Tradition: Australian Mythology
Alternative Names: Chelosauria lovelli, Dangerous Turtle, Monster Turtle Fish
Category: Turtle
The Myth
The Moha-Moha was a mysterious creature reportedly seen on Great Sandy Island, Queensland, on June 8, 1890, by schoolteacher Selina Lovell and several companions. Known to local people as the “dangerous turtle,” it was said to attack coastal camps and seize people by the leg.
Lovell described the creature as approximately 30 feet long, with an enormous dome-shaped, slate-grey shell, a long neck, and a tail around twelve feet long. Its head was saurian, with serrated jaws, greenish-white skin, white spots, and a very black eye. Its smooth, glossy body and unusual tail appeared so different that Lovell felt they might belong to two separate animals. She watched it for about half an hour before it raised its body and tail above the water, tossed fish into the air, and disappeared into deeper water.
The account attracted public attention after its publication in Land and Water in January 1891. Naturalist William Saville-Kent subsequently named the creature Chelosauria lovelli. However, the report was met with considerable scepticism and ridicule. Later researchers questioned Lovell’s reliability, and one proposed explanation was that she had seen a turtle entangled in a fishing net, with debris creating the impression of an enormous tail. The Moha-Moha therefore remains an unverified creature of Australian folklore.
Sources
“Moha-Moha.” A Book of Creatures, May 10, 2021. https://abookofcreatures.com/2021/05/10/moha-moha/