Difference between revisions of "Loch Ness Monster" - New World Encyclopedia

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[[Category:Politics and social sciences]]
 
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[[Category:Mythical creatures]]
 
[[Image:Loch-Ness-Monster.jpg|thumb|250px|Loch Ness Monster (Oil painting) by Heikenwaelder Hugo]]
 
[[Image:Loch-Ness-Monster.jpg|thumb|250px|Loch Ness Monster (Oil painting) by Heikenwaelder Hugo]]
  
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The '''Loch Ness Monster''' is an unidentified [[animal]] purported to inhabit [[Scotland]]'s [[Loch Ness]], the most voluminous freshwater lake in Great Britain. Along with [[Bigfoot]] and the [[Yeti]], the Loch Ness Monster is one of the best-known mysteries of [[cryptozoology]]. Local Scottish highlanders, and many people around the world, have affectionately referred to the animal by the feminine name of '''Nessie'''.
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The '''Loch Ness Monster''' is a [[legendary creature]] purported to inhabit [[Scotland]]'s [[Loch Ness]], the most voluminous freshwater lake in [[Great Britain]]. Since reported sightings in the early twentieth century, Loch Ness has become world renowned for its mysterious lake monster. Local Scottish highlanders, and many people around the world, have affectionately referred to the animal by the feminine name of '''Nessie.'''  
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Most scientists and other experts find current evidence supporting the creature's existence unpersuasive, and regard the occasional sightings as [[hoax]]es or misidentification of known creatures or natural phenomena. However, belief in the legend persists around the world, with the most popular theory posing that the creature is actually a [[plesiosaur]].
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Most scientists and other experts find current evidence supporting the creature's existence unpersuasive, and regard the occasional sightings as hoaxes or misidentification of known creatures or natural phenomena. However, belief in the [[legend]] persists around the world, with the most popular theory posing that the creature is actually a [[plesiosaur]]. Beyond the debate as to whether Nessie is real or imaginary is the fact that this creature, like the [[Yeti]] of the [[Himalayan Mountains]] or [[Sasquatch]] in [[North America]], inspire people on a imaginative, even [[unconscious|subconscious]] level, tapping into that part of humanity that connects with the [[supernatural]] and unknown.
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==Name==
 
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The creature's disputed "scientific" name, chosen by the late [[Peter Scott]], is ''Nessiteras rhombopteryx'' (Greek for "the wonder of Ness with the diamond shaped fin"), although skeptics note the name to be an  [[anagram]] of "Monster hoax by Sir Peter S." Believers point out that the name is anagramic of "Yes both pix are monsters-R," the 'R' referring to monster hunter [[Robert H. Rines|Robert Rines]].{{Fact|date=March 2007}}
 
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==Identity==
 
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Many explanations have been postulated over the years to describe what kind of animal the Loch Ness Monster might be:
 
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===Plesiosaur===
 
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[[Image:plesiosaur1916.jpg|thumb|250px|right|''Plesiosaurs'', by Heinrich Harder, 1916.]]
 
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The most common eyewitness description of Nessie, is that of a [[plesiosaur]], a long-necked aquatic reptile that became [[extinction|extinct]] during the [[Cretaceous-Tertiary extinction event]]. Supporters of the plesiosaur theory cite the survival of a fish called the [[coelacanth]], which supposedly went extinct along with the plesiosaur but was rediscovered off the coast of Madagascar in 1938.
 
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On the other hand, mainstream science does offer plausible reasons why such an animal could not exist in Loch Ness. Apart from its apparent extinction, the plesiosaur was probably a cold-blooded reptile requiring warm tropical waters, while the average temperature of Loch Ness is only about 5.5°C (42°F). Even if the plesiosaurs were warm-blooded (like dinosaurs), they would require a food supply beyond that of Loch Ness to maintain the level of activity necessary for warm-blooded animals. <ref>http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/plain/A590294</ref>
 
  
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Moreover, there is no substantive evidence in the bone structure of fossilized plesiosaurs that indicate sonar capability (similar to that possessed by dolphins and whales). Such a system would be necessary in the loch, as visibility is limited to less than 15 feet due to a high peat concentration in the loch. Consequently, sunlight does not deeply penetrate the water, limiting the amount of photosynthetic algae, thereby reducing the number of plankton and fish in the food chain. Fossil evidence indicates plesiosaurs were sight hunters, it is unlikely that the loch's peat-stained water would allow such animals to hunt the limited food supply at sufficient levels.
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==Description==
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Over the years, the many sightings of the '''Loch Ness Monster,''' or '''Nessie,''' have produced a rather uniform description of the creature. It is said to have a long, slender neck that attaches a flat, rectangular head to a rounded body that possess four large flippers. Some report Nessie to have a long, slender tail while others insist it is shorter and thicker. One of the most prominent features attributed to Nessie are the eyes, large and situated on either side of the head. The color and length of the creature seems to be a point of contention, possibly due to the fact that the loch is dark and murky, sunlight not easily penetrating through the [[peat moss]] concentrated in the water. Reports have Nessie appearing grey or a dark tan color, ranging from the size of an [[elephant]] to as large as a [[whale]].  
  
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In October 2006, Leslie Noè of the Sedgwick Museum in [[Cambridge]] pointed out that, "The osteology of the neck makes it absolutely certain that the plesiosaur could not lift its head up swan-like out of the water," precluding the possibility that Nessie is a plesiosaur. <ref>http://www.newscientist.com/channel/life/mg19225764.900-why-the-loch-ness-monster-is-no-plesiosaur.html</ref>
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==Origin==
  
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===Kelpie===
 
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According to the [[Sweden|Swedish]] [[natural history|naturalist]] and author Bengt Sjögren (1980), present day beliefs in [[lake monster]]s such as "Nessie" are associated with the old legends of [[kelpie]]s. He claims that the accounts of lake monsters have changed over the ages, originally describing a horselike appearance, but in recent times describing a stronger resemblance to dinosaurs or plesiosaurs. Sjögren concludes that the kelpie legends have developed into more plausible descriptions of lake monsters, reflecting awareness of plesiosaurs. In other words, the kelpie of [[folklore]] has been transformed into a more "realistic" and "contemporary" notion of the creature. Believers counter that long-dead witnesses could only compare the creature to that which they were familiar — and were not familiar with plesiosaurs.
 
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===Long-necked seal===
 
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Author Peter Costello, in his book ''In Search of Lake Monsters'' (1975), posed the theory that Nessie and other reputed lake monsters were actually an unknown species of long-necked seal. This theory is supported by several sightings of the monster on land, during which the creature supposedly waddled into the loch upon being startled, in the manner of seals and sea lions. However, all known species of seals are highly visible on land during daylight hours to sunbathe {{Fact|date=February 2007}}, something that Nessie was never known to do.
 
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===Elephant===
 
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A theory presented by Neil Clark
 
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<ref>http://www.dancewithshadows.com/society/loch-ness-monster-elephant.asp</ref>, the curator of paleontology at the [[Hunterian Museum and Art Gallery|Hunterian Museum]] in [[Glasgow]] has suggested that Nessie could merely be a [[Ability to swim#Elephants|swimming elephant]], as there was a traveling circus passing through the area during the heyday of the sightings.
 
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<ref>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/07/AR2006030701434.html</ref>
 
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===Eel===
 
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Some have theorized that "Nessie" could actually be a large eel. One species of eel in the loch would be the Anguilla eel, which is not nearly long enough to fit Nessie's description, since it averages a mere half-meter in length. There are those who believe that an eel might have grossly enlarged in order to eat the bigger fish, or that a larger eel species inhabits the loch. But an eel could not protrude swanlike from the water as described in various
 
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sightings.<ref>http://www.cryptozoology.com/cryptids/nessie.php</ref> <ref>http://www.lochnessproject.org/loch_ness_reflections_news_links/loch_ness_sundberg.htm</ref>.
 
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===Other animals===
 
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Some theorists attribute the monster sightings to large [[esox|pike]] (''Esox lucius'')  <ref> http://www.lochnessproject.org/adrian_shine_archiveroom/papershtml/loch_ness_fish_habitats.htm</ref>, [[sturgeon]] <ref>http://www.loch-ness.org/sections/themystery/evidencepages/candidates.html</ref>, [[dolphin]]s, [[dog]]s<ref>http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/nessiehoaxes.html</ref> (as in "The Spray Photograph"), [[otter]]s, birds, and large [[mollusc]]s <ref>http://www.unexplained-mysteries.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=79557</ref> (such as a large [[cephalopod]] or [[nematode]]). [[Roy Chapman Andrews]], a prominent paleontological authority on [[cetaceans]], quickly pronounced the "Surgeon's Photo" to be nothing more than an [[orca]] fin.
 
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==Other explanations==
 
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===Trees===
 
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In a 1982 series of articles for ''[[New Scientist]]'', Dr Maurice Burton proposed that sightings of Nessie and similar creatures could actually be fermenting logs of [[Scots pine]] logs rising to the surface of the loch's cold waters. Initially, a rotting log could not release gases caused by decay, due to high levels of [[resin]] sealing in the gas. Eventually, the gas pressure would rupture a resin seal at one end of the log, propelling it through the water — and sometimes to the surface. Burton claimed that the shape of tree logs with their attendant branch stumps closely resemble various descriptions of the monster.
 
