The Loch Ness Monster

There is a well-known legend located in Scotland called the Loch Ness Monster. It's said to live in a local lake and has only been seen by a handful of people. Yet what are the stories about the Loch Ness Monster and are the legends true? Find out more in this episode of The Faith and Mystery Files. To begin, we have to figure out where this legend originated from. The Loch Ness Monster is said to come from the lake with the same name, Loch Ness Lake. This body of water is known to be the largest freshwater lake in Scotland. The deepest level there is said to be around 800 feet. The length of the lake is approximately 23 miles. With this information, it's possible to see how a large creature could easily survive within these waters. So when was the Loch Ness Monster first spotted? The Loch Ness Monster, also commonly known as Nessie, was first discovered by an Irish missionary named Columbia or Saint Columbia. He was in Scotland on August 22, 564, when he saw Nessie. It's said that he prevented the creature from harming another man. Columbia had been called upon by a king in Scotland to talk to him and others about Christianity. On his way, Columbia saw a large creature that was about to attack a man. Saint Columbia spoke in a loud voice, praying to God and then said the following, Go no further. Do not touch the man. Go back at once. The creature soon fled and the people were amazed. The Loch Ness Monster wasn't reported as being seen again until 1933, a little over 1300 years later. In 1933, a man by the name of George Spicer was on vacation with his wife. He was a tailor in London and was given the opportunity to travel to Scotland for a trip. One day, around 4pm, as they were traveling on the road that was constructed around Lake Loch Ness, they saw something incredible. An aquatic type animal was slowly moving across the road and soon went into the water or grassy pond on the other side. Here is what he said about the creature. The nearest approach to a dragon or prehistoric creature that I have ever seen in my life. He and his wife also stated that it was fairly large, about 4-5 feet in height and around 25 feet in length with a long neck. They said it was carrying something in its mouth. They also said that it had grey skin, similar to an elephant. The next year, in 1934, a veterinary student named Arthur Grant said that he almost accidentally hit the creature while on his motorcycle. In January 1934, Arthur rode his motorcycle to get to another nearby city, when he too saw a similar animal crossing the road in front of him. Both his description of the animal and the Spicer's description are very similar. That same year, a physician named Robert Wilson took the well-known photograph of Nessie that has been seen around the world. This photograph caused more interest as to what Nessie actually was. On May 28, 2007, a creature was filmed swimming in the Loch Ness Lake by an amateur scientist named Greg Holmes. In the video, a fairly large aquatic animal can be seen moving steadily within the water. It also seemed to be quite long. In the year 2022, there were approximately six sightings of Nessie. The photos each point to a creature moving or having its head sticking up out of the water. Now that we know more about the history behind the legend, what exactly is the Loch Ness Monster? We need to look at the descriptions first to try to understand what Nessie looks like. Through the photographs, video, and stories of the Loch Ness Monster, there are a few details that we can gather. Nessie is long with an extended neck and a somewhat smaller head compared to her body. Some suggest that she has flipper-like arms and legs. There are also reports that she is green with black humps in addition to the Spicer's and Arthur Grant reports that they saw a grayish creature. From this description, we can compare them with several theories as to what she is. Some say that she could be a plesiosaur, which is a type of dinosaur that has a long neck, dark gray skin, and a hump on its back. Others have theorized that it could be a giant eel, as many have only been able to see her head. The way the creature moves within the water could be similar to that of an eel. There are also theories that state she could be a type of underwater dragon. There's even a suggestion that she could be a large catfish. And some just believe it's a hoax for publicity or to scare others. However, there is another suggestion that proves more plausible. Nessie could be, in fact, an Elasmosaurus. An Elasmosaurus is a type of dinosaur that is from the family of plesiosaurs, as previously mentioned. The description and fossil findings match the Loch Ness Monster description very well. Elasmosauruses have long necks and smaller heads compared to their bodies. They've been known to eat fish. Due to their neck being quite long, they're thought to only be able to raise it out of the water to take breaths of air, as other aquatic animals do. Could the Loch Ness Monster be an Elasmosaurus? Nessie is still a mystery to many people around the world today. What do you think? Thank you so much for watching this episode of The Faith and Mystery Files. If you would like to listen to more of our true story files, check out some of our previous episodes. If you have an idea for a story that you would like us to look into, then let us know in the comments below. We sincerely appreciate your comments and support. Thank you again. May God bless you.