The People of Antarctica: monsters of various sizes with human-like faces that stomp across an icy wasteland and swim about in bone-chilling waters... What are the Ningen? How many kinds of these critically endangered animals are there? Are they the same? It will take a long time to explain, but we hope you grow to love these (sort of creepy) cryptids as much as we do!
Give a round of applause to this episode's featured member, BCwPA Agent T. Carter Ross! Agent Ross went out in the blistering cold to reenact the first sighting of the Bull-Headed Ningen (as taken from a field journal) and gather more information on these fascinating creatures.
See references and sources on ballyraven.com.
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CRYPTID: the Ningen, Bull-Headed Ningen, Walking Ningen
EPISODE TYPE: Case File, Sighting, Witness Account, Nature Documentary, Wildlife Footage
LOCATION: Antarctica, Pacific Ocean, Antarctic Peninsula, Ross Sea
ANIMAL TYPE: Monotreme, Mammal, Humanoid
MUSIC
Rain by Meydän is licensed under a Attribution License.
Please wake up by Meydän is licensed under a Attribution License.
NotDrunk-stem-bass by The Joy Drops is licensed under a Attribution License.
Roll Jordan Roll by The Joy Drops is licensed under a Attribution License.
Hooptie With The Windows Down by HoliznaCC0 is licensed under a CC0 1.0 Universal License.
Waves by HoliznaCC0 is licensed under a CC0 1.0 Universal License.
Laptop Jazz by SANMI is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial License.
I Got To Go Now (Instrumental) by Anthem of Rain is licensed under a Attribution 4.0 International License.
Tick Tock by Glad Rags is licensed under a Attribution License.
SOUND EFFECTS
"Ocean Waves" by Noted451
"09382 flush big wave" by Robinhood76
"Metal Drag Short" by belanhud
"Alarm 0" y SieuAmThanh
"Dockyard Workers Unloading Fishing Trawler" by ralph.whitehead
"Arctic Breeze Rig" by enricoviets
"Field ambience 02" by szelestamas
"a gentle breeze, wind 4" by mario1298
"Stream, Water, C.wav" by InspectorJ
"Running, Snow, A.wav" by InspectorJ
"Bubbling, Large, A.wav" by InspectorJ
"feeder-sergiyevposad-141209-wav" by oontzru
"Hissing" by indigocat
"water-plop-gentle" by junggle
"splash" by angeliqueperdikes
"Geese multiple angry shouting hissing close" by breiti
"Cute Monster Wiggle" by qubodup
"Elk Albatross Scream and Screech Sound" by Mastersoundboy2005
"Rain Water Dripping Softly" by florianreichelt
"Breezy Beach" by eqavox
"150209 Trevor Webb Bird Squawk" by Bleachbear
"meat" by saha213131
"Angry bird screaming" by 16FVolejnikovaA
"wet san" by squashy555
"Chattering Teeth (foley)" by FableVision_Studios
"thus" by OtisJames
"Aguirre_Juan_Camilo_Bio_Fonia_Elefante_Marino_Isla_Rey_Jorge_Antartida" by artesmediales
"Aquarium - Seal Vocalizations" by RavenWolfProds
"Aguirre_Juan_Camilo_Bio_Fonia_Pinguino_Isla_Rey_Jorge_Antartida" by artesmediales
"magellanic_penguin" by soundbytez
"Odd Flute Paatterns" by Breviceps
TRANSCIPT
Welcome, Agents.
It has been very cold this winter in the Appalachian region. Not nearly as cold as in other parts of the world, though. Much like here, spring eventually returns–and with life: plants, birds, bugs, and other creatures. Some organisms, however, weather these extreme climates, withstanding harsh temperatures, plentiful snow and ice, and limited access to food, water, warmth.
Titled “the Case of the Ice People” in the archives, today’s lesson explores this question we pulled from our mailbox,” Dear Ballyraven, Someone showed me a clip of a sound recorded far off the coast of southern South America. Do you know what made that noise?” Surprisingly, BCwPA has long known of the giant creature who migrates to the South Pacific Ocean each year and is lovingly referred to as the “Bloop.” It’s story is a long one, as it and its wintery cryptid friends are intertwined in Antarctica’s ecosystem. It all began with a report from a boat, which led to BCwPA’s first serious expedition, and ended with the discovery and verification of five distinct species.