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Four Scottish lochs are very deep, including Morar, Ness and Lomond. But not all lochs have monster legends; the lochs with pinewoods on their shores have the legends, but Loch Lomond — the one with no pinewoods — does not. Gaseous emissions and surfactants resulting from the decay of the logs can cause the foamy wake reported in some sightings. Indeed, beached pine logs showing evidence of deep-water fermentation have been found. On the other hand, there are believers who assert that some lakes do have reports of monsters, despite an  absence of pinewoods. (A notable example would be the [[Ireland|Irish]] [[lough]] monsters). <ref>http://www.mysteryanimalsofireland.com/</ref>.
 
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“The Loch Ness Saga,” by Dr. Maurice Burton, ''New Scientist'', June 24, 1982, p. 872; July 1, 1982, pp. 41-42; July 8, 1982, pp. 112-113.
 
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===Seiches and boat wakes===
 
 
[[image:LochNessUrquhart.jpg|thumb|250px|right|Loch Ness]]
 
[[image:LochNessUrquhart.jpg|thumb|250px|right|Loch Ness]]
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Loch Ness, due to its long, straight shape, is subject to some unusual occurrences affecting its surface. A '''[[seiche]]''' is a large, regular oscillation of a lake, caused by a water reverting to its natural level after being blown to one end of the lake. The impetus from this reversion continues to the lake's windward end and then reverts back. In Loch Ness, the process occurs every 31.5 minutes <ref>http://www.biology.qmul.ac.uk/research/staff/s-araya/currents.htm#Internal%20progressive%20waves</ref>.
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The [[Scottish Highlands]] have always held a long standing tradition of mystery and belief in the [[supernatural]]. Loch Ness itself is believed to be the site of some long lost [[Druid]] power. The [[Celt]]s of pre-[[Roman Empire|Roman]] Britain also believed in a type of creature they called [[kelpie]]s, water spirits that would appear to children in the forms of [[horse]]s or [[bull]]s, enticing them into the water where they would drown them.<ref name=TimeLife> Time-Life Books, ''Mysteries of the Unknown: Mysterious Creatures.'' (Alexandria, 1998). </ref>  
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'''[[Wake|Boat wake]]s''' can also produce strange effects in the loch. As a wake spreads and divides from a boat passing the centre of the loch, it hits both sides almost simultaneously and deflects back to meet again in the middle. The movements interact to produce [[standing waves]] that are much larger than the original wake, and can have a humped appearance. By the time this occurs, the boat has passed and the unusual waves are all that can be seen.
 
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<ref>http://www.glenbrook.k12.il.us/gbssci/phys/mmedia/waves/swf.html</ref>
 
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<ref>http://www.lochnessinvestigation.org/Wakes.html</ref>
 
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However, there are wake sightings which appear to contradict the theory, as there are wakes that occur when the loch is dead calm with no boat nearby. A bartender named David Munro claims to have witnessed a wake which he believed to be a creature zigzagging, diving and reappearing. (There were 26 other witnesses from a nearby car park). <ref name=Loch/>). Some sightings describe the onset of a V-shaped wake, as if there were something underwater <ref name=AAS/>. Moreover, many wake sightings describe something not conforming to the shape of a boat<ref name=Discovery/>.
 
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==History of alleged sightings==
 
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Rumors of a huge animal living in the loch have existed for centuries. Some believers have argued that a lengthy history of monster sightings in the loch provides ample circumstantial evidence of the creature's existence.{{Fact|date=February 2007}} Others question the accuracy of such tales, and argue that they were generally unknown before the early 1960s when a strong wave of interest focused on the first clear examples of Nessie sightings in the 1930s.{{Fact|date=February 2007}} For example, an alleged sighting in October 1871 by a "D. Mackenzie," who supposedly described seeing something that moved slowly before moving off at a faster speed, has been repeated in several places <ref>http://www.geocities.com/bigbazza17/lochnessmonster.html</ref><ref>http://users.belgacom.net/renedec/pagehis9.html</ref><ref>http://www.coverups.com/lochness.htm</ref><ref>http://www.hotenglishmagazine.com/HEM/magpages/magpages/pdf2003apr/historical%20hysterics.pdf</ref>, no original 1871 source for this report has been discovered, indicating that it may be an invention.
 
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There have been far too many sightings to list in a single article. Many were questionable due to distance or  other poor conditions; some sightings are cases of misidentified deer or boat wakes, and of course, there have been several hoaxes. There are some sightings, however, which cannot be easily explained.
 
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===Saint Columba (565)===
 
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The earliest known report occurred in the ''[[Life of St. Columba]]'' by [[Adamnan]], written around the 7th century. It describes how in 565 [[Columba]] saved the life of a [[Picts|Pict]], who was being supposedly attacked by the monster. Adamnan describes the event as follows:
 
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<blockquote>"...(He) raised his holy hand, while all the rest, brethren as well as strangers, were stupefied with terror, and, invoking the name of God, formed the saving sign of the cross in the air, and commanded the ferocious monster, saying, "Thou shalt go no further, nor touch the man; go back with all speed." Then at the voice of the saint, the monster was terrified, and fled more quickly than if it had been pulled back with ropes, though it had just got so near to Lugne, as he swam, that there was not more than the length of a spear-staff between the man and the beast. Then the brethren seeing that the monster had gone back, and that their comrade Lugne returned to them in the boat safe and sound, were struck with admiration, and gave glory to God in the blessed man. And even the barbarous heathens, who were present, were forced by the greatness of this miracle, which they had seen, to magnify the God of the Christians".<ref>http://www.stephen.j.murray.btinternet.co.uk/scotsandpicts.htm</ref></blockquote>
 
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Skeptics question the reliability of the ''Life of St. Columba'' as evidence for the Loch Ness Monster's existence, noting that the book describes implausible events, such as an incident when Columba slays a [[wild boar]] by the power of his voice alone. They argue that the monster encounter is said to have occurred on the [[River Ness]], not in the Loch, and that Adamnan reports Columba encountering and conquering assorted "monsters" at various locations in Scotland, throughout his "life." Moreover, skeptics assert that there are no other accounts of the Loch Ness monster attacking anyone, as the creature is normally portrayed as shy. In fact, biographies of the early saints were often [[Golden Legend|embellished]] or invented for purposes of religious persuasion rather than historical record.
 
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===Land sightings===
 
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Although sightings of the creature on land around the loch reputedly date back to the sixteenth century <ref>http://www.lochness.co.uk/nessie/sightings/sightl.html</ref>, modern interest in the monster was sparked by a  22 July 1933 sighting, when Mr George Spicer and his wife saw 'a most extraordinary form of animal' cross the road in front of their car. They described the creature as having a large body (about 4 feet high and 25 feet long), and long, narrow neck, slightly thicker than an elephant's trunk and as long as the 10-12 foot width of the road; the neck had a number of undulations in it. They saw no limbs because of a dip in the road obscuring the animal's lower portion. It lurched across the road towards the loch some 20 yards away, leaving only a trail of broken undergrowth in its wake. <ref>http://www.nessie.co.uk/drawings.html</ref>
 
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On 5 January 1934 a motorcyclist called Arthur Grant claimed to have nearly hit the creature while approaching Abriachan on the northeastern shore, at about 1 am on a moonlit night. Grant saw a small head attached to a long neck; the creature saw him and crossed the road back into the loch. Grant dismounted and followed it to the loch, but only saw ripples where it had entered. <ref>http://www.sansilke.freeserve.co.uk/nessie/search.html</ref> <ref>http://www.loch-ness.com/files/eyewitnesses.html#land</ref>.
 
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In another 1934 sighting, a young maidservant named Margaret Munro supposedly observed the creature for about 20 minutes. It was about 6:30 am on 5 June, when she spotted it on shore from about 200 yards. She described it as having elephantlike skin, a long neck, a small head and two short forelegs or flippers. The sighting ended when the creature reentered the water. <ref>http://www.sansilke.freeserve.co.uk/nessie/search.html</ref>
 
  
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Sporadic land sightings continued until 1963, when a poor-quality film of the creature was made from a distance of several miles. <ref>http://www.lochness.co.uk/nessie/sightings/sightl.html</ref>
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The first suggestive reference of a creature that correlates to the modern day conception of Nessie comes from the seventh century writer [[Adamnan]], in ''The Life of St. Columba.'' A passage from this work describes how in 565 C.E. [[Columba]] saved the life of a [[Picts|Pict]], who was being supposedly attacked by a lake monster.<ref> Stephen J. Murray, [http://www.dot-domesday.me.uk/scotsandpicts.htm The Birth of Nations: Scotland.] Retrieved June 21, 2007. </ref> However, since these kinds of works often embellished the truth and incorporate supernatural elements for use as [[symbolism]], this work must only suggest how far back in history belief in the lake monster goes.
  
