Oarfish at the double Former Premier carves a second life-like replica from cedar wood to go on display at the BAMZ
He readily admits it could give a person nightmares — but David Saul could not be more pleased with the stunning "sea serpent" he has carved from cedar.
The monster in question is actually an eight-foot long depiction of an oarfish — a little-known creature with oar-shaped pelvic fins and a blood-red dorsal crest running the length of its body which lurks in the depths of the ocean.
The intricate ornament, which took the former Premier four months to create from a cedar root he got at Brighton Nurseries, has been donated to Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo.
It is the second cedar carving of an oarfish created by Dr. Saul — the first is on permanent display at Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute — and will be shown along with a sketch owned by BAMZ which records the first sighting of the fish in 1860 at Hungry Bay, in Paget, by a Scottish botanist.
Prior to the drawing being published in Harper's magazine, no one was certain for sure that the oarfish — described by sailors for centuries as a strange fish which propelled itself with "oars" — really existed.
Dr. Saul said: "It is now known that these fish live some 2,000 to 10,000 feet below the surface and are only spotted, usually in poor condition, near the shoreline. They float to the surface after storms or if they are sick.
"Few people in the world know what an oarfish is, let alone get the chance to see what one would look like swimming freely, deep down in the ocean.
"When you get a glimpse of this replica, you will simply shake your head in disbelief that such a creature exists."
The former UBP politician, who has previously carved furniture, whales and even a cahow from cedar root, said he spent between 30 and 50 hours creating the striking oarfish.
"The most challenging aspect is the face of the fish," he said. "No one has photographed an oarfish swimming happily along in the ocean and the shape and contours of a live specimen can only be imagined from photos of dead ones.
"Oarfish will not win any beauty awards, but to see my creation will prove to be a true education for any visitor to BAMZ — you may even have some nightmares of this fellow!"
