The original "Montauk Monster" appear in a photo posted on the online blog Gawker on July 29, 2008. The photograph seemed to depict the dead carcass of a supernatural creature, with the body of a hippopotamus and the head of a reptile which reportedly washed up on a beach in Montauk, New York.

In early May 2009, another "Montauk Monster" was reportedly discovered in Southold, located on the Long Island's North Fork. According to Fox News, the original "monster" may have been a drowned raccoon and the 2009 one may be some type of rodent.Fox News: New 'Montauk Monster' Washes Up (May 13, 2009)

It has been suggested the monster may be part of an unknown viral marketing campaign, possibly for Cryptids Are Real a website connected to the forthcoming Cartoon Network series, The Secret Saturdays.Gawker: Montauk "Dead Monster" Maybe Tied To Cartoon Network Show(July 29, 2008)

In an interview with FOX News, Jeff Corwin, host of the the Animal Planet channel television show, Corwin's Quest, claims that beast is a dead raccoon. He said, "What you think is a beak is actually the canine teeth...What we have is an incredibly rare — raccoon."FoxNews.com: 'Montauk Monster' Mystery Gets More Mysterious (August 1, 2008)

Another theory postulates that the creature escaped from nearby Plum Island, location of the Plum Island Animal Disease Center.Gawker: Dead Monster Washes Ashore in Montauk (July 29, 2008)

Montauk was allegedly home to the rumored "Montauk Project," a government operation which reportedly developed methods and techniques for use in psychological warfare.Bibliotecapleyades.net: The Montauk Project During a conversation about the Gawker image on FriendFeed, it was suggested there may be a connection between the Montauk dead monster and this research, which is sometimes thought to be a continuation of the infamous Philadelphia Experiment.FriendFeed: Someone please tell me this is a fake... Bibliotecapleyades.net: The Montauk Project