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===Sightings in the loch===
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It is difficult to accurately pinpoint when belief in Nessie began, but such is the characteristic of mysterious creatures, like [[Bigfoot]] or the [[Yeti]]. Beyond the debate of real or imaginary, creatures like Nessie appear to inspire people on an imaginative, even [[unconscious|subconscious]] level, tapping into that part of humanity that connects with the supernatural and unknown.
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In May 1943, CB Farrel of the Royal Observer Corps was supposedly distracted from his duties by a Nessie sighting. He was about 250 yards away from a large-eyed, 'finned' creature, which had a 20-30 foot long body, and a neck that protruded about 4-5 feet out of the water. <ref>http://www.sansilke.freeserve.co.uk/nessie/search.html</ref>
 
  
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In December 1954 a strange sonar contact was made by the fishing boat ''Rival III''. The vessel's crew observed sonar readings of a large object keeping pace with the boat at a depth of 480 feet. It was detected travelling for half a mile in this manner, before contact was lost <ref>http://www.sansilke.freeserve.co.uk/nessie/search2.html</ref>.
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==Sightings and Evidence==
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The number of reported sightings of the Loch Ness Monster is extremely large. However, there are several that are distinctive and worth noting, especially the earlier reports that led to Nessie's world wide celebrity. The first reported sighting during modern times was in 1880, by a diver named Duncan McDonald, who had an alleged underwater encounter with a creature that left him quite shaken.<ref name=TimeLife/> But it was not until a string of sightings in the 1930s that Loch Ness received world attention. On July 22, 1933, Mr. George Spicer and his wife saw “a most extraordinary form of animal” cross the road in front of their car. They described the creature as having a large body (about 4 feet high and 25 feet long), and long, narrow neck, slightly thicker than an [[elephant]]'s trunk and as long as the 10-12 foot width of the road; the neck had a number of undulations in it. They saw no limbs because of a dip in the road obscuring the animal's lower portion. It lurched across the road towards the loch some 20 yards away, leaving only a trail of broken undergrowth in its wake.<ref> Nessie.co.uk, [http://www.nessie.co.uk/drawings.html Drawings and Opinions] Retrieved June 21, 2007.</ref> Then on June 17 of the same year, there were three reported sightings in one day. Edna MacInnes and David Mackay reportedly saw a monster that had a long neck and was brownish in color. They watched it for a few moments from the shore before it dipped below the surface and did not re-emerge. However, later that evening the creature was seen again, first by James MacIntosh and his son, and then by Lorraine Davidson. All three claimed to have first noticed the wake Nessie left in the water, which was distinctive since there were no boats on the loch at the time and the water was calm.<ref> Mark Chorvinsky, [http://www.strangemag.com/nessie.sightings.html Nessie, The Loch Ness Monster.] Retrieved June 21, 2007.</ref>
  
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====Three sightings in one night====
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On January 5, 1934, a motorcyclist named Arthur Grant claimed to have nearly hit the creature while approaching Abriachan on the northeastern shore, at about 1 a.m. on a moonlit night. Grant saw a small head attached to a long neck; the creature saw him and crossed the road back into the loch. Grant dismounted and followed it to the loch, but only saw ripples where it had entered.<ref> Nessie.co.uk, [http://www.sansilke.freeserve.co.uk/nessie/search.html Searching for Nessie.] Retrieved June 21, 2007.</ref>
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On June 17 1993, Edna MacInnes and David Mackay, both of Inverness, reportedly saw the monster which they described as forty feet long, pale brown, and with a long neck held high above the water. <ref name=Discovery>Discovery Communications, Loch Ness Discovered, 1993</ref>. After swimming along the surface, it sank into the water. Although the monster was a mile from the shore, MacInnes claimed to have run along the shore to keep up with it.<ref name=strangemag>http://www.strangemag.com/nessie.sightings.html</ref>
 
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"I was scared when the wash from its wake lapped on the shore, but I just kept running behind it. By the time it plunged below the surface I was running as fast as I could go," She added.
 
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Forty minutes later they saw it again, and Mackay attempted to take a photograph, but only managed to get a picture of its wake. <ref name=Discovery/> <ref name=strangemag/>.
 
  
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Later the same evening it was reportedly seen by James MacIntosh of Inverness along with his son James <ref name=Discovery/>. Young James saw it first, saying "Dad, that's not a boat <ref name=strangemag/>." They described a pale brown, long-necked creature heading away from shore <ref name=strangemag/>.
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In another 1934 sighting, a young maidservant named Margaret Munro supposedly observed the creature for about 20 minutes. It was about 6:30 a.m. on June 5 when she spotted it on shore from about two hundred yards away. She described it as having elephant like skin, a long neck, a small head and two short forelegs or flippers. The sighting ended when the creature re-entered the water.<ref> Tony Harmsworth, Land Sightings.</ref> In 1938 Mr. G. E. Taylor, a [[South Africa]]n tourist, filmed something in the loch for three minutes on 16mm color film. However, the footage has never been released.<ref name=TimeLife/>  
  
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The final sighting of the night was reported by Lorraine Davidson, who saw a large wake in the loch, when no boats were visible for miles. The wake appeared to be different from a typical boat wake, in a manner not described in the report. <ref name=Discovery/>.
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In December 1954 the first of many ambiguous [[sonar]] contacts attributed to Nessie was reported. The [[fishing]] boat ''Rival III,'' on a routine run, observed sonar readings of a large object keeping pace with the boat at a depth of 480 feet. It was detected traveling for half a mile in this manner, before contact was lost.<ref> Nessie.co.uk, [http://www.sansilke.freeserve.co.uk/nessie/search2.html Searching For Nessie.] Retrieved June 21, 2007.</ref>
  
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==Photographs and films==
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===The "Surgeon's Photograph"===
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===The 'Surgeon's Photo'===
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One of the most famous images of Nessie is known as the “Surgeon’s Photograph," which many consider to be good evidence of the monster, though doubts about the [[photograph]]'s authenticity have been expressed.<ref> Museum of Hoaxes, [http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/photos/lochness.html The Surgeon's Photo.] Retrieved June 21, 2007. </ref> The photographer, a [[gynecology|gynecologist]] named Robert Kenneth Wilson, photographed an animal in the water he could not identify (never claiming it was Nessie), but did sell it to the ''[[Daily Mail]]'' [[newspaper]] whose printing of the photograph caused a sensational reaction among its readers. However, it was later determined that the photograph was cropped, seeming to make the monster seem larger than it actually is in the original un-cropped shot, which shows the other end of the loch and the "monster" in the center, relative in size to the average [[bird]].<ref name=Lyons> Stephen Lyons, [http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/lochness/legend3.html Birth of A Legend] Retrieved June 21, 2007. </ref>  
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One of the most iconic images of Nessie is known as the 'Surgeon's Photograph' which many consider to be good evidence of the monster, though doubts about the photograph's authenticity have been expressed. The photographer, a [[gynecologist]] named Robert Kenneth Wilson, never claimed it to be a picture of the monster. He merely claimed to have photographed "something in the water." The photo is often cropped to make the monster seem huge, while the original uncropped shot shows the other end of the loch and the monster in the centre <ref>http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/lochness/legend3.html</ref>.The ripples on the photo fit the size and circular pattern of small ripples as opposed to large waves when photographed up close. Skeptics argue the photo was that of an [[otter]] or a diving [[bird]].{{Fact|date=February 2007}}
 
  
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Analyses of the original uncropped image have fostered further doubt. Just a year before the hoax was ostensibly revealed, the makers of [[Discovery Communications]]'s documentary ''Loch Ness Discovered'' did an analysis of the uncropped image and found a white object evident in every version of the photo, implying that it was on the negative. "It seems to be the source of ripples in the water, almost as if the object was towed by something.," the narrator said. "But science cannot rule out it was just a blemish on the negative," he continued.
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In 1994, Chris Spurling allegedly confessed on his deathbed that the photograph was a hoax. Spurling was the son-in-law of Marmaduke Wetherell, a big game hunter who was deceived into searching for the storied Loch Ness Monster based on evidence which turned out to be a children's prank. Wetherell was publicly ridiculed in the ''Daily Mail,'' the journal which employed him. Spurling claimed that to get revenge, Marmaduke Wetherell committed the hoax, with the help of Chris Spurling (a [[sculpture]] specialist), his son Ian Marmaduke, who bought the material for the fake Nessie, and Maurice Chambers (an insurance agent), who would call to ask surgeon Robert Kenneth Wilson to display the pictures. However, Spurling's "confession" is held in doubt because of the involvement of several people not connected to Wilson.<ref name=Lyons/> Critical analysis of the photography generally deems it a fake, but it has lived on as a popular symbol of Nessie in the public eye.
  