1990, the Pacific Ocean
It was a cloudless night lit by a full moon; the sea was calm and the breeze weak, yet brisk. A Japanese fishing boat sat still in the cool water, as relaxed as the night around them. Suddenly, the boat lurched forward, carried by a great wave that disrupted the serenity. Alarmed, the crew gathered on the deck once the violent sway ceased. A large, white thing emerged slowly from the water. So starkly white and shiny was it that they believed they were staring into the side of a submarine that had surfaced far too close. As it rose, however, a wide, thin-lipped, frowning mouth came into view, followed by a large, black unblinking eye; towering over them, it resembled a distorted, upside down, human face.
Silently, its long, massive body flowed and rounded back into the water, two arms and flipper-like legs against its sides. Mouths agape and eyes wide, the crew watched in awe and horror. Its disappearance returned tranquility to the water, though all who witnessed the creature never felt at peace again on the ocean.
Several more sightings like this one occurred throughout the Pacific and off the South Atlantic. Many of these eyewitnesses have been reportedly instructed to remain silent. Oddly, large beasts like this one have been spotted not only in the water, but on land too.
- - -
This month’s expedition has taken us further than ever before. In fact, it is ground very, very few have, or will ever, set foot on. The home of many rare and disappearing creatures, this floating mass of land concealed by snow and sleet holds many mysteries.
The world’s southernmost and least-populated continent, here lies a mountainous, vast polar desert; it is the coldest, driest, and windiest place on Earth. Covered in ice as thick as a couple of miles, temperatures here can drop as low as nearly negative 130 degrees F and warm to temperatures in the 50s during its summer. Though full of beautiful sights, the landscape is an eerily empty place. With extreme weather, poor soil, and a lack of sunlight, moisture, and animal populations, little can stand to exist here.
With little to eat, animal life is sparse. Seemingly isolated and too harsh, those that have persisted in this habitat are the descendants of creatures that lived on or near the continent millions of years ago; each animal has grown alongside the ice’s cyclical nature and developed their own method to survive. Most organisms migrate during the roughest seasons; others seek nearby geothermal heat or rocky, ice-free edges until more comfortable temperatures allow for exploration. Few can weather all of this land amiably.
Welcome to Antarctica. On this mission, we will take you on a tour of the Antarctic Peninsula, then inland, walking across the west to dive into the Ross Sea, climb over the Great Ice Barrier, and pause at the base of the Transantarctic Mountains; next, we trek upward and east, following a migrating herd to the Scot Mountains for a fifth rendezvous, before hopping back into the Southern Ocean, where we end our journey.
Home to a fascinating, unique community, some organisms here are much stranger than others - and a few even appear alien-like. Hosting large beasts like the blue whale or colossal squid, and microscopic invertebrates like the famous tardigrade, arguably the most peculiar species living in Antarctica are a group of animals referred to in Japanese folklore as Ningen - a word that means ‘human being’ in English. Though unrelated, they are connected by their likenesses - a jumble of human-like faces and silhouettes.
On this expedition, we will follow and document the lives of the Antarctic People, the Ningen, for the first time in history. 5:55/6
“There I was, staring out at the sea in awe, watching our relatives leap from the cliffs, dive into the cool depths, catching wringling, silver fish with ease. So enthralled was I, that I ignored the sensation beneath my feet. Feeling off balance, I looked down at my boots. I stood not on a large, smooth pebble, but a thing - a creature! It struggled under my foot, which I quickly raised, and it waddled away with an almost angry glare. It settled down 3 ft away or so, becoming another pebble on the shore. Looking around, I saw other small, black eyes peering up at me. Who were these creatures, and what were they doing here?”
– - “Backed Vibes Clean” Kevin Mac
Fungi are the most prevalent kind of lifeform in Antarctica. Over 1,000 species have been recorded throughout the continent; these beings have colonized and shaped the rocks, some painting them and the snow with fluorescent oranges, yellows, browns, greens or muted grays. Other fungi speckle the landscape with flower-like mushroom caps, spreading, delicate forms like snowflakes, or peeking aboveground with round, soft, and sometimes fuzzy bulbs. One fungus has adapted to only thrive in the excrement of local birds, withstanding being eaten and surviving by growing inside dung. Non-fungal flora is rare here. Aside from 25 species of liverwort and 100 mosses, there are only three kinds of flowering plant; all three are found on the Antarctic Peninsula, and one of them, the annual bluegrass, is a non-native species, brought accidentally by curious explorers. Though sparse in many places, several organisms depend on these plants, fungi, and, especially, the algae that grow in and out of the water.
