Loch Ness Monster facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Loch Ness Monster

The "surgeon's photograph" of 1934, now known to have been a hoax
Sub grouping	Lake monster
Other name(s)	Nessie, Niseag, Nessiteras rhombopteryx
Country	Scotland
Region	Loch Ness, Scottish Highlands

The Loch Ness Monster, often called Nessie, is a famous mystery creature from Scottish folklore. People say it lives in Loch Ness, a large, deep lake in the Scottish Highlands. Nessie is usually described as a huge animal with a long neck and one or more humps sticking out of the water.

Interest in Nessie grew worldwide in 1933. Many people believe it exists, while others think the sightings are just mistakes or even hoaxes. Scientists often explain these sightings as people seeing ordinary things and thinking they are a monster. The study of hidden animals, called cryptozoology, pays a lot of attention to Nessie.

What's in a Name?

In August 1933, a newspaper called the Courier shared a story from George Spicer, who claimed to see a strange animal. This made many people curious, and soon, letters poured in with more sightings. People called it a "monster fish," "sea serpent," or "dragon." Eventually, everyone started calling it the "Loch Ness Monster." Since the 1940s, it has been lovingly known as Nessie.

Stories and Sightings of Nessie

Ancient Tales of a Water Beast

Saint Columba's Encounter (565 AD)

One of the oldest stories about a creature in the Loch Ness area comes from a book written in the 600s AD. It tells of an Irish monk named Saint Columba in 565 AD. He was near the River Ness when he saw people burying a man. They said a "water beast" had attacked the man while he was swimming, dragging him underwater.

Saint Columba sent one of his followers to swim across the river. When the beast came close, Columba made a special sign and commanded, "Go no further. Do not touch the man. Go back at once." The creature stopped as if pulled by ropes and swam away. Everyone was amazed and thankful for what they saw as a miracle.

Some people believe this story proves the monster existed long ago. Others think it's a common type of old tale, not directly linked to the modern Nessie legend.

Modern Sightings Begin

Aldie Mackay's Sighting (1933)

The story that truly made Nessie famous happened on April 15, 1933. Aldie Mackay and her husband were driving by Loch Ness when she saw an enormous creature. She described it as having a body like a whale, rolling and plunging in the water. The water around it was churning like a boiling pot.

Aldie reportedly shouted, "Stop! The Beast!" This sighting was published in The Inverness Courier newspaper on May 2, 1933. The article used the word "monster" for the first time, and the world began to pay attention to the mystery of Loch Ness.

George Spicer's Road Crossing (1933)

On July 22, 1933, George Spicer and his wife saw something truly unusual. A "most extraordinary animal" crossed the road right in front of their car. They said it had a large body, about 4 feet tall and 25 feet long, with a long, wavy neck. It moved quickly towards the loch, leaving a trail in the bushes.

Spicer said it looked like a "dragon or pre-historic animal." He described its neck moving "up and down in the manner of a scenic railway." Some researchers later suggested this sighting might have been inspired by the popular movie King Kong, which featured a long-necked dinosaur.

Hugh Gray's Photograph (1933)

The first photograph said to show the monster was taken by Hugh Gray on November 12, 1933. The picture was a bit blurry. Some people think it actually shows Gray's Labrador dog fetching a stick from the loch. Others have suggested it might be an otter or a swan.

Arthur Grant's Close Call (1934)

A sketch of the creature Arthur Grant claimed to see in 1934.

On January 5, 1934, a motorcyclist named Arthur Grant claimed he almost hit the creature. It was around 1 AM on a moonlit night near Abriachan. Grant, a student studying animals, said it had a small head on a long neck. He watched it cross the road and go back into the loch. He thought it looked like a mix between a seal and a plesiosaur. Later, experts suggested he might have seen an otter or a seal and misjudged its size in the dark.

The Famous "Surgeon's Photograph" (1934)

Perhaps the most famous picture of Nessie is the "surgeon's photograph," taken on April 20, 1934. It was said to be taken by Robert Kenneth Wilson, a doctor from London. The photo showed a small head and a long, swan-like neck sticking out of the water. For 60 years, many people believed this photo was real proof of the monster.

However, in 1994, it was finally revealed to be a clever hoax. The creature in the photo was actually a toy submarine with a fake head and neck made of wood putty! It was created by Christian Spurling and his stepfather, Marmaduke Wetherell, as a prank. They wanted to get back at a newspaper that had made fun of Wetherell.

Tim Dinsdale's Film (1960)

In 1960, aeronautical engineer Tim Dinsdale filmed what he thought was a dark hump moving across Loch Ness. He described it as mahogany red. Experts later analyzed the film. While some initially thought it was an animal, further studies suggested it was likely a boat filmed in poor lighting.

