In 1875, two 35-foot whales were released into the Great Salt Lake in Utah—never to be seen again!

James Wickham was a man with a dream. He wanted to turn Utah's Great Salt Lake into a lovely resort. But he did not want it to be just an average holiday resort—he wanted it to be a whale watching destination!

He wanted tourists to stream to the area to come and see frolicking whales in the salty water of the lake! But, of course, whales do not naturally inhabit lakes.

James went off and captured two 35-foot whales—presumably a male and female—from the waters around Australia and brought them to Utah. He had high hopes for his venture, but when the whales were released, they swam off, never to be seen again.

There have since been reported sightings of a 'lake monster' in the Great Salt Lake, but these sightings could never be substantiated. Many believed the 'monster' could possibly be one of the misplaced whales.

Others believe that the salt content of the lake had been too high for the whales to have survived. Either way, the mystery of the disappearing whales of Utah has never conclusively been solved.