Millennials will already know that Sea Monkeys were a staple of their 1990s childhood, whether they admired their friends’ farms or took it upon themselves to raise a colony of the mysterious little creatures.
This post may include affiliate links.
But little do people know that behind this curious species bred from brine shrimp, a dark story has been kept away from the eye of the public for many years.
Despite being heavily marketed in the 1960s and 1970s, Sea Monkeys became extremely popular in the 1990s, with fun tank packaging often gifted to children.
The past of the problematic inventor of the emblematic childhood toy Sea Monkeys has recently been unveiled online
Image credits: Sea Monkeys
The amusing tanks, which served as water purifiers, were to be filled with water and three packets containing Sea Monkey eggs and its foods.
From the dusty-looking packets would grow these tiny swimming creatures, often worshiped as pets by many children.
Image credits: ML5
In fact, the bizarre little specimens are still sold to this day and have somewhat been the subject of a trend on TikTok, which has seen a handful of content creators sharing their experiences raising them.
Katie Feeney, a TikToker, shared her own participation in taking care of Sea Monkeys, as she documented her journey which started in 2020.
However, tragedy struck her tiny pets after 123 days and all her Sea Monkeys died.
The tanks, which served as water purifiers, were to be filled with water and three packets containing Sea Monkey eggs and its foods
Image credits: brokennoseclub
Recalling the sad moment she started losing her creatures, Katie said: “Unfortunately, after 58 days I noticed something was wrong: the Sea Monkeys started disappearing.
“There were some very big ones in the tank, but all of the small ones were gone.
“After 75 days, there were only a couple of Sea Monkeys left and on day 97, the only two Sea Monkeys that remained were connected.
“Sadly after 123 days, the Sea Monkey journey has come to an end.”
Image credits: katiefeeneyy
Unbeknownst to kids and parents out there, Sea Monkeys were invented by a certain Harold von Braunhut, an American inventor who also created children’s X-Ray specs, a monster card that would grow hair when you added water, as well as the “invisible goldfish”, which consisted of a simple fish bowl with food.
As it turns out, Harold was also a notorious white supremacist who reportedly bought weapons for the Ku Klux Klan and often partook in neo-Nazi gatherings.
Harold first packaged his patented hybrids of Sea Monkeys in 1960 transforming the creatures into American icons via millions of comic book ads, the Los Angeles Times reported back in 2000, three years before the inventor passed away.
Harold von Braunhut, the inventor of Sea Monkeys, also created other quirky toys such as the "invisible goldfish"
Image credits: Invisible Goldfish
Upon meeting Harold, scientist George C. Atamian told the publication: “Sea Monkeys, as you know, are hybrid brine shrimp eggs that are immersed in a medium that nobody’s been able to knock off.
“There’s something in the powder [Harold] formulates that does something to those eggs that nature can’t do.
“It used to be [that] only one Sea Monkey lived and that [same] one died.
“Now the formulation of the chemistry, the vigor of the Sea Monkeys themselves, is better than ever.”
Nevertheless, it is Harold’s controversial racial views that have since been remembered as part of his legacy.
The businessman was born to Jeanette Cohen and Edward Braunhut in New York, a Jewish family.
Harold was also notable for his antisemitic and racist views
Image credits: Anonymous
Despite his Jewish background, Harold endorsed an antisemitic and racist statement written by Hendrik von Braun which read: “No one (except for Jesus Christ Himself) has ever managed to live forever.
“Even if you could, what a bore it would be to hang around for a few hundred years, not doing much of anything except watching the n*gg*rs make basketballs and sneakers out of Jew skins.”
According to a 1988 article published by The Washington Post, Harold actively supported the Aryan Nations, an anti-Semitic, white supremacist group.
The controversial figure reportedly pledged part of the proceeds of one of his inventions—a spring-loaded, whiplike weapon known as the Kiyoga Agent M5—to the legal defense of Aryan Nations leader Richard G. Butler.
When he was questioned about his Jewish background, Harold said at the time: "I will not make any statements whatsoever.”
Katie wasn't the only person to witness her Sea Monkeys die
According to the publication, the infamous entrepreneur had partaken in a fund-raising appeal for Richard, the Aryan Nations leader, revealing that the "manufacturer has made a pledge of $25 to my defense fund for each one sold to Aryan Nations supporters."
Moreover, back in the 1980s, Richard had told the Spokesman-Review that Harold had been a longtime friend and a "member of the Aryan race who has supported us for quite a few years."
Some viewers shared their own experiences raising Sea Monkeys
