Editing Great Salt Lake (section)

==Legends, mysteries and folklore==
=== Whales in the Great Salt Lake ===
{{main|Great Salt Lake whale hoax}}
The myth of Whales in the Great Salt Lake is a 19th-century [[Utah]] folklore story, originally reported in 1888, that has been debunked as a hoax. The story claimed that British scientist James Wickham introduced whales into the Great Salt Lake in 1875.<ref name="Beehive">Weiss, Megan (January 31, 2022). "The Beehive Archive: A Whale of a Tale from Early SLC Newspapers." ''Herald Journal''. Retrieved August 29, 2024, from https://www.hjnews.com/news/local/the-beehive-archive-a-whale-of-a-tale-from-early-slc-newspapers/article_6c92436d-050b-5fd7-a2e5-57966dd2e7cd.html.</ref><ref name="Deseret1995">Van Leer, Twila (October 3, 1995). "Whale of a Salty Tale Swims Through Pages of Old Paper." ''Deseret News''. Retrieved August 29, 2024, from https://www.deseret.com/1995/10/3/19196613/whale-of-a-salty-tale-swims-through-pages-of-old-paper/.</ref>

=== Lake monster ===
{{main|North Shore Monster}}
In mid-1877, J. H. McNeil was with many other Barnes and Co. Salt Works employees on the lake's north shore in the evening. They claimed to have seen a large monster with a body like a [[crocodile]] and a [[horse]]'s head in the lake. They claimed this monster attacked the men, who quickly ran away and hid until morning. This creature is regarded by some to have simply been a [[American bison|buffalo]] in the lake. Thirty years prior, "Brother Bainbridge" claimed to have sighted a creature that looked like a [[dolphin]] in the lake near Antelope Island.<ref name="DN-Tales" /><ref name="UtahStoriesMysteries">{{cite web |title=Mysteries of the Great Salt Lake |url=https://utahstories.com/2021/08/mysteries-of-the-great-salt-lake/ |website=Utah Stories |access-date=22 August 2024 |date=August 2021}}</ref>

===Water babies===
{{main|Water Babies}}
The "Water Babies" are a part of Native American folklore associated with the Great Salt Lake. According to these stories, the cries of infants can be heard near the lake, luring people toward the water. Once someone approaches, they are said to be dragged into the depths by the "Water Babies," never to return.<ref name="Fox13Legends">{{cite web |title=Legends and Myths of Great Salt Lake May Keep You Up at Night |url=https://www.fox13now.com/news/local-news/legends-and-myths-of-great-salt-lake-may-keep-you-up-at-night |website=FOX 13 News |publisher=KSTU-TV |access-date=22 August 2024 |date=22 October 2020}}</ref><ref name="UtahStoriesMysteries"/>

===Saltair Sally===
{{main|Murder of Nikole Bakoles}}

[[Saltair (Utah)|Saltair]], the historic resort on the shores of the
Great Salt Lake has purported tales of paranormal activity. The most infamous of these is the story of "Saltair Sally." In the fall of 2000, duck hunters discovered the partially decomposed remains of a woman near the Saltair area. Initially unidentified, she was referred to as "Saltair Sally" by locals. In 2012, DNA testing identified her as Nikole Bakoles, a 20-year-old mother and homicide victim. The unresolved circumstances surrounding her death have led to local legends suggesting that her spirit haunts the area, with reports of ghostly sightings and unexplained voices.<ref name="Fox13Legends"/><ref name="UtahStoriesMysteries"/>

=== The Case of Jean Baptiste ===
{{main|Jean Baptiste (grave robber)}}
In 1862, Jean Baptiste, a gravedigger in Salt Lake City, was discovered to have robbed nearly 300 graves. Public outrage led to his exile on Fremont Island, but he disappeared, and his fate remains a mystery. Some speculate he was seen in Montana, but no evidence confirms his whereabouts.<ref name="UtahStoriesMysteries"/><ref name="HistoryTogoBaptiste">{{cite web |last=Ison |first=Yvette D. |title=Unsolved Mysteries in Utah—The Bizarre Case of Grave Robber Jean Baptiste |url=https://historytogo.utah.gov/jean-baptiste/ |website=History To Go |publisher=Utah State History |date=March 1995 |access-date=22 August 2024}}</ref><ref name="DeseretNews">{{cite web |title=Great tales surrounding the Great Salt Lake: Its briny bowels are filled with monster myths |url=https://www.deseret.com/1999/8/1/19458498/great-tales-surrounding-the-great-salt-lake-br-its-briny-bowels-are-filled-with-monster-myths/ |website=Deseret News |publisher=Deseret Digital Media |date=1 August 1999 |access-date=22 August 2024}}</ref>