A young man living beside the Delaware River in Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania, began noticing unusual activity while fishing late at night. What started with something apparently pulling against his fishing line eventually led to strange tracks, missing bait, and the appearance of two small, silver-colored humanoids in his backyard.

INCREDIBLE CRYPTIDS & HUMANOIDS! Beyond Belief Witness Testimonies

CASE FILE:

Date: Not given. The primary sighting reportedly occurred approximately one month before the account was submitted.

Time: Late night or early morning; exact time not given.

Location: Marcus Hook, Delaware County, Pennsylvania

Setting: Private residential property approximately 20 yards from the Delaware River

Witness: R, his girlfriend, and the witness’s dog

Reported By: Lon Strickler, Phantoms & Monsters

Phenomenon: Two approximately three-foot-tall fish-like humanoids, unexplained fishing activity, unusual two-toed tracks, missing bait, and scattered fish scales

Environmental Conditions: Nighttime with limited illumination from a rear porch light. Weather conditions were not given.

WITNESS REPORT

Late-Night Fishing Along the River

“I live in Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania, in Delaware County. I attended college in Philadelphia. My parents moved to Florida a few months ago, but they kept their house here, so I am currently living in it.

“The property sits along the bank of the Delaware River. The river is approximately 20 yards from the back door.

“I had recently found a new job and began staying up later and later. I was bored and did not have anyone around to hang out with. Most nights, I would end up sitting outside in a lawn chair, fishing in the river until about three in the morning.

“It was during one of those nights that the first incident occurred.”

Something Pulls the Fishing Line

“I was not paying much attention to my surroundings. I was watching something on my phone when my fishing rod suddenly started bouncing around like crazy.

“I jumped up and pulled back on the rod to set the hook. The line went slack for a second, then suddenly jerked away again.

“I assumed that I had hooked a fish, but when I tried to reel it in, the line would not move. I thought it might have become snagged on something, but then the line pulled away again.

“I am not an expert fisherman, but the movement did not feel like a normal fish bite. It felt as though something in the water was deliberately pulling against the line whenever I pulled back.

“It almost seemed intelligent.

“The experience freaked me out enough that I cut the line and went back inside. I told myself that the hook had become caught on a snag, but I suspected something else may have happened.”

The Splashing in the Water

“Approximately one week later, I fell asleep in my lawn chair while fishing.

“I suddenly woke after hearing a large splash in the river, only a few yards from where I was sitting. The light from the back porch barely reached the edge of the water, but I could see a series of rings spreading from the place where something had entered the river.

“A new set of rings then appeared several feet away. Another set appeared beyond those, followed by another, until the disturbance moved out of sight.

“I was confused because catfish and other bottom feeders do not normally behave that way at the surface.

“I gathered my fishing gear and went inside. I was still groggy and accidentally left my cutting-board knife and a fresh bag of bait on the ground. I had been using pepperoni as bait for catfish.”

The Two-Toed Tracks

“The next day, I realized that I had left the knife and bait outside. When I went back to retrieve them, everything was gone.

“In a patch of dirt near the area, I found faint tracks. They appeared to have been made by some type of thin-footed animal. Each print seemed to contain only two long, slender toes.

“I also noticed silvery fish scales scattered sporadically around the area. The prints and scales appeared to lead directly back to the water’s edge.

“At that point, I was seriously disturbed. I did not know what to make of the evidence. I considered contacting the police, but I assumed that they would laugh at me.

“I searched online for information about the tracks, but I could not find anything that matched them.

“I decided to stop fishing for a while. I needed to get more sleep anyway because I had started becoming tired halfway through my workday.”

The Dog’s Warning

“Two weeks passed, and I did not return to the river to fish. I had also started dating a new girl. Between work and spending time with her, I had mostly forgotten about the tracks.

“Then the most bizarre incident occurred.

“I was asleep in an upstairs bedroom when my girlfriend shook me awake. She told me that my dog was downstairs barking uncontrollably.

“I am a heavy sleeper and probably would not have noticed the barking without her waking me. As I approached the stairs, the barking abruptly stopped and changed into a low growl.

“I immediately felt a sense of panic.

“My girlfriend followed behind me as we quietly descended the stairs. I could see my dog standing rigidly at the back door, growling at something outside.

“I walked toward him and tried to calm him down. As I stroked his head, I heard my girlfriend gasp.

“She was looking through the small window in the back door.”

Two Creatures in the Backyard

“I stood up and looked outside.

“There were unmistakably two bipedal creatures walking around my backyard. Neither appeared to be more than three feet tall.

“It was dark, and the exterior lights were off, but I could make out a pallid, silvery color on their bodies. I could not see any eyes. Each creature also appeared to have something resembling a fin running along its spine.

“My girlfriend and I stood frozen for several moments, watching them.

“At one point, the creatures ambled toward each other. I swear that they began making hand gestures in the direction of the house.

“My girlfriend saw it as well. She whispered that she was going to call the police, then ran upstairs to retrieve her phone.

“I remained at the door and continued watching the creatures for several more minutes.

“My dog suddenly began barking again. Both creatures turned and walked toward the Delaware River. They entered the water and disappeared beneath the surface.”

Police Find Wet Tracks

“The police arrived approximately 20 minutes later and searched the area.

“They did not find the creatures, but the officers said they had discovered wet tracks outside. The tracks were identical to the ones I had seen near my fishing equipment several weeks earlier.

“Since no crime had been committed, the officers did not appear particularly interested. They took my report and told me to call again if anything else happened.