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Some believe the photo to be a hoax in light of Chris Spurling's unrecorded deathbed confession  allegedly witnessed by a reporter. Spurling was the son-in-law of Marmaduke Wetherell, a big game hunter who was deceived into searching for the storied Loch Ness monster based on evidence which turned out to be a children's prank. Wetherell was publicly ridiculed in the ''[[Daily Mail]]'', the journal which employed him. Spurling claimed that to get revenge, Marmaduke Wetherell committed the hoax, with the help of Chris Spurling (a sculpture specialist), his son Ian Marmaduke, who bought the material for the fake Nessie, and Maurice Chambers (an insurance agent), who would call to ask surgeon Robert Kenneth Wilson to display the pictures. However, Spurling's "confession" is held in doubt because of the involvement of several people not connected to Wilson.
+
==Investigations==
 +
Just as with sightings, there have been countless investigations into the Loch Ness mystery, some privately funded and well equipped, others conducted on an amateur budget. Most have turned up little, if any evidence, but some are worthy of note. In 1969 Andrew Carroll, field researcher for the [[New York Aquarium]] in [[New York City]], proposed a mobile [[sonar]] scan operation at Loch Ness. The project was funded by the Griffis Foundation (named for Stanton Griffis, whose son Nixon Griffis was a director of the aquarium). This was the tail-end (and most successful portion) of the Loch Ness Phenomena Investigation Bureau’s (LNPIB) 1969 effort involving [[submersible]]s with [[biopsy]] harpoons. The trawling scan, in Carroll's research launch ''Rangitea,'' took place in October. One sweep of the loch made contact with a strong, animate echo for nearly three minutes just north of Foyers. The identity of the animal remains a mystery. Later analysis determined that the intensity of the returning echo was twice as great as that expected from a 10 foot [[pilot whale]]. Calculations placed the animal's length at 20 feet.<ref name=TimeLife/>
  
−
===The Taylor film (1938)===
+
During the so-called "Big Expedition" of 1970, [[Roy Mackal]], a [[biology|biologist]] who taught for 20 years at the [[University of Chicago]], devised a system of [[hydrophone]]s (underwater [[microphone]]s) and deployed them at intervals throughout the loch. In early August, a hydrophone assembly was lowered into Urquhart Bay and anchored in seven hundred feet of water. Two hydrophones were secured at depths of three hundred and six hundred feet. After two nights of recording, the tape (sealed inside a 55 gallon steel drum along with the system's other sensitive components) was retrieved and played before an excited LNPIB. "Bird-like chirps" had been recorded, and the intensity of the chirps on the deep hydrophone suggested they had been produced at greater depth. In October "knocks" and "clicks" were recorded by another hydrophone in Urquhart Bay, indicative of [[echolocation]]. These sounds were followed by a "turbulent swishing" suggestive of the tail locomotion of a large aquatic animal. The knocks, clicks and resultant swishing were believed to be the sounds of an animal echolocating prey before moving in for the kill. The noises stopped whenever craft passed along the surface of the loch near the hydrophone and resumed once the craft reached a safe distance. In previous experiments, it was observed that call intensities were greatest at depths less than one hundred feet.
−
In 1938 Mr GE Taylor, a South African tourist, filmed something in the loch for three minutes on 16mm colour film, which is now in the possession of Dr [[Maurice Burton]]. However, Dr Burton has refused to show the film to Loch Ness investigators (such as Peter Costello or the Loch Ness Investigation Bureau). A single frame was published in his book 'The Elusive Monster'; before he retired. [[Roy Mackal|Dr Roy P Mackal]], a respected biologist and cryptozoologist, declared the frame to be "positive evidence." (Janet and Colin Bord, 'Alien Animals' (Granada 1986) p18)
 
  
−
===The Dinsdale Film (1960)===
+
Members of the LNPIB decided to attempt [[communication]] with the animals by playing back the calls previously recorded into the water and listening via hydrophone for results, which varied greatly. At times the calling patterns or intensities changed, but sometimes there was no change at all. Mackal noted that there was no similarity between the recordings and the hundreds of known sounds produced by aquatic animals. "More specifically," he said, "competent authorities state that none of the known forms of life in the loch has the anatomical capabilities of producing such calls."<ref> Roy Mackal, ''The Monsters of Loch Ness'' (Swallow, 1980). </ref>.  
−
In 1960, aeronautical engineer Tim Dinsdale filmed a hump crossing the water in a powerful wake unlike that of a boat. [[JARIC]] declared that the object was "probably animate".[http://www.loch-ness.org/sections/themystery/evidencepages/filmandvideo.html] Others were skeptical, saying that the "hump" cannot be ruled out as being a boat <ref>http://www.nessie.co.uk/nessie/analysis.html</ref> and claimed that when the contrast is turned up too high a man can be clearly seen in a boat <ref>http://www.loch-ness.org/files/moviefilmsandvideo.html</ref>. Some have questioned this, because the version they were watching was a pirate copy.{{Fact|date=February 2007}} This copy may itself have been a fake attempt to imitate the original.{{Fact|date=February 2007}}
 
  
−
In 1993 [[Discovery Communications]] made a documentary called ''Loch Ness Discovered'' that featured a digital enhancement of the Dinsdale film. A computer expert who enhanced the film noticed a shadow in the negative which was not very obvious in the positive. By enhancing and overlaying frames, he found what appeared to be the rear body, the rear flippers, and 1-2 additional humps of a plesiosaur-like body. He said that: "Before I saw the film, I thought the Loch Ness Monster was a load of rubbish. Having done the enhancement, I'm not so sure." <ref name=Discovery/>  Some have countered this finding by saying that the angle of the film from the horizontal along with sun's angle on that day made shadows underwater unlikely <ref>http://www.lochnessinvestigation.org/cyberspace.html#seeunderwater</ref>. Believers (and some nonbelievers) claim the shape could have been undisturbed water that was only coincidentally shaped like a plesiosaur's rear end <ref name=Bauer>Bauer, Henry H., "Common Knowledge about the Loch Ness Monster," Journal of Scientific Exploration, 16(3): 455—477 (2002)
+
In 1993 Discovery Communications began to research the [[ecology]] of the loch. The study did not focus entirely on the monster, but on the loch's [[nematode]]s (of which a new species was discovered) and [[fish]]. Expecting to find a small fish population, the researchers caught twenty fish in one catch, increasing previous estimates of the loch's fish population about nine fold. Using sonar, the team encountered a rare kind of underwater disturbance due to stored energy causing an imbalance between the loch's warmer and colder layers. While reviewing printouts of the event the next day, they found what appeared to be three sonar contacts, each followed by a powerful wake. These events were later shown on a program called ''Loch Ness Discovered'' in conjunction with analysis and enhancements of the 1960 Dinsdale Film, the Surgeon's Photo, and the Rines Flipper Photo.<ref> Tony Harmsworth, Ness news and Updates.</ref>
−
[http://www.henryhbauer.homestead.com/16.3_bauer.pdf]</ref>. But the same source also says that there might be a smaller object (hump or head) in front of the hump causing this <ref name=Bauer/>. Nonetheless, the enhancement did show a smaller second hump and possibly a third hump.
 
  
−
==Searches for the monster==
+
==Evaluating the Evidence==
−
===The LNPIB sonar study (1967-8)===
+
[[File:Plesiosaur.jpg|thumb|250px|left|''Plesiosaurs,'' by Heinrich Harder, 1916.]]
−
Professor DG Tucker, chairman of the Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering at the [[University of Birmingham]], England, volunteered his services as a [[sonar]] developer and expert at Loch Ness in 1968. The gesture was part of a larger effort helmed by the Loch Ness Phenomena Investigation Bureau (LNPIB) from 1967-1968 and involved collaboration between volunteers and professionals in various fields. Tucker had chosen Ness as the test site for a prototype sonar transducer with a maximum range of 800 meters. The device was fixed underwater at Temple Pier in Urquhart Bay and directed towards the opposite shore, effectively drawing an acoustic 'net' across the width of Ness through which no moving object could pass undetected. During the two-week trial in August, multiple animate targets six meters (20 ft) in length were identified ascending from and diving to the loch bottom. Analysis of diving profiles ruled out air-breathers because the targets never surfaced or moved shallower than midwater. A brief press release by LNPIB and associates touched on the sonar data and drew to a close the 1968 effort:
 
  
−
<blockquote>The answer to the question of whether or not unusual phenomena
+
[[Cryptozoology|Cryptozoologist]]s, those who study and search for animals that are purported to exist but have not officially been discovered, believe that the numerous eye witness reports, [[film]] footage, and [[sonar]] contacts all conclude in the likelihood of Nessie being real. Others who have researched the evidence, such as science writer Steuart Campbell, have concluded that "there is absolutely no reason why anyone should believe in lake monsters" and that the Loch Ness Monster is no more than "an imaginary animal compounded of incongruous elements…indeed an incongruous mix of reptile and mammal, of fish and amphibian, of vertebrate and invertebrate, of long-necked and short-necked plesiosaur, of seal, whale, eel, etc. It is a chimera, no more real than the centaur or the griffin."<ref> Steuart Campbell, ''The Loch Ness Monster: The Evidence.'' (Birlinn Publishers, 2004, ISBN 1841581984). </ref> Yet, people do continue to believe in Nessie and provide evidence for her existence.
−
exist in Loch Ness, Scotland, and if so, what their nature might
 
−
be, was advanced a step forward during 1968, as a result of sonar
 
−
experiments conducted by a team of scientists under the direction
 
−
of D. Gordon Tucker...
 