"Loch Ness Muppet" Photo (1977)

In 1977, a magician named Anthony "Doc" Shiels took a picture he claimed was the clearest image of the monster. He even said he "summoned" the creature from the water. Because the photo looked so fake, with no ripples and a see-through appearance, many people called it the "Loch Ness Muppet" and believed it was a hoax.

Gordon Holmes' Video (2007)

On May 26, 2007, Gordon Holmes, a lab technician, recorded a video of a "jet black thing, about 14 meters long, moving fairly fast in the water." Many Nessie watchers called it some of "the best footage ever seen." However, some experts suggested it could have been an otter, seal, or a water bird.

George Edwards' Photograph (2011)

On August 3, 2012, boat captain George Edwards claimed a photo he took on November 2, 2011, showed Nessie. He had spent many years searching for the monster. However, it was later revealed that the object in his photo was a fiberglass hump used in a TV documentary that Edwards had been part of. He admitted in October 2013 that his 2011 photo was a hoax.

David Elder's Video (2013)

In August 2013, a tourist named David Elder filmed a "mysterious wave" in the loch. He believed it was caused by a 4.5-meter "solid black object" just under the water's surface. Skeptics thought the wave might have been caused by a gust of wind.

Apple Maps Satellite Image (2014)

In April 2014, a satellite image on Apple Maps seemed to show a large creature, about 30 meters long, just below the surface of Loch Ness. People wondered if it was Nessie. Possible explanations included the wake of a boat, ripples caused by a seal, or even floating wood.

Drone Footage (2021)

In September 2021, drone footage near the loch reportedly captured a 20-foot creature. However, skeptics quickly said it looked like a digitally altered video, possibly using a stock image of a toy plesiosaur, because it didn't move naturally and was too brightly lit.

Searching for the Loch Ness Monster

Early Expeditions

Edward Mountain's Search (1934)

Loch Ness, the famous home of the monster, with the ruins of Urquhart Castle.

After reading a book about the monster, Edward Mountain funded a search in 1934. Twenty men with binoculars and cameras watched the loch for five weeks. They took 21 photos, but none were clear enough to prove anything.

Loch Ness Investigation Bureau (1962–1972)

The Loch Ness Phenomena Investigation Bureau (LNPIB) was formed in 1962. This group of volunteers and experts aimed to study Loch Ness and find out what was causing the monster reports. They used film cameras with powerful lenses to watch the loch from different spots.

Sonar Studies (1967–1968)

In 1968, a sonar expert named D. Gordon Tucker used a special sonar device in Loch Ness. It created an "acoustic net" to detect anything moving underwater. During a two-week test, several moving objects were found. One was likely a group of fish, but others moved in ways that were not typical for fish, at speeds up to 10 knots.

Later Investigations

Robert Rines' Studies (1970s-2000s)

Starting in 1972, a team led by Robert H. Rines used sonar and underwater cameras to search the loch. Their sonar detected moving targets, and their cameras took two photos that seemed to show a diamond-shaped flipper. These "flipper photos" became famous, but it was later admitted that they might have been retouched.

In 1975, based on these photos, a naturalist named Sir Peter Scott even gave the creature a scientific name: Nessiteras rhombopteryx. However, a Scottish politician joked that the name was an anagram for "monster hoax by Sir Peter S."

Rines continued his searches for many years. By 2008, he thought the creature might have become extinct. He believed it might not have been able to adapt to changes in water temperature caused by global warming.

Operation Deepscan (1987)

In 1987, a big search called Operation Deepscan used 24 boats with sonar equipment across the entire loch. They sent sound waves simultaneously. Scientists reported making sonar contact with an unidentified object that was unusually large and strong. One sonar expert said, "There's something here that we don't understand, and there's something here that's larger than a fish."

BBC's Searching for the Loch Ness Monster (2003)

In 2003, the BBC sponsored a large search using 600 sonar beams and satellite tracking. They searched the entire loch with very detailed equipment. They found no animal of significant size. The scientists involved concluded that this search proved the Loch Ness Monster was a myth.

Finding a Movie Prop (2016)

In 2016, a survey using an underwater robot found something unexpected: a prop of Nessie! It was created for the 1970 film The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes. The prop had sunk into the loch during filming because its humps were removed, changing its balance.

DNA Survey (2018)

In June 2018, an international team of scientists did a DNA survey of Loch Ness. They collected water samples to look for DNA from any unusual species. The results, published in 2019, showed no DNA from large fish like sharks or catfish, or from ancient reptiles like plesiosaurs. However, they found a lot of eel DNA. The study leader, Professor Neil Gemmell, said he couldn't rule out the possibility of extremely large eels living in the loch.

