Does the Loch Ness monster look different? Impressive new data has emerged

In the ranking of the most famous monsters, the mysterious creature from Loch Ness would certainly take first place. The famous photo with a strange head emerging from the water has gone viral.

The idea of the "monster" as we imagine it today was widely spread almost 100 years ago: a 1933 newspaper article reported a "beast" or "whale-like fish" that a local couple saw while driving by the loch. However, the Metro magazine reported that the Loch Ness Monster may look different.

What color is the "monster"

Eyewitness Jarod Strong was near Urquhart Castle on the shores of the lake near Inverness when he allegedly spotted the beast. He said that the "monster" was not actually a green creature, as previously thought, but a dark gray one.

"I was at the castle with my family at around 1 p.m. when I noticed a small movement in the water. Then the water started moving, and a long figure appeared. It (the monster - ed.) was not as green as I thought. It was more of a dark gray color," Jarod said, adding that the sighting lasted no more than 5 seconds.

Unfortunately, he did not have time to take a photo during this time.

The history of the Loch Ness Monster

Scientists say that as far back as the 6th century AD, dozens of sightings of an unusual creature were reported in Loch Ness and its surroundings. Historians note that legends about water beasts were very common in Celtic folklore and medieval books about the lives of saints, which are known to be littered with unattested myths and "miracles."

It is unlikely that the story of the "monster" would have gained such popularity without the famous black-and-white photograph that appears to show a long-necked animal looming over the water.

The photo that was circulated for decades as proof of the monster's existence was taken by Colonel Robert Kenneth Wilson.

On May 2, 1933, Alexander Campbell wrote in the local newspaper Inverness Courier that he had seen "something like a whale" spewing up fountains of water. The phrase "Loch Ness Monster" first appeared in The Northern Chronicle in the issue of May 8, 1933.

There were always enough witnesses to the monster's appearance: someone said they saw a giant spine, two humps, a ten-meter-long body, or "an ugly dark-colored animal with horrible outlines that resembled a slug."

However, the history of the Loch Ness is covered in mysteries and hoaxes. Engineer Tim Dinsdale, who filmed the object in the lake in 1960, insisted that his encounter with the monster turned him from a skeptic to a believer but experts who have analyzed the footage say it was probably just a boat filmed in poor conditions. Christian Sperling said on his deathbed that he had staged the photo with Wilson and two other men "using a trick of props."

Expert Gary Campbell, who has been studying Loch Ness since 1996, noted that in 2022, there were only 6 reports of a monster encounter. There were 7 in 2021 and 13 in 2020.

In 2018, a large-scale study of the lake's biodiversity was conducted, during which 250 water samples were taken from different locations and depths to identify all its inhabitants. The team of scientists stated that the monster was probably just a giant eel.

On August 26, 2023, the largest search for the Loch Ness Monster began. Scientists used geodetic equipment, drones, and other advanced technologies to obtain thermal images using infrared cameras and hydrophones. All recorded acoustic signals were studied underwater. Several hundred volunteers helped the scientists. The search has come to nothing so far. No traces of the "monster" were found in the lake.

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