The Loch Ness Monster

The legend of the Loch Ness Monster has been around for approximately 1,500 years. In 565 AD, Saint Columba reportedly witnessed a strange creature in Loch Ness. This is thought to be the first sighting of the monster. The sightings themselves have not decreased since that time. Once a road was built around the Loch in the 1930's, the number of sightings increased as more people had access to the Loch.

The Loch itself is quite large measuring approximately 24 miles long and 1000 feet deep. Thought the temperature on the surface of the water varies, the temperature in the lower depths stays steady around 54 degrees F.

So what is Nessie? There are several ideas. She has been described as having 2 humps, a tail, and a snakelike head. Those that are skeptical feel people are witnessing things such as boats, logs, waterfowl, and waves. Those that truly feel that there is a living creature in the lake have several theories on the identity of the creature. Some feel it could be a snake like prehistoric whale called a zeuglodon, a long neck aquatic seal, or a giant eel.

artist rendering of a zeuglodon

The most common theory is that Nessie is a plesiosaur, a prehistoric creature thought to have died out around 60-70 million years ago. The biggest argument to the plesiosaur theory is that they were cold blooded animals who would have much rather preferred warm ocean currents to the chilly waters of Loch Ness.

One of the first photographs of Nessie was taken in the early part of the 1930's by a surgeon. Unfortunately, it was recently discovered that the photo is a hoax.

There have been many expeditions to attempt to find solid proof that Nessie exists. Several teams have attempted to find her using advanced sonar equipment and "sweeping" the loch. This has turned up several unusual images that may or may not be the monster.

photo of large object taken during a Nessie expedition

In 1969, Vickers Oceanic's submersible Pisces came across a large object that disappeared when the sub drew near. Was that Nessie?

You can now search for Nessie in the comfort of your own home. There is a site which hosts a web cam of the lake surface and also one below the water surface. Already there has been one potential sighting from the webcam. Check it out! Nessie Webcam