Amid the tufts of hair grass and mostly snowless coast, sits a furry, dark gray rock speckled with white. Deep into spring, the ground grows muddy and slushy; melting snow dirtied by spreading colonies of green and red algae and lichen. It is a stark contrast against the pale ocean, rocky mountains, and almost blue, floating sea ice. A broadening landscape of dirt and gravel, it is a wondrous treasure trove for the romantic-minded penguin.
Seeking only the best pebbles and stones for his nest, the speckled, furry stone catches his eye. Jabbing at it with his beak, he tries to unlodge it from the ground; the action, however, causes the pebble to shiver and shrink. Confused, the penguin turns and eyes the rock for a moment. Waddling closer, he pecks at the stone. Popping up from its wedge between larger rocks, it hisses and sprints away. Excitedly flapping his wings and giving a squawk, he shuffles after the surprising morsel. The tiny animal, however, is much quicker than the bird; running on two, small legs, its long toes grip the ground and thrust them forward.
On the edge of a snowbank, the creature watches the bird wander along its trail. Croaking, wriggling, he pecks at a few stones and anxiously observes them. Several rocks yielding no results, he angrily squawks. Frustrated, he gives up. A round stone catches his eye; he picks it up and waddles back home. Tilting her head up, the Ningen peers over the snow. No more dangers in sight, she stands tall and looks around. It’s time to move.
Spring and summer are the most dangerous seasons for this kind of Ningen youth - the Little Ice Men, or Bullheaded Ningen. Many birds gather on the coast to breed, foraging and fishing nearby. Birds are very dangerous for these defenseless creatures. Despite their rough and tough appearance, they are soft and squishy organisms. Their small size and coloration, however, help them hide until a growth spurt provides them a stout body. The smallest species of Ningen, the Bullhead stands only one foot tall when fully grown. A purely terrestrial animal that looks like a cross between a lizard and a bird, they have a pair of stubby, bulky legs and 7-long-toed feet. Wide-hipped and short-torsoed, vestigial arms sprout from their upper chest. Seven-fingered claws, the arms are very short and rigid, offering little practical use. Supported by a muscular lower half, this Ningen’s head is responsible for up to half of its weight. Humanoid hands and feet, its face concretely places the animal in the Ningen category. Arguably the most human-like, it has two round eyes above a sloping, protruding upper lip and below a thick brow. Its mouth wide, reaching past the eyes and to the ears, the bottom lip is thin, but jaw chunky, powerful. Eerily uncanny for humans, the Bullhead has brown or blue irises on white eyes. Diurnal creatures, they are primed for daytime foraging and nighttime survival.
– sunset - trg banks, Andy G. Cohen ‘warmer’, laurel breeze, econmium, no one at home, 1st contact band, Origami Repetika
Navigating the Arctic Peninsula during the melting season is tricky even for sure-footed creatures like the Bullhead. Lightweight, the cool, flowing streams may trip or carry off the baby animals into deep pools or the ocean; bobbing in the water, they are easy, obvious prey for birds, fish, and other waterfaring carnivores. Even their larger relatives are endangered by a fall into deep water. Poor, nearly incapable swimmers, the heavy-headed Ningen are forced to sink to the bottom and clumsily walk to shore. If they are pushed too far and fast out to sea, they are prone to drowning. Unfortunately, the Bullheads must persist near these wet, melting areas. Feeding on the plant and fungal matter that grow on the wet soil, rock, and slush, they bulk up and use the carotenoids to develop a seasonal camouflage. Similar to flamingos, their plumage transforms from bright white to a rusty orange, though their scaly skin and down remain dark gray. Needing to remain on the coast, the color change helps them blend into the ever-brightening environment.
