Sea serpents, 18th century artworks. These artworks show two common accounts of sea serpents. At top is a depiction of many humps in the water and a head next to men in a rowing boat. This could be explained by a sighting of an oarfish, or a misidentification of a group of whales as a single creature. At bottom is a depiction of a large sea serpent breaching the surface and spouting water from its mouth next to a sailing ship. This could be a misidentification of a breaching, exhaling whale. Artworks published in 1755.