Connor, Layden, Porter 1
Ryan Connor, Kerry Layden, Darcie Porter
Dr. Schnackenberg
IDS 3303
19 January 2005
The LochNess Monster: Science or Pseudoscience?
The Loch Ness Monster, better known as “Nessie”, is located in Loch Ness in the Highlands of Scotland. The lake is 23 miles long, about 1 mile wide, and it runs southwest to northeast. It averages 600ft in depth with its deepest point being 786ft. This makes it the deepest and one of the largest bodies of fresh water in Britain. Seals and otters live in Loch Ness along with an assortment of fish. Nessie is considered to be about 15-40ft long, around 2,500 pounds, dark or elephant gray, with a long neck, horse looking face and a back with one or two humps.
The first recorded sighting of the Loch Ness Monster was in October 1871 around noon by D. Mackenzie who described the object as “log like, then turned boat, slow then moved of at speed”. In 1933 Nessie became famous with over ninety claimed reports of sightings. The sighting that started the excitement was when Mrs. Aldie Mackey reported seeing a whale like creature. Inverse Courerur ran the story written by Alex Campbell and the excitement was born. In 1934 a new road was built along the loch and there were reportedly over 130 sightings of Nessie. Many people believe that Nessie was brought to the surface by the explosions from the dynamite to make the new road.
There have been over 4,000 sightings up to today of the Loch Ness Monster Nessie. Many of these were sightings of normal objects or animals mistaken in the distance or hoaxes put on by locals trying to attract tourist. There still is hundreds of sightings that have not been discredited and where received by credible witnesses.
The Loch Ness monster is a mystery that has yet to be solved. Many have claimed to see this monster, but fake pictures have caused the scientific world to be very skeptical of the monsters’ existence. “Nessie”, if she exists, has been very elusive thus far. Although it seems like a silly idea to some people, there are scientists who have devoted much of their time to prove that there is indeed an unidentified life form that lives in the depth of Loch Ness in Scotland. The research resulting from these scientists’ devotion to Loch Ness does not prove that there is a “monster” in the lake, but it does point toward the possibility that the lake holds life forms that we have never seen before or an oversized animal of some sort.
The most important scientific discovery at Loch Ness is not of the monster itself, but clam shells that have been dated at 120,000 years old. This is significant because these clams date back to the last glacial period. According to Robert H. Rines and Frank M. Dougherty of the Academy of Applied Science, “Loch Ness has now electrifyingly revealed the secret of its ancient, though perhaps periodic connection to the sea, and at long last has given up physical remnants of the smaller sea animals and sea life that once occupied that portion of the Great Glen Rift” (Rines 318). This discovery is important because it was once believed that a large animal like the Loch Ness Monster could not have lived in a land locked body of water, but we now know that this lake was once connected to the ocean, and animals could come and go as they pleased. The discovery that Loch Ness is much, much older than many had originally thought proves that we do not know everything about this lake, and there may very well be animals in there that we know nothing about.
Besides the discovery of the ancient clam shells, there have been other scientific findings that the Loch Ness Monster does exist. Sightings alone cannot serve as scientific evidence, but the use of sonar has proven to be very useful. “Sonar contacts also point to the existence of large, moving objects in the loch”(monsterhunters.org). Also, a team of scientists decided it would be useful to create a topographical map of the lake bottom. They found out that “bordering both sides of the bay were steeply sloping deep ravines that then climbed to more shallow shores. It is along these deep ravines, in parts several hundreds of feet deep, that large creatures could well patrol the bay”(monsterhunters.org). In essence, the bottom of the lake is like a series of hills and ravines. Sightings occur when the underwater animal is going over a “hill”. This discovery explains why people often see a hump rise out of the water, and then sink back in. A recording of temperatures at various spots in the lake also reveal the existence of large animals. Scientists recorded areas where the temperature was unusually warmer than other areas of the lake. “These warm channels of water are in the very regions where local residents feel the large creatures may rest” (monterhunters.org).
The legend of the Loch Ness monster is just a story to some, but to others it is a reality that will be proven someday. The use of underwater cameras, sonar devices, topographical maps, temperature readings, and sightings all provide evidence that the Loch Ness monster does exist. “Even were there not the growing wealth of surface and subsurface pictures and observations by reliable persons, the consistency of sonar tracking to date removes all doubt as to the continued presence of large, moving underwater animals in Loch Ness”(monsterhunters.org). The unbelievable theory that one huge monster is lurking in the depths of Loch Ness is slowly being replaced by the theory that there are several large animals inhabiting the lake. Only more time and research will tell the true story of the Loch Ness monster.
Besides the scientific aspect of the Loch Ness Monster, there is also the pseudoscience surrounding this mystery. Pseudoscience can roughly be defined as the science of belief. Some people believe so strongly in something, they are convinced it is true. Take the case of the loch ness monster. This story has been around so long, that most of the people of Loch Ness, Scotland, are convinced it is true. They even have a website that monitors the lake twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. You can even take a snapshot from the camera projection if you think you see something.
This continued belief in the Loch Ness Monster has spawned many people to keep believing. In doing so, science has become irrelevant. It doesn’t matter that they’ve never found anything, because so many people have “seen it”, that in their minds, it must be true. Psychologically it has been reported that people in Loch Ness, Scotland have been so convinced of the story for so long, that they see it because they want to. The story is passed down from generation to generation, and in doing so, it has created the urge to want it to be there.