“This occurred approximately one month ago.

“I have searched online for information about these creatures, but I have not found anything. I have not had a good night’s sleep since the sighting, and my girlfriend refuses to return to the house.

“Do you have any idea what these creatures may have been?"

COMMENTARY

I contacted the witness and requested additional information, but he was unable to provide many further details. He stated that he had contacted other investigators concerning the encounter, but his inquiries were ignored.

The account presents a progression of unusual incidents rather than a single isolated sighting. These include the unexplained pulling of the fishing line, repeated disturbances on the water, missing bait and equipment, unusual tracks, scattered fish scales, the dog’s reaction, and the eventual observation of two small bipedal figures.

The girlfriend’s reported observation is important because she appears to have seen the creatures independently and alerted the witness to the dog’s behavior. However, she was not interviewed directly, and no photographs, recordings, footprint casts, police documents, or physical samples were supplied with the original report.

Marcus Hook lies beside the tidal Delaware River, where currents, commercial vessel wakes, floating debris, and abundant wildlife can create confusing sounds and movements, particularly at night. Some of the earlier activity could conceivably have resulted from fish, aquatic mammals, birds, river debris, or tidal movement.

Large wading birds should also be considered. A heron or similar bird can stand approximately three feet tall, walk upright, leave narrow tracks, and appear pale or silver under artificial lighting. A rear toe may fail to register clearly in hard or uneven soil, creating the impression of a two-toed print. Birds or scavenging mammals might also account for missing bait and scattered fish scales.

That possibility does not adequately explain every reported detail, particularly the apparent dorsal fins, hand-like gestures, paired movement toward the house, and the creatures’ disappearance beneath the water. Limited illumination, distance, interrupted sleep, and heightened expectation may have affected how the figures were perceived.

The reported police discovery of wet tracks is one of the most potentially significant details. Obtaining the police incident report, officers’ names, dispatch time, exact address, tide conditions, and any body-camera footage would be essential before the claim could be properly evaluated.

I will admit that this is the first account I have received involving creatures of this description in the Marcus Hook area or the surrounding region. The figures do not closely match a well-established regional cryptid tradition. At present, the case should be considered an unusual but unverified aquatic humanoid report.

Anyone who has observed similar creatures along the Delaware River, or who recognizes the described tracks, is encouraged to contact Phantoms & Monsters.

CASE NOTES

• The incidents reportedly occurred over several weeks rather than during a single night.

• The property was described as approximately 20 yards from the Delaware River.

• The first anomaly involved a fishing line that appeared to pull back deliberately.

• A later disturbance produced a succession of rings moving across the water.

• A knife and unopened bag of pepperoni bait disappeared overnight.

• The witness discovered thin tracks containing what appeared to be two long toes.

• Silvery fish scales were reportedly scattered near the tracks.

• Both the tracks and scales appeared to lead toward the river.

• Two creatures were observed by the witness and his girlfriend.

• Each figure was estimated to be no more than three feet tall.

• The bodies appeared pallid or silver under limited nighttime illumination.

• A fin-like structure reportedly extended along each creature’s spine.

• The witness could not see identifiable eyes.

• Both witnesses believed the creatures made gestures toward the house.

• The dog barked, growled, and maintained a rigid posture at the back door.

• The creatures reportedly walked to the river and disappeared beneath the water.

• Responding officers allegedly found wet tracks matching those previously observed.

• No photographs, video recordings, footprint casts, or physical samples were provided.

• The girlfriend and responding officers should be interviewed independently.

• The police incident report and dispatch records should be requested.

This Delaware River encounter joins a small but disturbing collection of reported aquatic humanoid sightings, unexplained river creatures, strange footprints, and nighttime cryptid activity documented by Phantoms & Monsters. Readers interested in Pennsylvania cryptids, river anomalies, fish-like humanoids, and unexplained encounters along the waterways of the Mid-Atlantic region can explore additional eyewitness reports in the Phantoms & Monsters archives. Lon

SOURCE NOTES

The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission identifies the Philadelphia to Marcus Hook corridor as part of the tidal Delaware River. Its guide notes strong tides and currents, vessel wakes, floating debris, an urbanized shoreline, and habitat supporting fish, amphibians, reptiles, mammals, and wading birds. These conditions are relevant when considering potential natural explanations for nighttime river disturbances and unusual shoreline observations.

Marcus Hook’s official borough history emphasizes the community’s longstanding connection to the Delaware River waterfront, with settlement in the area extending back to the Lenni Lenape and early European activity.

Delaware environmental authorities report that approximately 130 fish species use habitats within the Delaware River and Bay estuary, demonstrating the waterway's ecological diversity.

FAQ

What did the Marcus Hook witnesses report seeing?

The witnesses described two pallid, silver-colored bipedal creatures approximately three feet tall. Each reportedly had a fin-like structure extending along its spine.

Were there any additional witnesses?

The primary witness’s girlfriend reportedly observed the creatures. The witness’s dog also barked and growled at the back door.

Did the police find evidence?

According to the witness, responding officers discovered wet tracks in the backyard. No photographs, footprint measurements, or police documentation were supplied with the account.

Could the creatures have been large birds?

Large wading birds could potentially explain the height, narrow tracks, upright movement, and pale appearance. They would not easily explain the reported hand gestures, dorsal fins, or disappearance beneath the water.

Has anything similar been reported in Marcus Hook?

At the time the account was received, I was not aware of another report describing similar creatures in Marcus Hook or the surrounding Delaware County region.