Loch Ness Monster

Nessie

Loch Ness Monster Attacking
Image by Alana Jordan

The Loch Ness Monster, also known as Nessie, is a creature that is said to inhabit Loch Ness, a freshwater lake in Scotland. The creature is often described as a large, long-necked, and hump-backed animal that is similar in appearance to a plesiosaur, an extinct marine reptile that lived during the Jurassic period.

The legend of the Loch Ness Monster dates back to the 6th century when the Irish monk Saint Columba is said to have encountered a monster in the River Ness while on a missionary journey to Scotland. According to the story, the monster attempted to attack a man who was swimming in the river, but Columba was able to drive it away by making the sign of the cross and commanding it to leave.

In modern times, the first reported sighting of the Loch Ness Monster occurred in 1933 when a couple claimed to have seen a large creature with a long neck and humps in the water. Since then, there have been numerous sightings and alleged photographs of the creature, but no conclusive evidence has ever been found to prove its existence.

In 2018, a team of scientists conducted a DNA study of the waters of Loch Ness, collecting samples of bacteria and other organisms. While the study did find evidence of over 3,000 species living in or around the loch, none were reptiles, sturgeons, or catfish, all previously thought to have been possible causes of the sightings. The study did however find eels in almost every sample taken, but it did not find any conclusive evidence of the Loch Ness Monster.

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