Biggest Loch Ness Monster Hunt In 50 Years Fails To Find The Legendary Creature

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The Loch Ness Lake in Scotland is believed to be the home of the namesake monster (Credit: Gregory J Kingsley/ CC-BY-SA 3.0/ Wikimedia Commons)

In late August 2023, over 300 amateur detectives from around the world gathered in the United Kingdom's Scottish Highlands to look for the Loch Ness Monster. The two-day search in the Loch Ness lake, where the creature is said to dwell, was the most extensive one conducted in over 50 years. The investigators used various technologies, including surveying equipment and drones with infrared cameras.

Some searchers photographed a large shadow circling in the water. There were also a few sightings of "humpy objects" moving in and out of the water and an eel-like creature on the surface of the lake. Unfortunately, none of the discoveries provided concrete evidence of the famed beast affectionately known as Nessie.

The Legend of the Loch Ness Monster

The first depiction of the Loch Ness Monster was found on ancient stone carvings dating back AD 565. The legend gained steam in 1933 when a couple, driving past the lake spotted an animal resembling a "dragon or prehistoric monster."

In 1934, an English physician provided the first actual proof of the animal, in what became known as the "Surgeon's Photograph." It showed the monster's head atop a long slender neck poking out of the water. The photo, published in the London Daily Mail, made Nessie an international celebrity. However, many experts thought it was a hoax. Their suspicion came true in 1994 when one of the participants in the search confessed on his deathbed that the picture was staged. The "head" was made of plastic and wood and connected to a toy submarine.

However, the disclosure did little to shake the beliefs of the hundreds of thousands of Nessie fans worldwide. They continue to search for and record sightings of the legendary monster to this day.

Resources: NPR.com, explorersweb.com, don'ttakepictures.com

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73 Comments
  • soccer_fan
    • iceyqueen
      iceyqueen10 months
      I'm not really sure it's real. I would need evidence and proof to believe it.
      • lee1324
        lee132410 months
        I don’t say it’s real. They might’ve just found a whale. Or a orca that got separated from its pack. But I can’t help thinking. Why would a whale travel downstream and others come down and get spotted in the spot where a myth of a giant monster just happens to be in the lake.
        • kaylee663
          kaylee66310 months
          Yes, it is real because real life people have found these creatures in deep oceans. I believe that there are big creatures we can't even imagine. I'm just glad there not attacking us. Lol or that will be a different story.
          • doggiechristmas
            Personally, I don't believe in her, but since we do find new species, they might have.
            • amarillo
              amarillo10 months
              It might be real
              • amarillo
                amarillo10 months
                I think that is a plesiosaurs.
              • btws123
                btws12310 months
                I don't think Nessie is real, but she could be.
                • singularity_42
                  I personally do not believe in the Loch Ness Monster, but nobody knows for a fact if it exists or not.
                  • kr_jioh
                    kr_jioh11 months
                    It might be real