Vatnaskratti

The Vatnaskratti is a mythical creature from South Iceland, around Skorradalsvatn and Hvítá, Borgarfjörður. It is sometimes considered a general name for a water monster and may be the same as the Nykur. They are easily beaten but try to drag humans and livestock into the water. Near Eyjafjallajökull, there is a Vatnaskratti resembling a skate. It is believed to be a monster as it doesn’t enter the water. Some witnesses claim to have seen the monsters in the water for several consecutive days, around Christmas Day 1858. In the same year, roughly nine seals started drifting headless out of Hvítá. Locals concluded that the monster of the nearby river had bit off their heads.

Citations:

Íslenzkar þjóðsögur og æfintýri. Germany, Bókaútgáfan þjóðsaga, 1862.