea serpents, giant sharks...

During an era where the natural sciences were still in their infancy, naturalists of Antiquity and then of the Renaissance marveled at these gigantic, frightening, and bizarre animals. Over the centuries, myths, mystifications, and realities became intertwined, arousing interest and curiosity.