The Sea Swine (a.k.a. ''Porcus Marinus'') was the name given to a variety of sea-dwelling or mythological creatures throughout history. The earliest mention of a 'sea swine' can be traced to ancient Greece. In this context, the name has been interpreted to mean '

porpoise Porpoises () are small Oceanic dolphin, dolphin-like cetaceans classified under the family Phocoenidae. Although similar in appearance to dolphins, they are more closely related to narwhals and Beluga whale, belugas than to the Oceanic dolphi ...

', as a porpoise and

pig The pig (''Sus domesticus''), also called swine (: swine) or hog, is an omnivorous, domesticated, even-toed, hoofed mammal. It is named the domestic pig when distinguishing it from other members of the genus '' Sus''. Some authorities cons ...

have similar round body shapes. However, this is disputed by some classical scholars who believe that the 'porcus' section of the name referred instead to grunts emitted from fish in question, not any physical similarities to the pig. The creatures appeared in the '' Carta marina'', and were depicted in accompanying wood carvings, as fantastical beasts with four dragon's feet and a single eye at the navel. The map placed the creatures as living in the waters south of

Iceland Iceland is a Nordic countries, Nordic island country between the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between North America and Europe. It is culturally and politically linked with Europe and is the regi ...

. Additional accounts from the 16th and 17th century delineated the sea swine from more mundane sea creatures. The animals were described as ''"headed like a Hog, toothed, and tusked like a Boar"''. The ''Sea Hogs'' were reported as travelling in packs with hundreds of individuals. However, contemporary naturalist

John Ray John Ray Fellow of the Royal Society, FRS (November 29, 1627 – January 17, 1705) was a Christian England, English Natural history, naturalist widely regarded as one of the earliest of the English parson-naturalists. Until 1670, he wrote his ...

was explicit in stating that the sea swine and porpoise were one and the same.

References

{{reflist Sea monsters