Luckily for our small Bullhead, the densely rocky area has provided a safe crossing to suitable territory. Young Bullheaded Ningens subsist almost entirely on fungus, algae, and other non-animal meals; living in clusters of growing food sources, they hide while feeding and growing in size. All traveling further and further away from bird breeding grounds, these Ningen eventually find themselves gathered near together. Born sometimes miles apart from one another, the youths that survive form groups in places such as this. Her coat still bright white, she is drawn to excessively feed on the algae, as her hatching siblings will be as well. Her fluffier, chick plumage will show no changes for a while. After a few weeks, though, it will rapidly change; adults’ feathers display gradual hue shifts in as little as two days. An early hatchee, she is the first to find herself in this location. A decent trek from large bird communities, it is fairly safe when compared to other early growing locations. There is always danger lurking in the sky, watching for movement. More will gather here in just a week. One by one, if they aren’t watchful, they could lead predators to invade their garden.
– –
The Arctic growing season short, Bullheaded Ningens are fast-developing organisms. They must spend most of their day eating everything they can. In flocks of 15 to 40 young, higher numbers offer more protection for the group. It comes with disadvantages, however – so many little bodies means movement is much more noticeable. On the fringe of the gathering, pushed temporarily from feeding, watchers look out for danger. Antagonized primarily by birds, the shadow or presence of one causes a quick, sharp alert to be sounded and the flock to become motionless; if one is attacked, they all leap up and follow a leader’s direction. The sudden movement of so many confuses and sometimes scares off predators, allowing most–if not all–to escape when facing a single threat. Multiple enemies can halve a youngling community if not completely decimate them. Avoiding large groups of predators as a rule, Ningen eat their way across growth areas, staying within the warmer coastal region, and doubling in size by summertime. If they can make it to the cold months, the number of bird species that feed on them will be drastically reduced.
While posing some downsides, the benefits of group life far outweigh the risks. In fact, only the largest communities can use their numbers for a special kind of feeding technique. Like their parents, young Bullheads are opportunistic scavengers and feeders, as well as kleptoparasites. Though they are not yet able to hunt, if fresh kills or carrion are near, they may find a way to sneakily feed on the meat. Often near other carnivorous animals, including not only birds but seals, food brought for other animals’ offspring, caught from the sea, or actively scavenged on the shore is frequently in view. Now a little larger, their adult teeth have grown in. They are ready to conduct their first theft. As mentioned before, Bullheded Ningen juvenile flocks have leaders, sometimes up to 3; these leaders are often the largest and oldest in the group.
The first to arrive, the female we discovered off the coast is one of the largest of her brood, so far. Eyeing a large seal carcass below them, it is a dangerous play. Near the water, they must run at the carcass and turn sharply right; guarded by a couple of Giant Petrels on the left, the youths must be quick. Inexperienced, they have yet to come across these particularly aggressive foes. Their nourishment picked thin in this territory, they are growing hungry and must travel further west regardless. The meat will bolster their journey past the growing, neighboring seal community. While seals, especially young ones, may harm and eat the small Ningen, they are less likely to accost them on their passing, as long as they keep away from their faces and avoid touching them.
The petrels pulling fresh meat from the seal below releases a strong scent upwind. The little Bullhead clacks her teeth and salivates. Releasing a deep, guttural croak, she and another of the fledglings are alerted of the plan. The hunting call is a shrill, squeaky version of mature Bullhead’s displays of aggression and hunting calls; the youths gather in a tight formation and wait.
With a screech, the large male breaks from the flock first, running down the hillside at a sprint. The petrels notice the barrage of 20 half-sized Ningen running towards them as he bounces against the carcass. Clamping down on the seal, his boney upper lip and mouth full of new, sharp, serrated teeth cut through with ease; pulling backwards, the flesh tears free. A large chunk in his mouth, he scurries to run over the outcrop west and past elephant seals, swallowing the mouthful whole along his run.
The others clumsily run into the seal to the petrels' great chagrin. Belligerently, the birds perform their dominance display and step towards the young holding the “sealmaster posture”: the head and wings are held outstretched, the head pointing at the Ningen and wingtips pointing slightly back; the tail is raised to a vertical position as the beak threatens certain death. Stunned by the guards’ size, the latter half of the group stalls a few feet from the seal. Stragglers still gnawing off hunks of flesh and running, one of the petrels grab a Bullhead still biting the meat; it squishes its small body between its formidable beak and slings its lifeless body towards the oncomers.
Panicked, they disperse in every direction; some haphazardly run past the birds and along the sea, some go left, others right, and, still yet, some of the young Ningen run towards the seal, hoping to be one of the lucky ones to have a taste and escape unscathed. The young female reaching the seal’s territory hears the shrill calls of the Ningens escaping, perishing, and at war in the distance; ignoring it, she hurries on.
