“Loch Ness is sort of overdone… and frankly it’s kind of boring. They’ve already looked there and there’s nothing there so far,” said Benjamin Radford, a journalist who investigates such paranormal claims, in a lecture at OISE on May 19.
Radford presented his findings regarding the North American equivalents to Nessie, the Loch Ness monster. Lake monsters are considered part of a group of creatures thought to be either mythical or extinct, but sighting claims and controversial photographs have spawned worldwide interest, in believers and skeptics alike.
The study of whether such creatures presently exist is called cryptozoology. Its boosters point out that scientists frequently discover new creatures across the world. Hence, it may be possible for lake monsters to exist without documented scientific proof. After all, numerous sightings have been reported of such creatures. And some argue that Native Indian legends lend credence to their existence.
This is where cryptozoologists, such as Radford, managing editor of Skeptical Inquirer magazine, come in. They filter fiction from reality through a process of scientific analysis and the gathering of data and evidence.
Lake Champlain, which borders New York and Vermont, is the “Home of Champ,” a creature that has been reported to span from three to 50 metres long, is either grey, black, or brown, and has various types of heads including that of a horse or snake. Radford pointed out that inconsistency among witnesses is a recurring theme, although this does not in and of itself discredit their claims.
The most famous photograph of Champ was taken by Sandi Mansi in 1977 but was not published until 1981. There were practically no sightings reported in 1977, although that number spiked in the year the photo was released. An audience member remarked that the object in the photograph looks like a swimmer, to which Radford replied that he does not believe the photograph is a hoax. Rather, the object in the photograph may be a floating log that could be honestly mistaken for something else.
Hoaxes are not uncommon, however, as demonstrated by the famous 1934 “Surgeon’s photo,” claimed to be of Nessie. It was not until 1994 that the perpetrator of the hoax, Christian Spurling, revealed that the photograph was faked for personal gain.
In a stakeout of the lake, Radford reported that he and Nickell did not see the monster. The captain of a ferryboat jokingly remarked to Radford that sightings of Champ often occur after tourists visit the bar. The audience members’ resulting chuckles and nodding heads demonstrates the inherent skepticism of the group.
Radford conducted a study at Lake Okanagan, British Columbia with similar results. Along with Lake Magog, Quebec and Lake Crescent, Newfoundland it appears that evidence of the existence of lake monsters is inconclusive at best. Radford pointed out that despite the lack of hard evidence such as bones and teeth, it cannot be definitively disproved that lake monsters exist.
“Every lake should have one,” quipped Radford, after explaining that lake monster sightings often occur in man-made lakes. So while at the cottage this summer, the most you can do is hope that whatever waits beneath the waters was well fed before diving in.