−
Professor Tucker reported that his fixed beam sonar made contact
 
−
with large moving objects sometimes reaching speeds of at least 10
 
−
[[knot (speed)|knots]]. He concluded that the objects are clearly animals and ruled
 
−
out the possibility that they could be ordinary fish. He stated:
 
−
"The high rate of ascent and descent makes it seem very unlikely
 
−
that they could be fish, and fishery biologists we have consulted
 
−
cannot suggest what fish they might be. It is a temptation to
 
−
suppose they might be the fabulous Loch Ness monsters, now observed
 
−
for the first time in their underwater activities!"</blockquote>
 
  
−
===Andrew Carroll's sonar study (1969)===
+
A popular theory is that Nessie is a [[plesiosaur]], a long-necked aquatic [[reptile]] that became [[extinction|extinct]] during the [[Cretaceous-Tertiary extinction event]]. The discovery of previously believed extinct animals has happened in the past, such as the survival of a fish called the [[coelacanth]], which supposedly became extinct along with the plesiosaur but was rediscovered off the coast of [[Madagascar]] in 1938.  
−
In 1969 Andrew Carroll, field researcher for the [[New York Aquarium]] in New York City, proposed a mobile sonar scan operation at Loch Ness. The project was funded by the Griffis foundation (named for Nixon Griffis, then a director of the aquarium). This was the tail-end (and most successful portion) of the LNPIB's 1969 effort involving [[submersible]]s with [[biopsy]] harpoons. The trawling scan, in Carroll's research launch ''Rangitea'', took place in October. One sweep of the loch made contact with a strong, animate echo for nearly three minutes just north of Foyers. The identity of the animal remains a mystery. Later analysis determined that the intensity of the returning echo was twice as great as that expected from a 10 foot [[pilot whale]]. Calculations placed the animal's length at 20 feet.  
 
  
−
===Submersible investigations===
+
Many believe in this hypothesis for two reasons: first, a plesiosaur matches most of the eyewitness descriptions, and it is an established organism in the geological record. However, as skeptics often point out, there are many reasons not to believe this theory. Apart from its apparent extinction, the plesiosaur was probably a cold-blooded reptile requiring warm tropical waters, while the average temperature of Loch Ness is only about 42°F. Even if the plesiosaurs were warm-blooded (like [[dinosaur]]s), they would require a food supply beyond that of Loch Ness to maintain the level of activity necessary for warm-blooded animals.<ref>BBC, [http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/plain/A590294 Were Dinosaurs Endotherms or Ectotherms?] Retrieved June 21, 2007.</ref> Scientists also point out that no other dinosaurs have been proven to have survived to date, not to mention the fact the loch is too small a location to support a group that would be able to continuously breed for millions of years.  
−
Earlier submersible work had yielded dismal results. Under the sponsorship of [[World Book Encyclopedia]], pilot Dan Taylor deployed the ''Viperfish'' at Loch Ness on 1 June 1969. His dives, though treacherous and plagued by technical problems, were routine, and produced no new data. The ''Deep Star III'' built by [[General Dynamics]] and an unnamed two-man submersible built by [[Westinghouse]] were slated to sail but never did. It was only when the ''Pisces'' arrived at Ness that the LNPIB obtained new data. Owned by [[Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering Ltd|Vickers, Ltd.]], the submersible had been rented out to produce a [[The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes|Sherlock Holmes film]] featuring a dummy Loch Ness Monster. When the dummy monster broke loose from the ''Pisces'' during filming and sank to the bottom of the loch, Vickers executives capitalized on the loss and 'monster fever' by allowing the sub to do a bit of exploring. During one of these excursions, the ''Pisces'' picked up a large moving object on sonar 200 feet ahead and 50 feet above the bottom of the loch. Slowly the pilot closed to half that distance but the echo moved rapidly out of sonar range and disappeared.
 
  
−
===The Big Expedition of 1970===
+
Non-believers are quick to put forth their own explanations as to Nessie sightings, ranging from misidentification of existing animals such as [[eel]]s, [[sea lion]]s, and even large [[fish]]. Some of these explanations can sometimes seem as far reaching as belief in Nessie, such as Maurice Burton's proposal that sightings of Nessie and similar creatures could actually be fermenting [[Scots pine]] logs rising to the surface of the loch's cold waters. Initially, a rotting log could not release gases caused by decay, due to high levels of [[resin]] sealing in the gas. Eventually, the gas pressure would rupture a resin seal at one end of the log, propelling it through the water and sometimes to the surface. Burton claimed that the shape of tree logs with their attendant branch stumps closely resemble various descriptions of the monster.
−
During the so-called "Big Expedition" of 1970, [[Roy Mackal]], a biologist who taught for 20 years at the [[University of Chicago]], devised a system of [[hydrophone]]s (underwater microphones) and deployed them at intervals throughout the loch. In early August a hydrophone assembly was lowered into Urquhart Bay and anchored in 700 feet of water. Two hydrophones were secured at depths of 300 and 600 feet. After two nights of recording, the tape (sealed inside a 55 gallon steel drum along with the system's other sensitive components) was retrieved and played before an excited LNPIB. "Bird-like chirps" had been recorded, and the intensity of the chirps on the deep hydrophone suggested they had been produced at greater depth. In October "knocks" and "clicks" were recorded by another hydrophone in Urquhart Bay, indicative of [[animal echolocation|echolocation]]. These sounds were followed by a "turbulent swishing" suggestive of the tail locomotion of a large aquatic animal. The knocks, clicks and resultant swishing were believed to be the sounds of an animal echolocating prey before moving in for the kill. The noises stopped whenever craft passed along the surface of the loch near the hydrophone — and resumed once the craft reached a safe distance. In previous experiments, it was observed that call intensities were greatest at depths less than 100 feet. Members of the LNPIB decided to attempt communication with the animals producing the calls by playing back previously recorded calls into the water and listening via hydrophone for results, which varied greatly. At times the calling patterns or intensities changed, but sometimes there was no change at all. Mackal noted that there was no similarity between the recordings and the hundreds of known sounds produced by aquatic animals. "More specifically," he said, "competent authorities state that none of the known forms of life in the loch has the anatomical capabilities of producing such calls."
 
  
−
===Robert Rines's studies (1972, 1975 and 2001)===
+
However, four Scottish lochs are very deep, including Morar, Ness, and [[Loch Lomond|Lomond]]. But not all lochs have monster legends; the lochs with pinewoods on their shores have [[legend]]s, but Loch Lomond—the one with no pinewoods—does not. Gaseous emissions and surfactants resulting from the decay of the logs can cause the foamy wake reported in some sightings. Indeed, beached pine logs showing evidence of deep-water fermentation have been found. On the other hand, there are believers who assert that some lakes do have reports of monsters, despite an absence of pinewoods. A notable example would be the [[Ireland|Irish]] [[lough]] monsters.<ref> Maurice Burton, "The Loch Ness Saga." ''New Scientist.'' (1982). </ref>
  
−
In the early 1970s, a group of people led by [[United States|American]] [[patent attorney|patent lawyer]] and founder of an organization which he named the [[Academy of Applied Sciences]], [[Robert H. Rines|Robert Rines]], obtained some underwater photographs. One was a vague image, perhaps of a rhomboid flipper (though others have dismissed the image as air bubbles or a fish fin). On the basis of this photograph, British naturalist  [[Peter Scott]] announced in 1975 that the scientific name of the monster would henceforth be ''Nessiteras rhombopteryx''<ref>http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v258/n5535/full/258466a0.html</ref> (Greek for "The Ness monster with diamond-shaped fin"). This would enable Nessie to be added to a British register of officially protected wildlife (but compare <ref>http://www.lochness.co.uk/nessie2000/netwarning.html</ref>). It has been noted by London newspapers that ''Nessiteras rhombopteryx'' is an [[anagram]] of "monster hoax by Sir Peter S." Monster-hunter Robert H. Rines replied that the letters could also be rearranged to spell "Yes, both pix are monsters—R."
+
[[Geology]] and [[Geo-physics]] may be responsible for Loch Ness Monster sightings. The loch, due to its long, straight shape, is subject to some unusual occurrences affecting its surface. For example, a [[seiche]] is a large, regular oscillation of a lake, caused by water reverting to its natural level after being blown to one end of the lake. The impetus from this reversion continues to the lake's windward end and then reverts back. In Loch Ness, the process occurs every 31.5 minutes and could account for strange appearances.<ref> Queen Mary University in London, [http://www.biology.qmul.ac.uk/research/staff/s-araya/currents.htm#Internal%20progressive%20waves Movement of Water in Lakes.] Retrieved June 21, 2007.</ref> Boat wakes can also produce strange effects in the loch. As a wake spreads and divides from a boat passing the center of the loch, it hits both sides almost simultaneously and deflects back to meet again in the middle. The movements interact to produce [[standing waves]] that are much larger than the original wake, and can have a humped appearance. By the time this occurs, the boat has passed and the unusual waves are all that can be seen.<ref> Dick Raynor, [http://www.lochnessinvestigation.org/Wakes.html Boat Wakes Mistaken for Monsters.] Retrieved June 21, 2007. </ref>
  
