Mainers have always had an affinity for offbeat news, and the most-watched videos from the past year reflect that odd taste.
There’s the history of a possible sea monster in Casco Bay. A look into how Mainers survive the winter in a 200-square-foot home. A tour of Maine islands that are only populated by sheep. And, of course, there’s always Stephen King.
Here’s a look back at the most-watched BDN videos of 2017.
1. Happy 70th birthday, Stephen King
In honor of Maine’s most famous celebrity, the BDN compiled a video using archived photographs of King from throughout the past 70 years, as well as descriptions of his most memorable moments — including his biggest impacts on the state of Maine.
2. Mainer describes rabid raccoon attack
Rachel Borch became an overnight sensation after describing how she survived a rabid raccoon attack in the Maine woods by drowning the small animal in a nearby puddle. The 21-year-old recounted her experience, even returning to the scene where the incident took place.
3. Dogs rescued from Hurricane Harvey arrive in Bangor
No one can resist a cute dog video, including Mainers. Fifteen homeless dogs from Texas were delivered to the Bangor Humane Society in September, in order to make room for pets who had been displaced by Hurricane Harvey. They came in all shapes, sizes and ages, but they all had one thing in common — they were unbelievably cute.
4. What it’s like to spend winter in a tiny home
Nic Ledoux and his wife, Robin Bienenstock, weren’t just taking on their first Maine winter — they were doing it in a 200-square-foot house on wheels. Though it may be a tiny home, it isn’t without its luxuries: skylights, stainless steel countertops and appliances, pine walls and a miniature wood stove.
5. Does Casco Bay have a sea monster?
On June 5, 1958, two fishermen off the coast of Cape Elizabeth “spotted” Maine’s iconic sea monster: Cassie of Casco Bay. And they weren’t the first; sightings of the creature date back to 1779. Did these Mainers really see a sea monster? Or is there a simpler explanation? That’s for you to decide.
6. Monarch butterflies return to Southwest Harbor
Monarch butterflies have been in danger of disappearing from Maine entirely, but visitors of the Charlotte Rhoades Park and Butterfly Garden in Southwest Harbor got to enjoy seeing the orange-and-black insects again this July, after an 8-year hiatus from the garden.
7. Filmmaker dives to sunken steamboats in Moosehead Lake
Underneath the surface of Moosehead Lake lies a graveyard of sunken steamboats, and this summer two divers descended more than 40 feet below the surface to capture footage of the shipwreck Twilight II. The footage will eventually be used for a historical documentary about the history of the steamboats on Moosehead Lake and their subsequent wrecks.
8. A guide to the interpretive map of Katahdin Woods and Waters
The creation of Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument hasn’t been without controversy, but it’s a beautiful location and should be on the bucket list for any nature lover. BDN staffers Aislinn Sarnacki and John Holyoke ventured to Katahdin Woods and Waters to try out the monument’s friend group’s interpretive map firsthand, which includes a 6-mile hike to Orin Falls, a turnout to sneak a peek at Katahdin and lots of flora and fauna along the way.
9. These offshore Maine islands are populated only by sheep
Little Nash Island, located off the coast of Addison, has a very unique population: 22 adult sheep, as well as about a dozen lambs that were born this spring. The flock is cared for by Alfie Wakeman and his 15-year-old daughter Evie, who also tend to the 110 sheep on Big Nash
10. Former Amish man creates his own simple life, minus the religion
When Kenneth Copp, then a Mennonite, left Missouri for Maine, he intended to join the Amish community in Waldo County. Instead, a chance encounter led him to question his faith and leave the church, thus becoming shunned by his community and family. But despite his new Atheist status, he continues to abide by the Amish lifestyle and adjusts to life outside of the church.