Loch Ness Monster as rendered on "MonsterQuest"
Loch Ness Monster as rendered on "MonsterQuest" - © History Channel
Nessie was nicknamed for its alleged home base, Loch Ness Monster, a deep, freshwater lake in the Scottish Highlands. Loch Ness is almost 23 miles long, nearly 800 feet deep and stocked with salmon, eels, trout and sturgeon. The lake was formed by melting Ice Age glaciers some 10,000 years ago.
Vital Stats
According to various eyewitnesses, Nessie measures some 25 feet to 30 feet in length and has a long neck, barrel-shaped body, flippers and gray or dark coloring.
Behavior
Little is known about this elusive lake dweller's habits and if he exists, he likely resides deep within Loch Ness. According to some eyewitness accounts, Nessie has displayed typical acquatic reptile behavior, such as splashing and diving. There have been no modern reports of Nessie attacking any humans.
History
The first-ever written account of the Loch Ness Monster is believed to be a manuscript dating back to 565 A.D., in which an Irish missionary described standing on the shore and seeing a person attacked by a mysterious creature in the lake. Reported sightings continued over the centuries, but when a road was built around the lake in the 1930s, the number of Nessie sightings increased and the creature gained worldwide acclaim. In 1934, London's Daily Mail published a photo of a long-necked serpent emerging from the water. Because the photo was taken by a respected doctor, it was considered credible and became synonymous with Nessie; however, six decades later, the picture was revealed to be a hoax. Nevertheless, the legend of Nessie lives on and believers cite eyewitness accounts and photos from other sources as evidence of the monster's existence.
Recent Sightings
There have been numerous sightings of Nessie over the past decades, but in recent years, the reports have declined, leading to some speculation that Nessie is possibly dead and entombed at the bottom of Loch Ness.
Relatives
Nessie's lesser-known cryptid cousin is Champ, a serpent-like creature alleged to dwell deep within Lake Champlain, a large, deep, freshwater lake bordering New York, Vermont and Quebec, Canada. Descriptions of both Nessie and Champ liken them to plesiosaurs, carnivorous acquatic reptiles who lived during the Jurassic Period and are thought to have become extinct millions of years ago.