−
The underwater photos were reportedly obtained by painstakingly sonaring the loch depths for unusual underwater activity. A submersible camera with an affixed, high-powered light (necessary for penetrating Loch Ness' notorious murk) was deployed to record images below the surface. Several of the photographs, despite their obviously murky quality, did indeed seem to show an animal resembling a [[plesiosaur]] in various positions and lightings. One photograph appeared to show the head, neck and upper torso of a plesiosaur <ref>http://www.scotland-calling.com/nessie/nessie1.jpg</ref>. (Close examination would show a specific head shape and even an eye). Another photo seemed to depict a "gargoyle head," which was later found to be a tree stump during Operation Deepscan.
+
===Hoaxes===
  
−
A few closeups of what is to be the creature's supposed diamond-shaped fin were taken in different positions, as though the creature were moving. But the "flipper photograph" has been highly retouched from the original image. The ''Museum of Hoaxes'' <ref>http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/nessiehoaxes.html</ref> shows the original unenhanced photo. [[Charlie Wyckoff]] claimed that someone retouched the photo to superimpose the flipper, and that the original enhancement showed a much smaller flipper. No one is exactly sure how the original came to be enhanced in this way. <ref name= Loch>Loch Ness Monster: Search for the Truth, 2001</ref>
+
Non-believers in the Loch Ness Monster phenomenon like to point out the number of hoaxes over the years as further evidence that the creature does not exist. In the 1930s, a big game hunter named Marmaduke Wetherell went to Loch Ness to look for the Loch Ness Monster. He claimed to have found some footprints but when the footprints were sent to scientists for analysis, they turned out to be [[hippopotamus]] footprints. A prankster had used a petrified hippopotamus foot umbrella stand to make the footprints.<ref name=Lyons/> In 2004 a documentary team (primarily consisting of special effects experts from movies) deliberately tried to make people believe there was something in the loch. They constructed an elaborate animatronic model. Despite setbacks, it was a success, and numerous sightings were reported on the day, in the very places they conducted the hoaxes.<ref> Jez Gibson Harris, [http://www.crawley-creatures.com/recent/lucy.htm Loch Ness Monster: The Ultimate Experiment.] Retrieved June 21, 2007.</ref>  
  
−
In 2001, the Academy of Applied Science, known for Robert Rines' photographs, videoed a powerful V-shaped wake traversing the still water on a calm day <ref name=AAS>http://www.aas-world.org/sparks/V1-four/lochness.html</ref>. They also found what looked like a decaying carcass of an animal.
+
In 2005 two students claimed to have found a huge tooth embedded in the body of a deer on the loch shore. They publicized the find widely, even setting up a website, but expert analysis soon revealed that the "tooth" was the antler of a [[muntjac]].<ref> Ron Strom, [http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=44687 Loch Ness Monster's tooth found? Students allegedly discover item on Scottish lake, but skeptic cries hoax.] Retrieved June 21, 2007. </ref>
−
 
 
−
===Discovery Loch Ness (1993)===
 
−
In 1993 [[Discovery Communications]] began to research the ecology of the loch. The study did not focus entirely on the monster, but on the loch's [[nematode]]s (of which a new species was discovered) and fish. Expecting to find a small fish population, the researchers caught twenty fish in one catch, increasing previous estimates of the loch's fish population about ninefold.
 
−
 
 
−
Using sonar, the team encountered a rare kind of underwater disturbance due to stored energy (eg, from a wind) causing an imbalance between the loch's warmer and colder layers. While reviewing printouts of the event the next day, they found what appeared to be three sonar contacts, each followed by a powerful wake. These events were later shown on a program called ''Loch Ness Discovered'', in conjunction with analyses and enhancements of the 1960 Dinsdale Film, the Surgeon's Photo, and the Rines Flipper Photo.
 
−
 
 
−
===GUST Expedition (2001)===
 
−
An expedition by the Global Underwater Search Team (GUST) was conducted with advanced sonar equipment to search for the creature. One night, a small sonar contact moved on the screen. On another occasion, a vague disturbance was captured on film.
 
−
 
 
−
The expedition was shown on a program called ''Loch Ness Monster: Search for the Truth''.
 
−
 
 
−
===Television investigations (2003-4)===
 
−
In July 2003, the [[BBC]] reported an extensive investigation of [[Loch Ness]] by a BBC team using 600 separate [[sonar]] beams, which found no trace of a "sea monster"  in the loch. The BBC team concluded that Nessie simply did not exist. <ref>http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3096839.stm</ref>
 
−
 
 
−
====Witch controversy====
 
−
This expedition sparked controversy with many [[Christian]] groups{{Fact|date=February 2007}} because a [[witch]] cast a spell on the loch prior to the expedition. This witch, Kevin Carlyon, often visits the loch to cast spells,<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/southern_counties/2981386.stm "White witch to tempt Nessie"] BBC News</ref> usually for the 'Nessie on the Net' webcam. Some devout Christians have tried to discourage visits to the loch because of the "witchery."
 
−
 
 
−
==Hoaxes==
 
−
The Loch Ness monster phenomenon has seen several attempts to hoax the public, some of which were very successful. Other hoaxes were revealed rather quickly by the perpetrators, or exposed after diligent research. A few examples are mentioned below.
 
−
 
 
−
In the 1930s, a big game hunter named Marmaduke Wetherell went to Loch Ness to look for the Loch Ness Monster. he claimed to have found some footprints but when the footprints were sent to scientists for analysis, they turned out to be [[hippopotamus]] footprints. A prankster had used a petrified hippopotamus foot umbrella stand to make the footprints. [http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/lochness/legend.html]
 
−
In 2004, a documentary team for [[five (TV)|Channel 5]] (primarily consisting of special effects experts from movies) deliberately tried to make people believe there was something in the loch. They constructed an elaborate animatronic model. Despite setbacks, it was a success, and numerous sightings were reported on the day, in the very places they conducted the hoaxes<ref>http://www.crawley-creatures.com/recent/lucy.htm</ref>.
 
−
 
 
−
In 2005 two students claimed to have found a huge tooth embedded  
 
−
in the body of a deer on the loch shore. They publicised the find widely, even setting up a website, but expert analysis soon revealed that the "tooth" was the antler of a [[muntjac]].<ref>http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=44687</ref>
 
−
 
 
−
==Popular culture==
 
−
{{main|Loch Ness Monster and popular culture}}
 
−
 
 
−
The Loch Ness Monster is a recurrent figure in modern literature, television movies and games. There are times when Nessie appears to
 
−
represent Scotland the way the Eiffel Tower symbolises France. The common jibe that the monster legend helps the local tourist industry seems to be
 
−
borne out in relevant websites (such as the "monster-oriented" site, nessie.co.uk, sponsored by a local hotel). But the defensive slogan "There's more to Inverness than Nessie" on one or two other Scottish websites might indicate that the legend is deemed a
 
−
limitation in some Scottish quarters.
 
  
 +
It should be noted, however, that the verification of a few sightings as hoaxes should not taint every report. As with [[sasquatch]] and the [[yeti]], it is unlikely that all of the thousands of sightings are purported hoaxes. The human desire for attention, particularly with the level of attention the [[mass media|media]] can provide, should be taken into consideration as well. It is more than likely that individuals, having heard the stories of Nessie and seen the media attention surrounding the phenomenon, desired their own share of attention. Or, as Sir [[Arthur Keith]] suggested, they were just seeing what they wanted to see.
  
 
==Notes==
 
==Notes==
Line 190: Line 71:
  
 
==References==
 
==References==
−
 
+
*Bauer, Henry H. ''The Enigma of Loch Ness: Making Sense of a Mystery.'' University of Illinois. 1986. ISBN 0252012844
−
* Binns, Ronald, ''The Loch Ness Mystery Solved'', Great Britain, Star Books, 1984, ISBN 0-352-31487-7
+
*Campbell, Steuart. ''The Loch Ness Monster: The Evidence.'' Birlinn Publishers. 2004. ISBN 1841581984
−
* Sjögren, Bengt, ''Berömda vidunder'', Settern, 1980, ISBN 91-7586-023-6
+
*Mackal, Roy. ''Monsters of Loch Ness.'' Swallow. 1880. ISBN 0804007047
  
 
==External links==
 
==External links==
−
* [http://www.nessie.co.uk/ The Legend Of Nessie]
+
All links retrieved November 3, 2022.
−
* [http://www.lochnessproject.org Loch Ness Project Research edited by Adrian Shine]
 
−
* [http://www.lakedragons.livingdinos.com/lochnessmonster.html  Information from the Global Lake Monster Database]
 
−
* [http://www.sansilke.freeserve.co.uk/nessie/sight.html List of Nessie sightings]
 
−
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3096839.stm BBC 'proves' Nessie does not exist]
 
−
* [http://www.lochnessdiscovery.com/ Loch Ness Discovery Centre, Edinburgh]
 
−
* [http://www.si.edu/resource/faq/nmnh/lochness.htm Smithsonian Institution]
 
−
* [http://www.skepdic.com/nessie.html Skepdic]
 
−
* [http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/nessiehoaxes.html Museum of Hoaxes]
 
−
* [http://lochness.lap.hu/ Nessie & Loch Ness links]
 
−
* [http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/lochness The Beast of Loch Ness]
 
−
* [http://www.thefrasers.com/nessie/nesfood.html Estimates of the amount of fish in Loch Ness]
 
−
*[http://www.lochnessproject.org/ADRIAN_SHINE_ARCHIVEROOM/papershtml/loch_ness_morar_report_1980.htm One reference on the last ice age]
 
−
*[http://www.nessie.co.uk/nessie/nessgeo.html nessie.co.uk on the last ice age & the loch]
 
−
*[http://news.scotsman.com/scotland.cfm?id=1620002006 ''"A plesiosaur could not lift its head up, swan-like, out of the water."'']
 
