Loch Ness
Great search planned for Nessie
A Nessie sculpture at the Loch Ness Center in Drumnadrochit. photo
© Silvia Kusidlo/dpa
The myth of Nessie, the Loch Ness Monster, lives on. Again and again there are reports of sightings, but so far nothing really tangible has been there.
It’s getting tight for Nessie: With the largest search operation in decades, interested parties want to debunk the myth of the Rediscover Loch Ness in Scotland. At the end of August, experts and volunteers will use the latest technology to examine the lake in the Highlands in detail. Drones with infrared cameras are to produce thermal images above the water for days, while a hydrophone – a type of underwater microphone – will record acoustic signals below the surface.
“It’s organized observation of Loch Ness, that’s great,” full-time Nessie seeker Steve Feltham told the German Press Agency. “The more eyes on the water, the better.” Feltham has been searching for the “monster” right on the lake for more than 30 years – longer than anyone else.
Nessie is probably the best-known ambassador for Scotland. For centuries there have been reports of sightings of what appeared to be sea monsters or large, unidentified creatures in Loch Ness.
Nessie tourism picked up momentum some 90 years ago after the local newspaper “Inverness Courier” reported on a hotel manager’s encounter with a “water monster” in the village of Drumnadrochit. The hotel is now the Loch Ness Centre, which offers information and tours about Nessie and the loch. The center is working with the Loch Ness Exploration (LNE) group on the search. The last time the lake was systematically searched for an unknown creature was in 1972 – without any result.
“We hope we can inspire a new generation of Loch Ness enthusiasts,” LNE’s Alan McKenna told the British PA news agency. “By joining this large-scale surface search, one has the opportunity to personally contribute to this intriguing mystery that has intrigued so many people around the world.”