Paddler

The Paddler is a lake cryptid said to inhabit Lake Pend Oreille in Idaho, often described as a long, dark creature that propels itself just beneath the surface with visible undulating movements, like an oversized otter or eel. Sightings date back to World War II when naval engineers testing submarines in the lake reported strange sonar contacts and unexpected wakes. Some stories mention small boats being rocked by unseen forces, or silhouettes passing under clear water too large to belong to known fish. Skeptics suggest misidentified sturgeon or wave patterns created by crossing boat wakes. Still, the Paddler lingers in local lore as Idaho’s own elusive lake giant, merging human technology’s probing with nature’s stubborn mysteries.