−
 
 
  
 +
*BBC. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3096839.stm BBC 'proves' Nessie does not exist]
 +
*Skeptic's Dictionary. [http://www.skepdic.com/nessie.html The Loch Ness “monster”]
 +
*Nessie.co.uk. [http://www.nessie.co.uk/ The Legend Of Nessie]
 +
*Nova. [http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/lochness The Beast of Loch Ness.]
  
 
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Revision as of 07:48, 9 March 2023

Loch Ness Monster (Oil painting) by Heikenwaelder Hugo

The Loch Ness Monster is a legendary creature purported to inhabit Scotland's Loch Ness, the most voluminous freshwater lake in Great Britain. Since reported sightings in the early twentieth century, Loch Ness has become world renowned for its mysterious lake monster. Local Scottish highlanders, and many people around the world, have affectionately referred to the animal by the feminine name of Nessie.

Most scientists and other experts find current evidence supporting the creature's existence unpersuasive, and regard the occasional sightings as hoaxes or misidentification of known creatures or natural phenomena. However, belief in the legend persists around the world, with the most popular theory posing that the creature is actually a plesiosaur. Beyond the debate as to whether Nessie is real or imaginary is the fact that this creature, like the Yeti of the Himalayan Mountains or Sasquatch in North America, inspire people on a imaginative, even subconscious level, tapping into that part of humanity that connects with the supernatural and unknown.

Description

Over the years, the many sightings of the Loch Ness Monster, or Nessie, have produced a rather uniform description of the creature. It is said to have a long, slender neck that attaches a flat, rectangular head to a rounded body that possess four large flippers. Some report Nessie to have a long, slender tail while others insist it is shorter and thicker. One of the most prominent features attributed to Nessie are the eyes, large and situated on either side of the head. The color and length of the creature seems to be a point of contention, possibly due to the fact that the loch is dark and murky, sunlight not easily penetrating through the peat moss concentrated in the water. Reports have Nessie appearing grey or a dark tan color, ranging from the size of an elephant to as large as a whale.

Origin

Loch Ness

The Scottish Highlands have always held a long standing tradition of mystery and belief in the supernatural. Loch Ness itself is believed to be the site of some long lost Druid power. The Celts of pre-Roman Britain also believed in a type of creature they called kelpies, water spirits that would appear to children in the forms of horses or bulls, enticing them into the water where they would drown them.[1]

The first suggestive reference of a creature that correlates to the modern day conception of Nessie comes from the seventh century writer Adamnan, in The Life of St. Columba. A passage from this work describes how in 565 C.E. Columba saved the life of a Pict, who was being supposedly attacked by a lake monster.[2] However, since these kinds of works often embellished the truth and incorporate supernatural elements for use as symbolism, this work must only suggest how far back in history belief in the lake monster goes.

It is difficult to accurately pinpoint when belief in Nessie began, but such is the characteristic of mysterious creatures, like Bigfoot or the Yeti. Beyond the debate of real or imaginary, creatures like Nessie appear to inspire people on an imaginative, even subconscious level, tapping into that part of humanity that connects with the supernatural and unknown.

Sightings and Evidence

The number of reported sightings of the Loch Ness Monster is extremely large. However, there are several that are distinctive and worth noting, especially the earlier reports that led to Nessie's world wide celebrity. The first reported sighting during modern times was in 1880, by a diver named Duncan McDonald, who had an alleged underwater encounter with a creature that left him quite shaken.[1] But it was not until a string of sightings in the 1930s that Loch Ness received world attention. On July 22, 1933, Mr. George Spicer and his wife saw “a most extraordinary form of animal” cross the road in front of their car. They described the creature as having a large body (about 4 feet high and 25 feet long), and long, narrow neck, slightly thicker than an elephant's trunk and as long as the 10-12 foot width of the road; the neck had a number of undulations in it. They saw no limbs because of a dip in the road obscuring the animal's lower portion. It lurched across the road towards the loch some 20 yards away, leaving only a trail of broken undergrowth in its wake.[3] Then on June 17 of the same year, there were three reported sightings in one day. Edna MacInnes and David Mackay reportedly saw a monster that had a long neck and was brownish in color. They watched it for a few moments from the shore before it dipped below the surface and did not re-emerge. However, later that evening the creature was seen again, first by James MacIntosh and his son, and then by Lorraine Davidson. All three claimed to have first noticed the wake Nessie left in the water, which was distinctive since there were no boats on the loch at the time and the water was calm.[4]

On January 5, 1934, a motorcyclist named Arthur Grant claimed to have nearly hit the creature while approaching Abriachan on the northeastern shore, at about 1 a.m. on a moonlit night. Grant saw a small head attached to a long neck; the creature saw him and crossed the road back into the loch. Grant dismounted and followed it to the loch, but only saw ripples where it had entered.[5]

In another 1934 sighting, a young maidservant named Margaret Munro supposedly observed the creature for about 20 minutes. It was about 6:30 a.m. on June 5 when she spotted it on shore from about two hundred yards away. She described it as having elephant like skin, a long neck, a small head and two short forelegs or flippers. The sighting ended when the creature re-entered the water.[6] In 1938 Mr. G. E. Taylor, a South African tourist, filmed something in the loch for three minutes on 16mm color film. However, the footage has never been released.[1]

In December 1954 the first of many ambiguous sonar contacts attributed to Nessie was reported. The fishing boat Rival III, on a routine run, observed sonar readings of a large object keeping pace with the boat at a depth of 480 feet. It was detected traveling for half a mile in this manner, before contact was lost.[7]

The "Surgeon's Photograph"

One of the most famous images of Nessie is known as the “Surgeon’s Photograph," which many consider to be good evidence of the monster, though doubts about the photograph's authenticity have been expressed.[8] The photographer, a gynecologist named Robert Kenneth Wilson, photographed an animal in the water he could not identify (never claiming it was Nessie), but did sell it to the Daily Mail newspaper whose printing of the photograph caused a sensational reaction among its readers. However, it was later determined that the photograph was cropped, seeming to make the monster seem larger than it actually is in the original un-cropped shot, which shows the other end of the loch and the "monster" in the center, relative in size to the average bird.[9]

In 1994, Chris Spurling allegedly confessed on his deathbed that the photograph was a hoax. Spurling was the son-in-law of Marmaduke Wetherell, a big game hunter who was deceived into searching for the storied Loch Ness Monster based on evidence which turned out to be a children's prank. Wetherell was publicly ridiculed in the Daily Mail, the journal which employed him. Spurling claimed that to get revenge, Marmaduke Wetherell committed the hoax, with the help of Chris Spurling (a sculpture specialist), his son Ian Marmaduke, who bought the material for the fake Nessie, and Maurice Chambers (an insurance agent), who would call to ask surgeon Robert Kenneth Wilson to display the pictures. However, Spurling's "confession" is held in doubt because of the involvement of several people not connected to Wilson.[9] Critical analysis of the photography generally deems it a fake, but it has lived on as a popular symbol of Nessie in the public eye.

Investigations

Just as with sightings, there have been countless investigations into the Loch Ness mystery, some privately funded and well equipped, others conducted on an amateur budget. Most have turned up little, if any evidence, but some are worthy of note. In 1969 Andrew Carroll, field researcher for the New York Aquarium in New York City, proposed a mobile sonar scan operation at Loch Ness. The project was funded by the Griffis Foundation (named for Stanton Griffis, whose son Nixon Griffis was a director of the aquarium). This was the tail-end (and most successful portion) of the Loch Ness Phenomena Investigation Bureau’s (LNPIB) 1969 effort involving submersibles with biopsy harpoons. The trawling scan, in Carroll's research launch Rangitea, took place in October. One sweep of the loch made contact with a strong, animate echo for nearly three minutes just north of Foyers. The identity of the animal remains a mystery. Later analysis determined that the intensity of the returning echo was twice as great as that expected from a 10 foot pilot whale. Calculations placed the animal's length at 20 feet.[1]

During the so-called "Big Expedition" of 1970, Roy Mackal, a biologist who taught for 20 years at the University of Chicago, devised a system of hydrophones (underwater microphones) and deployed them at intervals throughout the loch. In early August, a hydrophone assembly was lowered into Urquhart Bay and anchored in seven hundred feet of water. Two hydrophones were secured at depths of three hundred and six hundred feet. After two nights of recording, the tape (sealed inside a 55 gallon steel drum along with the system's other sensitive components) was retrieved and played before an excited LNPIB. "Bird-like chirps" had been recorded, and the intensity of the chirps on the deep hydrophone suggested they had been produced at greater depth. In October "knocks" and "clicks" were recorded by another hydrophone in Urquhart Bay, indicative of echolocation. These sounds were followed by a "turbulent swishing" suggestive of the tail locomotion of a large aquatic animal. The knocks, clicks and resultant swishing were believed to be the sounds of an animal echolocating prey before moving in for the kill. The noises stopped whenever craft passed along the surface of the loch near the hydrophone and resumed once the craft reached a safe distance. In previous experiments, it was observed that call intensities were greatest at depths less than one hundred feet.