High-Tech 90th Anniversary Search (2023)

In August 2023, a special high-tech search took place to celebrate 90 years since the famous Aldie Mackay sighting. Volunteers used sonar to map the loch bed, thermal imaging drones to scan the surface, and underwater microphones (hydrophones). The hydrophones recorded some sounds, but they were "probably ducks." Even with many searchers and live online cameras, no clear sightings were made.

What Could Nessie Be?

Many ideas have been suggested to explain the sightings of the Loch Ness Monster. Some people think it's a known animal that's been mistaken for something else. Others believe it's just inanimate objects or natural effects.

Mistaken Identity: Known Animals

Giant Eels

A common idea is that Nessie could be a very large European eel. Eels do live in Loch Ness, and an unusually big one could explain many sightings. The 2018 DNA survey found a lot of eel DNA in the loch, making this a popular theory among scientists.

Elephants

In 2006, a scientist named Neil Clark suggested that traveling circuses might have let elephants bathe in the loch long ago. He thought an elephant's trunk could look like a head and neck, and its head and back could look like humps when swimming.

Greenland Sharks

In 2013, TV presenter Jeremy Wade suggested Nessie might be a Greenland shark. These sharks can grow up to 20 feet long and live in cold waters, including parts of the North Atlantic near Scotland. They are dark and could survive in freshwater, where Loch Ness has plenty of fish for them to eat.

Wels Catfish

In 2015, Steve Feltham, a long-time Nessie watcher, suggested the monster could be an unusually large Wels catfish. These fish can grow very big and might have been introduced into the loch many years ago.

Other Animals

It's hard to tell the size of something in water without a clear reference. Otters and deer swimming in the loch have sometimes been mistaken for the monster. Birds can also be confused with a "head and neck" sighting.

Mistaken Identity: Objects or Effects

Boat Wakes

Sometimes, people report seeing wakes (the ripples left by a boat) even when no boats are nearby. These could be caused by wind or other natural movements in the water.

Floating Trees

In 1933, a newspaper suggested that a strangely shaped tree trunk washed ashore might be responsible for monster sightings. Some scientists believe that decomposing pine logs can rise to the surface, looking like a creature with humps or a long body.

Water Ripples (Seiches)

Loch Ness is very long and straight, which can cause unusual ripples called "seiches." These are like standing waves that can make the water surface move in strange ways, sometimes making it look like something large is moving underneath.

Optical Illusions

Wind and light conditions can make the water look choppy or create dark patches that reflect mountains and clouds. Sometimes, the way light bends in the air can even make distant objects look distorted, like a mirage of a rock appearing to be a head and neck.

Seismic Gas

The Loch Ness is located along a major geological fault line. Some geologists suggest that releases of gas from the fault could cause large disturbances on the water's surface, which might be mistaken for a swimming creature.

Folklore and Hoaxes

Kelpies and Water Horses

Some experts believe that modern beliefs in lake monsters like Nessie are linked to old Scottish legends about "kelpies." These were mythical water horses or other creatures that were said to live in lochs. These stories might have been told to keep children away from dangerous waters.

Famous Hoaxes

Over the years, several hoaxes have added to the Nessie legend.

• In the 1930s, a big-game hunter named Marmaduke Wetherell claimed to find Nessie footprints. However, they turned out to be from a hippopotamus umbrella stand, used by a prankster!
• In 1972, a team found a large body floating in the loch. It was described as having a "bear's head and a brown scaly body." Later, it was revealed to be a shaved elephant seal that someone had dumped in the loch as a prank.
• In 2004, a TV documentary team created an animatronic model of a plesiosaur called "Lucy." They placed it in the loch, and about 600 sightings were reported in that area!
• In 2005, two students claimed to find a large "tooth" from the creature. It was later found to be a publicity stunt for a horror novel, and the "tooth" was actually a deer antler.

Could it be a Plesiosaur?

A model of a Cryptoclidus, a type of plesiosaur.

A reconstruction of Nessie as a plesiosaur outside the Museum of Nessie.

In 1933, some people suggested that Nessie looked a lot like a plesiosaur. These were long-necked aquatic reptiles that lived with dinosaurs and are thought to have died out about 66 million years ago. However, scientists have several reasons why Nessie is probably not a plesiosaur:

• Plesiosaurs could not lift their heads high out of the water like a swan, as Nessie is often described. Their necks were not flexible enough.
• Loch Ness is only about 10,000 years old, formed after the last ice age. Before that, it was frozen for a very long time. It's unlikely plesiosaurs could have survived there.
• Plesiosaurs would need to surface often to breathe, and a family of them would need a lot of food. Loch Ness doesn't have enough food to support such large creatures.

While some newer discoveries show plesiosaurs that could live in freshwater, this doesn't change the other reasons why it's unlikely Nessie is one.

See also

In Spanish: Monstruo del lago Ness para niños