Despite whispers of a “river monster” lurking in the Mississippi, local authorities have assured residents there’s no cause for panic. Still—imagine drifting just a few feet away from a creature straight out of a nightmare.
That’s exactly what happened to Shala Holm, a resident of Buffalo, Minnesota, whose astonishing encounter recently exploded online after she captured a jaw-dropping photo of the beast. Holm was enjoying a calm afternoon kayaking with her daughter at Niemeyer’s Rugged River Resort near Brainerd, blissfully unaware that something ancient and powerful was lurking beneath the surface.
“We were paddling quietly when my daughter suddenly froze,” Holm recalled. “‘Mom,’ she whispered, ‘be quiet. I can hear something breathing.’”
The two peered over the edge of the kayak—and there it was. A massive snapping turtle, its thick claws curling like those of a bear, had latched onto a fish basket hanging from their boat. Its prehistoric head bobbed in the water, beady eyes locked on its prize.
For a tense moment, neither mother nor daughter moved. Holm’s heartbeat thundered in her ears as she gripped the basket’s rope. In one swift motion, she gave it a sharp shake. The turtle released its hold and, with an almost offended flick of its tail, vanished into the murky depths.
Holm exhaled in relief—but the image of those enormous claws and the weight of that gaze stayed with her. “It was like looking into the eyes of something that had been here long before people,” she said.
Her photo now serves as both proof and warning—reminding everyone that the Mississippi River still hides wild, ancient giants just beneath its rippling surface