Photos from the past showing a shadowy creature. What is believed to be Ray captured in older photos shows a dark figure just below the surface.
A dark figure is seen just under the suface behind and to the right of the old boat
all images are protected by US Copyright and Trademark Laws
As many of you know, Raystown Ray was featured on the SYFY Channel “Fact or Faked – Paranormal Files.”
The segment included eye witnesses, experiments, sonar run and a diving search. The conclusion of the investigation – “There’s something in the lake but it’s unexplained.”
Link to SYFY Rewind – FOF:Paranormal Files:
Raystown Ray appeared on WITF’s television production of “Explore PA,” the PBS affiliate station in Harrisburg, PA.
“XPA” is an action packed road trip filled with adventure, history and fun. Explore PA is a playful and educational travel series featuring real life Pennsylvanians as they discover hidden treasures in their own backyards.
Statewide distribution of “PA Outdoor Adventure:Lake Raystown” is planned with additional PBS stations. Watch for local listings.
I actually thought Raystown Ray was a cute story but nothing more. Now I’m not so sure. My wife and I were camping in Senoia. We went for a walk up the hill to scout other sites for later in the summer. I was checking out the lake when I saw a disturbance in the water heading toward the marina. It was long and like no other fish I have ever seen. I was too far away for a picture. Lots of room for doubt here for anyone reading this. But it creates a space for adventure while I keep an eye out on all my subsequent visits.
On August 29, 2009, I was fishing from a boat with my son on Raystown Lake, Pa. It was around 6:45 pm and we were making our way back to the landing. We were near the Snydertown portion of the lake where there is a point of land.
As we were heading south, I looked toward the west shore after my son started to point at something. I really have NO idea what this thing was but it looked like a large, thick black snake with a huge head that bobbed in and out of the water. I moved a little bit closer but my son was getting scared, so I cut the motor and looked through my binoculars. The body was moving in coils or humps up and down in the water. The creature had no fins like a fish and the head was diamond shaped. The weirdest feature was that the eyes (which were dark, somewhat small and slanted) were not set on the side of the head…but placed forward. I got an excellent look through the binoculars (I’d say it was about 50 yards from us) when it raised up, it’s head moved side to side. It made no sound. I’d say it was at least 20 feet long.
I have lived in Altoona, Pa for only a few years and this is only the second time I have fished this lake. I’m from Wisconsin and have fished many large lakes and rivers but I have never seen anything this big.
We watched for about 2-3 minutes until it slipped under the surface. My son’s description was very similar to mine but he said he noticed lighter colored ‘whiskers’ or rays on the chin and face while looking through the binoculars. I had tried to take a photo with my cell phone but it just blended in with the water and was not discernible.
My son found an image on the internet that closely resembled what we witnessed (attached). This is nuts! My friends think we saw a large fish or mammal, but there is no way it’s either. Please give me some guidance or resources to help identify this. I am skeptical of monsters, ghosts, ufo’s, etc. and don’t buy into much of what people describe on TV. But, now that I have seen something that I can’t explain….let’s say I’m confused and frustrated.” Thanks…Bill