The sea snake of "Punta della Dogana

A huge, shiny black sea snake is the terrible sight which might await those looking out to sea from Punta della Dogana, one of the most panoramic viewpoints in Venice,A huge, shiny black sea snake is the terrible sight which might await those looking out to sea from Punta della Dogana, one of the most panoramic viewpoints in Venice,below which the legendary creature lives in a dark cave. Rarely seen, the fearsome monster of the deep only ventures out on moonless nights, when the wind whips the watersinto frothy foaming waves, and it can move about without being spotted.

The last sighting of the monster dates back to the 1930s, when two fishermen – fishing for squid with the aid of a small lamp – saw the monster just a few yards from theirboat. As they recall, the monster opened its mouth so wide that it was able to swallow a seagull whole before trying to kill others and returning to the bottom of the sea.According to the fishermen, the monster’s body was at least “eight yards in length, with a diameter of circa one yard at its widest point” while its mouth was lined with“white saw-like teeth”. As it moved, the creature’s body “undulated rhythmically” while its head appeared to rest on the surface of the water. The sea snake is known as “ilmostro delle acque nere” [monster of the black waters] as a result of its propensity to appear on moonless nights when the sea is at its darkest.