A mother-daughter duo in Minnesota went on what was supposed to be a relaxing fishing trip, but it turned into a terrifying experience when they encountered a massive creature on the Mississippi River near Brainerd. Shala Holm and her daughter, Avery, were quietly fishing on their kayak when a creature emerged from the depths, leaving them both stunned in fear. It turned out to be a harmless snapping turtle, but a very large and scary one at that!
According to the 67-year-old mom, “Suddenly my daughter said, ‘mom, be quiet, I hear something breathing.’ It took a while before we saw its nose swimming toward the kayak. As it got closer, we saw how huge it was. It dove under the kayak and latched itself onto the fishing basket with its nails. We were so freaked out about the size.”
The pre-historical-looking creature had some huge ‘bear-like’ claws that made the two women think they had come upon some sort of river monster. But they soon realized it was a snapping turtle, and all it wanted was an easy meal. Shala admitted that she was initially afraid, especially since they were so close to the creature while on the kayak, and she didn’t know how badly it wanted the fish or if it would try to get into the kayak. She was nervous about grabbing the handle of the basket and didn’t know how aggressive the turtle might be.
Despite the frightening experience, Shala managed to take some photos of the ‘river monster’ with her phone. “My heart was racing, but I was able to grab my phone and snap a few pictures,” she said. “I was amazed at the size of its outstretched legs; its feet were the size of my fist, and then add those nails! We were so afraid it might claw its way on top of the basket.”
