What is the What-Is-It?

I've recently read the book, Escape: The Story of the Great Houdini by Sid Fleischman, and there was a question I was asking, and that's going to be today's topic. What is the What-Is It? Back when it was discovered, people would call it the What-Is-It. I think it looks a bit like a smaller version of Nessie. One single saved photo of the beast was all they had of it. I think they should have taken more shots of the creature because later generations might have wanted to see it. Later generations like, oh, I don't know.... US!!!! We, the people who are fascinated with and dedicate are lives to creatures and phenomenon of the unknown. But, anyways, I just think Houdini himself is a paranormal phenomenon. So in conclusion, the sea monster shall live on as Houdini's playing of Jonah in a whale (or in this case, What-Is-It.)