The real water horse
In Scotland, a country in the UK, locals and visitors alike have debated the existence of the Loch Ness monster for over 100 years
The ancient inhabitants of the area made carvings of an unidentified about 1,500 years ago and rumours of its presence in the loch have been known for several centuries. It is obviously a shy creature as not a single "sighting" can be unconditionally confirmed.
The interest in the Loch Ness monster grew when a photograph, supposedly taken by surgeon R.K. Wilson, on April 19, 1934, seemed to show a large creature with a long neck gliding through the water. This was disproved years later, in 1994, when a Marmaduke Wetherell admitted to faking the photo, when the Daily Mail newspaper sent him to track down Nessie, the name by which the monster is affectionately known. The photo had already been printed worldwide as proof of the monster's existence.
In the 1960s, the Loch Ness Investigation Bureau was formed to research and collect information about Nessie. It set up camera stations with both
still and movie cameras, with telephoto lenses. There were also underwater listening devises. Searches were conducted using hot-air-balloons and infrared night time cameras, sonar scanners and submarines. A great deal was discovered about Loch Ness but no concrete evidence of the monster.
However "eye witnesses" and news reports continue to produce accounts of a monster. It is said to be 12 to 15 metres long. It has two humps, a tail and a snake-like head. A huge red mouth and horns or antennae have been mentioned. Actual fossil evidence of a physically large creature with a long neck and tiny head and flippers for propulsion, has led to speculation on its appearance. But there would have to be more than one creature for it to have survived and Loch Ness is too small to support even a small family of such creatures.
In April 1923, Alfred Cruickshank claimed to have seen a creature three metres to three and a half metres long, with an arched back and four elephant-like feet, cross the road in front of him as he was driving. Other sightings report creatures more similar to camels or horses! Because of the complete absence of physical evidence, these researchers argue that many of the reported sightings are hoaxes or misidentification of conventional creatures and objects. They even suggest the Loch sightings could be paranormal, or supernatural in nature, such as Bigfoot and UFOs.
But with the popularity of the area for holidays and the local legends that abound about Nessie, if you were to visit the lair of the monster you would have more than enough to enjoy, even if the shy creature remains hidden in the depths of the loch. On the other hand you might just be the one to be pointing a camera in the right place at the time!
The interest in the Loch Ness monster grew when a photograph, supposedly taken by surgeon R.K. Wilson, on April 19, 1934, seemed to show a large creature with a long neck gliding through the water. This was disproved years later, in 1994, when a Marmaduke Wetherell admitted to faking the photo, when the Daily Mail newspaper sent him to track down Nessie, the name by which the monster is affectionately known. The photo had already been printed worldwide as proof of the monster's existence.
In the 1960s, the Loch Ness Investigation Bureau was formed to research and collect information about Nessie. It set up camera stations with both
still and movie cameras, with telephoto lenses. There were also underwater listening devises. Searches were conducted using hot-air-balloons and infrared night time cameras, sonar scanners and submarines. A great deal was discovered about Loch Ness but no concrete evidence of the monster.
However "eye witnesses" and news reports continue to produce accounts of a monster. It is said to be 12 to 15 metres long. It has two humps, a tail and a snake-like head. A huge red mouth and horns or antennae have been mentioned. Actual fossil evidence of a physically large creature with a long neck and tiny head and flippers for propulsion, has led to speculation on its appearance. But there would have to be more than one creature for it to have survived and Loch Ness is too small to support even a small family of such creatures.
In April 1923, Alfred Cruickshank claimed to have seen a creature three metres to three and a half metres long, with an arched back and four elephant-like feet, cross the road in front of him as he was driving. Other sightings report creatures more similar to camels or horses! Because of the complete absence of physical evidence, these researchers argue that many of the reported sightings are hoaxes or misidentification of conventional creatures and objects. They even suggest the Loch sightings could be paranormal, or supernatural in nature, such as Bigfoot and UFOs.
But with the popularity of the area for holidays and the local legends that abound about Nessie, if you were to visit the lair of the monster you would have more than enough to enjoy, even if the shy creature remains hidden in the depths of the loch. On the other hand you might just be the one to be pointing a camera in the right place at the time!