Loch Ness Monster: Difference between revisions
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The '''Loch Ness monster''' is a monster that is purported to live in [[Loch Ness]], a large lake in [[Scotland]], near the city of [[Inverness]]. |
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Loch (lake) Ness is one of a series of interconnected, murky lakes in Scotland. Quite large and deep, it features exceptionally low water visibility due to a high peat content in the surrounding soil. Rumors of a monster or animal living in the loch have beeen circulating for at least several centuries, although to date there has been no substantive evidence to that effect. Local inhabitants still argue strongly for its existence, however skeptics retort that this is probably because the rumours underpin the local tourism industry. |
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Most accounts of the monster's appearance, including historical ones, indicate a creature with a striking resemblance to the long-extinct [[plesiosaur]]. Actual fossil evidence for this prehistoric creature shows it to have been physically large, with a long neck and tiny head, and flippers for propulsion. The alleged connection of this creature with the Loch Ness monster has made it a popular topic in the field of [[cryptozoology]]. However, most scientists suggest that the idea that it is a remnant of the prehistoric era is not plausible - there would need to be a breeding colony of such creatures for there to have been any long-term survival, and this would result in far more frequent sightings than have actually been reported. |
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The majority of other theories as to the exact nature of the Loch Ness monster are considerably less sensational. The sighting of disturbances in the water caused by seals, fish, logs, mirages and light distortion, crossing of boat wakes, or unusual wave patterns have all been proposed. Very large [[sturgeon]] have been found in inland streams close to Loch Ness and, due to sturgeons' size and unusual apperance, one could easily be mistaken for a monster by someone not familar with it. A recent theory postulates that the 'monster' is actually nothing more than bubbling and disruptions in the water caused by minor volcanic activity at the bottom of the loch. This latter argument is supported (to a minor degree) by the correlation between tectonic motion and reported sightings. |
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The modern preoccupation with the Loch Ness Monster was aroused by a photograph from the 1930s, which supposedly showed a large creature with a long neck gliding through the water. Decades later, the orginal photographer confirmed that the famous shot, which had been printed worldwide as 'absolute evidence', was in fact a fake. However, many other subsequent photographs were taken by others, and some have been authenticated by independent sources as 'genuine' untampered-with images. All show a similar image, of a large creature with a long neck, usually photographed from a considerable distance. (Video 'evidence' has also been produced, though as much of it is out of focus, its reliability is questioned.) A television documentary in the 1990s broadcast in Britain sought to find 'Nessie' (as the creature is nicknamed). Though the film crew recorded for a number of weeks, no 'monster' was found. However, sonar equipment brought by the film makers and scientists and which was used to scan every inch of the loch to 'disprove' Nessie's existence, did show some movement of a large body at the lowest depths of the lake. Scientists admitted themselves puzzled as to the sonar readings, which suggested that ''something'' was in the lake. But what that something was remains a mystery, though one scientist involved in the programme indicated that, having started off believing there was nothing in the loch and that the 'monster' was just a 'tourist gimmick', he left believing that something is there, and that it seems to be some form of exceptionally large mammal able to swim at surprisingly low levels. |
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Regardless of what, if anything, is actually in the loch, the Loch Ness monster is certainly very significant to the local economy. Dozens of hotels, boating tour operators, and merchants of stuffed animals and related trinkets owe their livelihood to this monster, and hence the legend is likely to endure for quite some time. |
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A similar creature, "[[Champ]]", has been reported in [[Lake Champlain]] in the [[United States]]. [[Ogopogo]] in [[British Columbia]]'s [[Lake Okanagan]] is another, and the most well-known example of a multitude of such obscure monsters in [[Canada]] -- NaDene Indian mythology is replete with lake creatures, and many of these have been picked up by European-descended settlers. |
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Revision as of 23:03, 12 February 2003
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