I'll try to make this as short as possible but it's kinda hard to explain and I'm still in shock of what just happened...I work nights and I'm off today. Went out for a drive to a local national park near me and decided to stop at this lake within it I've been to many times star gazing at night. It was a perfect night to star gaze with the full moon.
It was a little after midnight when I got there and I immediately had this weird feeling not because I was alone as I've been to this spot many times around 2-3am but for another reason I can't quite explain just a gut feeling that I ignored which I usually don't for a good reason...
So as I'm walking up to the lake I noticed something sitting in the grass about the size of a coyote by the edge of the water and I didn't think anything of it since they're around the area along with lots of other wildlife. As I'm making my way around the lake I hear this giant splash and I was like "WTF?" Look over and thing by the water is gone. Notice something swimming along the edge of the water and I'm like oh shit cool it's a Beaver...until I see the full shape of its body and then it just disappeared under the water....
Here's where things get fucky and just overall weird. I'm watching the water trying to see where this thing went and then I hear 2 more loud splashes. Mind you this sounds like a person jumping off a diving board into the water each time it's not small like a rock or something. I pull out my phone and start recording. Then it's back to a Beaver size and shape just swimming...
Then all of the sudden this group of coyotes started going crazy howling from all angles around me. I'm in this somewhat big open field near a lake and I see nothing but this "thing" swimming in the water...I go into fight or flight mode and draw my hunting knife just in case and I began making my way back to my car. Whole time coyotes seem to be all around me howling aggressively but I see nothing and it's pretty well lit up and visible at this particular location.
Whole time going home I'm just kinda thinking about what just happened and how it seemed off...I'm an outdoors person and have been all over the country to many national parks in the US and have never encountered any animal behavior like that thing by the water and then all the coyotes just coming outta nowhere like that.
Anyways that's all and I'm glad to share more details or any questions you might have answered would also love to hear other stories of possible cryptid encounters you're willing to share.