The Loch Ness Monster is by far the most well known mythical monster in the world. Most people believe that the Loch Ness Monster is only one animal, but there have been sightings of two monsters, which would explain why it’s been around so long. Loch Ness Monster babies, of course. There have been many logical explanations of what the thing in the water is; from large fish or birds, to logs floating on the surface. On the other hand, there are a group of people that believe the Loch Ness Monster may be a new species, or a species not yet extinct. These people have even classified it as either a plesiosaur, or a zeuglodon (a long bodied, snakelike whale).
Unfortunately, the only picture of the Loch Ness Monster that was thought to be authentic was finally proven to be a hoax. Of course the ancient legend and the occasional mysterious sightings were not a direct part of this Hoax. However, the most convincing evidence we have of The Loch Ness Monster, a photograph of the profile of a brontosaurus-like animal, was recently (a year or so ago) admitted to have been faked with a model. That leaves very little evidence for a monster.
The myth of the Loch Ness monster is most often thought of as just that: a myth. It is hard to imagine that there is any scientific evidence to prove that there is something unidentified in the lake. For this reason, finding resources of substance proved to be a little difficult. As a whole, the resources we found were more along the lines of pseudoscience. This is because it has not actually been proven that the monster exists. The scientific data has proven many other facts about the lake, but none have found Nessie. The reason that all the sources are based on pseudoscience is because the only reason that there is any scientific data is because some scientists truly believe that they will find some sort new animal if they look long and hard enough. Dr. Rines has proven to be an excellent scientist, but he continues to search for Nessie. This would make him appear not to be very scientific, but he did make some very important discoveries in the lake. Until the Loch Ness monster is found, pseudoscience is the only thing that will keep the search for Nessie alive.
Whatever the reasons, this story has been around for a long time. The children of Loch Ness, Scotland have adopted this story as much as American children adopt the tooth fairy, the Easter bunny, and Santa Claus. But like any story, it is born of imagination and kept alive through faith. Today, if you can not make it out to Scotland to look for Nessie yourself there are plenty of internet websites that have live cameras that watch the lake. An underwater camera is coming soon as well. The LochNess Monster: is it only a story? You decide.
Annotated Bibliography
Bauer, Henry. The Enigma of LochNess. Illinois: University of Illnois, 1986
This book sought to define and clarify the mystery of the Loch Ness monster. It’s in depth look at the habitat and people of Loch Ness, Scotland is unmatched throughout the world. Henry Bauer is a highly respected author, who has also written, “Beyond Velikovsky”, and is qualified for such an adventure.
Finch, Jason. “The LochNess Monster”. Sidco Cryptozoology.
This website is devoted to cryptozoology. The study of pseudoscientific animals of today’s legends. The site is sparce, but well written. Jason Finch belongs to the Sidco Cryptozoology Club, and has created this site for fun.
Loy, Jim. “The LochNess Monster”. Pseudoscience. 1999
This website is devoted to the better understanding of pseudoscience and it’s examples. It is a very well done site, with in depth investigations about almost everything pseudoscience. Jim Loy is a member of internet Montana, The University of Montana’s website. Jim’s extensive site leads many to believe he knows what he’s talking about, or he has a lot of time on his hands.
“LochNess: The Research.” Underwater Studies at LochNess. August 2003.17 January 2005.
This article is about all the research that has been done at LakeNess to find the Loch Ness Monster. The author describes sonar readings, temperature readings, sightings, and other scientific evidence to support the theory that there are large animals living in Loch Ness. The monster hunters are actually a group of scientists from different specializations who work with Rohert H. Rines, one of the leading researchers at Loch Ness. They are the team who discovered the ancient clam shells and proved that the lake was not always landlocked.
Perkins, Sid. “Is Nessie Just a Bad Case of the Shakes?’. Science News. 160.1(2001): pg 5.
This article is about a scientists’ claims that the sightings are the result of seismic activity. He believes that “large commotions in the water” and large bubbles are a result of small earthquakes. Sid Perkins has published numerous articles on this subject and is a respected scientist. This article is an example of how even science can be interpreted differently.
Rines, Robert H. and Frank M. Dougherty. “Proof Positive- Loch Ness Was an Ancient Arm of the Sea.” Journal of Scientific Exploration. 17.2 (2003): 317-323.
This article is about the discovery of clam shells that date back 120,000 years. The author explains the significance of these findings and how they came to their conclusions about the actual age of the shells. These clam shells are very important to their search for the loch ness monster because now it has been proven that animals from the ocean had an opportunity to move from the lake to the ocean and back again. The authors of the article are Robert Rines and Frank M. Dougherty, two of the leading scientists doing research at Loch Ness. The scientific data in this article is important to understanding the possibility of large animals living in Loch Ness.
Wagner, Stephen. “Nessie’s been basking in controversy for 70 years.” About. 18 January 2005. <
In this article on the web the author Stephen Walker discusses the many theories, hoaxes and expeditions that have taken place over the last 70 years to find out if Nessie really exist. Stephen Walker is an accomplished writer and editor for over 20 years. He is a member of the Central New York Ghost Hunters and has a B.A. in Theatre and English from State UniversityNew York at Oswego.
Walker, Paul Robert. Bigfoot and Other Legendary Creatures. Harcourt Brace & Company, New York. 1992.
This book gives a brief fictional story surrounding the legend of Nessie along with some facts about the LakeNess located in the Highlands of Scotland. Paul Robert Walker is an accomplished writer who is a member of the International Society of Cryptozoology and has work located in the Library of Congress.