There are many reports of incredible beasts that have been spotted in rivers and lakes; some are simply updated versions of folklore
creatures such as kelpies, mermaids, and water-spirits. However, there is a steady stream of lake serpent reports that share an uncanny
physical likeness yet which come from regions as far apart as Chile, Ireland, and New Zealand. The beasts are described as having small
heads set atop long snake-like necks. When swimming, they hold their bodies in such a way that, from above the surface, it often
appears that they have several humps. They are known to throw up a considerable wake, showing that they move at a geed speed as they
cruise along the surface. The beasts all live in remote areas and make their homes in lakes that are especially deep.
By far the most famous freshwater beast of all is the Loch Ness monster, affectionately known as Nessie. The earliest record of this creature is found in the diaries of
Saint Columbia, a Christian missionary who went to Scotland over 1,400 years ago. He reported seeing the burial of of man who was said
to have been bitten to death by a giant monster while he was swimming in the Loch.
Loch Ness is a peculiar sort of lake. It is a giant trench of icy water that stretches in a straight line for 38 kilometers. A third of
it is more than 200 meters deep - twice the average depth of the North Sea. The shoreline plunges steeply into inky blackness, and its
cold waters make it a rather unattractive place for swimmers and bathers.
The point of general agreement in practically all sightings are that the monster had a long serpent neck, a small head, and an extended
body with two pairs of broad flippers. These descriptions match surprisingly well with that of an extinct marine dinosaur - the
Elasmosaur.
It was not until 1960, however, that people began to take more than just a passing interest in the creature of Loch Ness. A number of
books and articles appeared and were followed soon after by groups of serious monster hunters arriving at the scene to scour the Loch
systematically.
The results of their efforts were inconclusive. But they did produce a number of curious and tantalizing photographs. Although none was
of an especially high quality, they all showed something large and dinosaur-like splashing about in the Loch. Then in 1972, and again
in 1975, an American research team created a sensation by collecting some underwater photographs that showed what appeared to be the
blurred and dim shape of a great oval flipper and large streamlined body. This team used a camera linked to an electronic flash which
was set to go off at regular intervals; this produced enough light to see a short distance into the murky Loch waters. The camera was
also hooked to a sonar screen as they drifted into range. Yet even these highly technical and sophisticated pieces of equipment could
not offer conclusive evidence of the existence of any monster.
By far the most famous freshwater beast of all is the Loch Ness monster, affectionately known as Nessie. The earliest record of this creature is found in the diaries of
Saint Columbia, a Christian missionary who went to Scotland over 1,400 years ago. He reported seeing the burial of of man who was said
to have been bitten to death by a giant monster while he was swimming in the Loch.