Members of the LNPIB decided to attempt communication with the animals by playing back the calls previously recorded into the water and listening via hydrophone for results, which varied greatly. At times the calling patterns or intensities changed, but sometimes there was no change at all. Mackal noted that there was no similarity between the recordings and the hundreds of known sounds produced by aquatic animals. "More specifically," he said, "competent authorities state that none of the known forms of life in the loch has the anatomical capabilities of producing such calls."[10].

In 1993 Discovery Communications began to research the ecology of the loch. The study did not focus entirely on the monster, but on the loch's nematodes (of which a new species was discovered) and fish. Expecting to find a small fish population, the researchers caught twenty fish in one catch, increasing previous estimates of the loch's fish population about nine fold. Using sonar, the team encountered a rare kind of underwater disturbance due to stored energy causing an imbalance between the loch's warmer and colder layers. While reviewing printouts of the event the next day, they found what appeared to be three sonar contacts, each followed by a powerful wake. These events were later shown on a program called Loch Ness Discovered in conjunction with analysis and enhancements of the 1960 Dinsdale Film, the Surgeon's Photo, and the Rines Flipper Photo.[11]

Evaluating the Evidence

Plesiosaurs, by Heinrich Harder, 1916.

Cryptozoologists, those who study and search for animals that are purported to exist but have not officially been discovered, believe that the numerous eye witness reports, film footage, and sonar contacts all conclude in the likelihood of Nessie being real. Others who have researched the evidence, such as science writer Steuart Campbell, have concluded that "there is absolutely no reason why anyone should believe in lake monsters" and that the Loch Ness Monster is no more than "an imaginary animal compounded of incongruous elements…indeed an incongruous mix of reptile and mammal, of fish and amphibian, of vertebrate and invertebrate, of long-necked and short-necked plesiosaur, of seal, whale, eel, etc. It is a chimera, no more real than the centaur or the griffin."[12] Yet, people do continue to believe in Nessie and provide evidence for her existence.

A popular theory is that Nessie is a plesiosaur, a long-necked aquatic reptile that became extinct during the Cretaceous-Tertiary extinction event. The discovery of previously believed extinct animals has happened in the past, such as the survival of a fish called the coelacanth, which supposedly became extinct along with the plesiosaur but was rediscovered off the coast of Madagascar in 1938.

Many believe in this hypothesis for two reasons: first, a plesiosaur matches most of the eyewitness descriptions, and it is an established organism in the geological record. However, as skeptics often point out, there are many reasons not to believe this theory. Apart from its apparent extinction, the plesiosaur was probably a cold-blooded reptile requiring warm tropical waters, while the average temperature of Loch Ness is only about 42°F. Even if the plesiosaurs were warm-blooded (like dinosaurs), they would require a food supply beyond that of Loch Ness to maintain the level of activity necessary for warm-blooded animals.[13] Scientists also point out that no other dinosaurs have been proven to have survived to date, not to mention the fact the loch is too small a location to support a group that would be able to continuously breed for millions of years.

Non-believers are quick to put forth their own explanations as to Nessie sightings, ranging from misidentification of existing animals such as eels, sea lions, and even large fish. Some of these explanations can sometimes seem as far reaching as belief in Nessie, such as Maurice Burton's proposal that sightings of Nessie and similar creatures could actually be fermenting Scots pine logs rising to the surface of the loch's cold waters. Initially, a rotting log could not release gases caused by decay, due to high levels of resin sealing in the gas. Eventually, the gas pressure would rupture a resin seal at one end of the log, propelling it through the water and sometimes to the surface. Burton claimed that the shape of tree logs with their attendant branch stumps closely resemble various descriptions of the monster.

However, four Scottish lochs are very deep, including Morar, Ness, and Lomond. But not all lochs have monster legends; the lochs with pinewoods on their shores have legends, but Loch Lomond—the one with no pinewoods—does not. Gaseous emissions and surfactants resulting from the decay of the logs can cause the foamy wake reported in some sightings. Indeed, beached pine logs showing evidence of deep-water fermentation have been found. On the other hand, there are believers who assert that some lakes do have reports of monsters, despite an absence of pinewoods. A notable example would be the Irish lough monsters.[14]

Geology and Geo-physics may be responsible for Loch Ness Monster sightings. The loch, due to its long, straight shape, is subject to some unusual occurrences affecting its surface. For example, a seiche is a large, regular oscillation of a lake, caused by water reverting to its natural level after being blown to one end of the lake. The impetus from this reversion continues to the lake's windward end and then reverts back. In Loch Ness, the process occurs every 31.5 minutes and could account for strange appearances.[15] Boat wakes can also produce strange effects in the loch. As a wake spreads and divides from a boat passing the center of the loch, it hits both sides almost simultaneously and deflects back to meet again in the middle. The movements interact to produce standing waves that are much larger than the original wake, and can have a humped appearance. By the time this occurs, the boat has passed and the unusual waves are all that can be seen.[16]

Hoaxes

Non-believers in the Loch Ness Monster phenomenon like to point out the number of hoaxes over the years as further evidence that the creature does not exist. In the 1930s, a big game hunter named Marmaduke Wetherell went to Loch Ness to look for the Loch Ness Monster. He claimed to have found some footprints but when the footprints were sent to scientists for analysis, they turned out to be hippopotamus footprints. A prankster had used a petrified hippopotamus foot umbrella stand to make the footprints.[9] In 2004 a documentary team (primarily consisting of special effects experts from movies) deliberately tried to make people believe there was something in the loch. They constructed an elaborate animatronic model. Despite setbacks, it was a success, and numerous sightings were reported on the day, in the very places they conducted the hoaxes.[17]

In 2005 two students claimed to have found a huge tooth embedded in the body of a deer on the loch shore. They publicized the find widely, even setting up a website, but expert analysis soon revealed that the "tooth" was the antler of a muntjac.[18]

It should be noted, however, that the verification of a few sightings as hoaxes should not taint every report. As with sasquatch and the yeti, it is unlikely that all of the thousands of sightings are purported hoaxes. The human desire for attention, particularly with the level of attention the media can provide, should be taken into consideration as well. It is more than likely that individuals, having heard the stories of Nessie and seen the media attention surrounding the phenomenon, desired their own share of attention. Or, as Sir Arthur Keith suggested, they were just seeing what they wanted to see.

Notes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Time-Life Books, Mysteries of the Unknown: Mysterious Creatures. (Alexandria, 1998).
  2. ↑ Stephen J. Murray, The Birth of Nations: Scotland. Retrieved June 21, 2007.
  3. ↑ Nessie.co.uk, Drawings and Opinions Retrieved June 21, 2007.
  4. ↑ Mark Chorvinsky, Nessie, The Loch Ness Monster. Retrieved June 21, 2007.
  5. ↑ Nessie.co.uk, Searching for Nessie. Retrieved June 21, 2007.
  6. ↑ Tony Harmsworth, Land Sightings.
  7. ↑ Nessie.co.uk, Searching For Nessie. Retrieved June 21, 2007.
  8. ↑ Museum of Hoaxes, The Surgeon's Photo. Retrieved June 21, 2007.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Stephen Lyons, Birth of A Legend Retrieved June 21, 2007.
  10. ↑ Roy Mackal, The Monsters of Loch Ness (Swallow, 1980).
  11. ↑ Tony Harmsworth, Ness news and Updates.
  12. ↑ Steuart Campbell, The Loch Ness Monster: The Evidence. (Birlinn Publishers, 2004, ISBN 1841581984).
  13. ↑ BBC, Were Dinosaurs Endotherms or Ectotherms? Retrieved June 21, 2007.
  14. ↑ Maurice Burton, "The Loch Ness Saga." New Scientist. (1982).
  15. ↑ Queen Mary University in London, Movement of Water in Lakes. Retrieved June 21, 2007.
  16. ↑ Dick Raynor, Boat Wakes Mistaken for Monsters. Retrieved June 21, 2007.
  17. ↑ Jez Gibson Harris, Loch Ness Monster: The Ultimate Experiment. Retrieved June 21, 2007.
  18. ↑ Ron Strom, Loch Ness Monster's tooth found? Students allegedly discover item on Scottish lake, but skeptic cries hoax. Retrieved June 21, 2007.

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

  • Bauer, Henry H. The Enigma of Loch Ness: Making Sense of a Mystery. University of Illinois. 1986. ISBN 0252012844
  • Campbell, Steuart. The Loch Ness Monster: The Evidence. Birlinn Publishers. 2004. ISBN 1841581984
  • Mackal, Roy. Monsters of Loch Ness. Swallow. 1880. ISBN 0804007047

External links

All links retrieved November 3, 2022.

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