Sea Monsters Unmasked was published, along with its counterpart, Sea Fables Explained by aquarium director Henry Lee for the Fisheries Exhibition of 1883. Sea Monsters Unmasked discusses in-depth both the Kraken, or giant squid, and Sea Serpents. As Loren Coleman notes in the introduction, the books are small in size, but filled with data and illustrations taken from news sources and eyewitness accounts of his cryptozoological subjects. Part of the Loren Coleman Presents series for Cosimo Classics, readers are sure to enjoy its partner piece, Sea Fables Explained, which discusses a variety of creatures, including Merpeople, to round out their knowledge of the underwater cryptozoo menagerie.

HENRY LEE (1826-1888) was the naturalist and director of the Brighton Aquarium in England. As a great observer of the collection's underwater life, and wrote the Aquarium Notes for the visitors and authored several books on underwater life, including The Octopus (1874) and Sea Monsters Unmasked (1883), and Sea Fables Explained (1883). He was also a contributor to the magazine Land and Water. Lee died at age 62, after some years of ill-health, at Renton House, Brixton, on Halloween, October 31, 1888.