The molting elephant seals wallow in their muddy trenches. Spread throughout their lounging community are throngs of King Penguins. With so many near, the sprinting, 6 inch animals are easily missed. Following a few other youths, she rounds a large bull and skids suddenly the opposite direction, looking for an alternate path; the leading male squirming between a penguin beak, he sounds a warning before being silenced. Now guiding the way, she is responsible for finding a safe path for those behind, or at least warning of a danger that has befallen. Using the large cows to block birds’ view. Slowing near the end of the seals’ bodies, with quick glances, she makes decisions. Following along another seals’ body, she is surprised by a penguin standing in her way. It flaps and squawks at her; spotted she teeters backward and begins to turn, another Ningen bouncing against her sudden stop; eagerly, the penguin pecks at her, hitting the seal instead. Rolling over, mouth agape and irritated, the cow growls and lurches at the penguin. With the distraction, she runs past the squabble. The gathering thinning out, she runs harder. Less to hide behind, birds and seals are well-aware of their passing. Squawks and growls and moans, they can’t stop nearby. Pushing forward, the survivors run up a rocky hillside. Atop, they slide down the muddy backside; in the distance is another rounded outcrop. Green and red and orange glow from the muted colors. She hears a watcher bleat from the little garden. Though her ragtag team has lost many of its members, those remaining are safe and welcomed into an even larger group.
With over forty members of all ages, they are reunited with a herd - and, we come face to face with our first Ningen giant. Growing up to 8 feet tall, the Long-Limbed Ningen, or Ice Man, has a mutualistic symbiotic relationship with the small, similarly built animals. Only very distantly connected on the tree of life, they share little in common physiologically and psychologically, though each depends on the other in the warm months, migrating as a group to the Ross Sea, where they part ways.
On the next episode of our Antarctic adventure, we will explore the habits of the Ice Man and his entourage, observe our little Bullhead learn more complex hunting maneuvers, witness a Ningen courtship ritual, and discover our first deep sea cryptid.
- - -
“The Midnight Sun. It is beautiful and disorienting. In Antarctica, the climax of summer is a day without end, a sun always in the sky, a night that never arrives. While it makes it difficult to sleep, it in turn makes it easier to work. We paid a heftier price than usual for knowledge, today.
Following a group of Little Ice Men, we arrived at another rocky shore. A group of Emperor penguins gathered on one side, the Little Ice Men giving them much space, trekked around and settled on the opposing shore. Larger versions of the youths greeted them, making sharp, clicking noises. On the beach lay a long, pale tentacle of unimaginable size. A fishy, slightly rotten smell lingered near it. We gathered around the limb excitedly. The arm was gray with small, brown freckles; it ended in a sickle-shaped paddle covered in a multitude of tiny, round bumps, but was speckled with larger nodules and outlined with triangular, almost sharp, swollen blisters. Could it be the Kraken? Some unknown, undiscovered ocean beast?
The limb suddenly began slightering into the water. With a quick reaction, one of the team grabbed onto the tentacle, holding tight. It lurched them forward, ankle, then knee-deep into the water. We shouted for them to let go; with panic, they screamed that they couldn’t. Peering out over the water, we could see that the flipper had embedded itself in Animal’s back. Their hands yanking backwards, the tentacle was stuck to their palms like glue. Rushing forward, three agents waded, trying to catch and grab ahold of Animal. With an even more disconcerting lurch, the ocean exploded, sending foam, bits of ice, and frigid water over top us all. A stark white thing vaulted up, out of the water, its mouth the size of a small room and equipped with two lines of perfectly straight, bullet-shaped teeth.
The other, albeit smaller, birds are a large part of carnivorous animal’s diets out here. Why should we be excluded from the menu? Animal was no more and we more carefully watched the shore, the waters, and bewared lures.”
There are only about 240 marine species in Antarctica, including the sea cucumber, free-swimming snail, and, most importantly, the Antarctic Krill. Congregating in swarms of 10 to 30 thousand, these krill grow to be less than 2 and a half inches long, yet are one of the most abundant animals worldwide. Antarctic Krill are a keystone species - an animal that plays a critical role in their community, with essential ties to numerous other organisms. Krill populations feed whales, seals, squid, icefish, and many of the 40 bird species that live in or visit the continent; they also inadvertently feed local, large predators.
