The stories of a
mysterious creature have captivated imaginations for generations. The name of
this popular mythology creature is Loch Ness, also nicknamed Nessie. In Scotland
and the rest of the world, it is unknown if this monster exists for sure, but
for generations we have still not completely explored the waters where it is
said to inhabit. Multiple photographs have been presented as the image of Nessie,
but none have been proven to be the true identity of the creature. The most
common sighting in photography resembles a dark figure with a long extending
neck breaching the surface of the water. Here is a prime example:
(Image from http://herry.me/2011/11/)
Located in the northern
highlands of the United Kingdom, Lake Loch Ness is found in Scotland and is the
largest body of fresh water by volume in the entire country. With a depth of
roughly 750 ft. and an equally large length of close to 23 miles long, it’s not
hard to imagine that such a specimen could be lurking within its vast contents.
The Encyclopedia Britannica states that, although its size is immense, it is
quite narrow and “the watershed of Loch Ness covers more than 700 square miles
(1,800 square km) and comprises several rivers, including the Oich and the
Enrick.” (Loch Ness) The surrounding areas are also noted as being full of greenery
and grasslands making for an ideal location of wildlife including many fish and
other species. This might provide the necessary resources an enormous monster
like Nessie might need in order to survive and simply exist.
(Image from http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/countries/scotland-photos/#/loch-ness-lake_9067_600x450.jpg)
Now, what could this interesting creature actually
be if it were real and once, or still existed?
Many scientists have enlisted into the studies of
the myth, and found linking proof of other living species to identify its
specific category of animal. On a related website called Nessie land, it was
mentioned that,
“Because of the very
high peat content of the water in Loch Ness visibility is greatly restricted
and it is only possible to see through the top five feet of water. The depth of
Loch Ness is totally obscured by this colouration. However several species of
fish have been recorded in the loch, the commonest being salmon (salmo salar),
brown and sea trout (salmo trutta), eel (anguilla anguilla), charr (salvelinus
alpinus) and sturgeon (acipenser sturio). Pike, sticklebacks, perch, roach,
dace, rudd, carp and minnows can also be found. The fact that the water never
freezes no matter how hard the winter has an influence on the aquatic life
found in the loch.” (About Loch Ness)
If this visibility played a role in keeping the
tracking of Nessie a mystery, it would be more likely to say that the probability
is higher of it actually being real. There have been multiple reported sightings
since the 1930’s, and even claims to photographs being taken of its surfaced body.
None of the pictures have ever been classified as the direct proof for
identifying purposes though. So what does this all mean?
When we analyze the
suggested shapes and body structure of the creature, we find that it fits into
a specific category known as a Plesiosaur; an extinct “sea monster” that has
very little evidence to their existence. This isn’t much help to figuring out
the truth about Loch Ness. Below is a detailed skeletal figure diagram of plesiosauruses.
It closely resembles what has been speculated to be the same species as the
Scottish mythical monster.
(Image from http://www.plesiosauria.com/anatomy.php)
There are also theories that state that the lake’s mysterious
creature isn’t clearly confirmable to be one of these ancient individuals. One
reason is that the timeline of when Nessie is said to be seen is much later in
history than when Plesiosauruses were living. A supportive thought shows that
the species did have lungs and needed to surface to breathe, and that’s how it
was ever sighted; but other than a few witness descriptions, there are very few
physical proofs such as fossils.
In conclusion, the
mythological creature known as the “Loch Ness Monster” is purely a skeptical illusion
or great cultural story to captivate tourism to the Scotland’s most popular
lake. Whether the existence is proven one day or not, we will probably always
look out at the mystifying waters for answers and inspiration. Is there a
gigantic creature lurking in the vast deep, or are the stories just to intrigue
the imagination and instill fear into the eyes of our culture?
Feel free to contribute any knowledge or thoughts on
the topic, and continue to search for the truth about the mysterious giant
which has been nicknamed Nessie.
Sources including images noted here:
Works
Cited
"2011 November « herry dot me." herry dot me. Web. 15 Nov. 2012.
"About Loch
Ness - the Depth and Size of Loch Ness and Other Facts." The Loch Ness
Monster. Nessie and Loch Ness. Web. 15 Nov. 2012.
"Loch Ness
(lake, Scotland, United Kingdom) -- Britannica Online Encyclopedia." Britannica
Online Encyclopedia. Web. 15 Nov. 2012.
"Scotland
Photos -- National Geographic." Travel & Cultures -- National
Geographic. Web. 15 Nov. 2012.
"The
Plesiosaur Directory - Anatomy." The Plesiosaur Directory - Home. Web.
16 Nov. 2012.
The Loch Ness monster has always been fascinating. And the perpetuation of its myth has ensured thousands of tourists and hundreds of thousands of dollars each year for the Scottish people.
ReplyDeleteHowever, with modern technology (thermal imaging, data tracking, sonic probes, and even fish finders) it is impossible that a creature of this description is currently alive in the loch.
Additionally, we must consider both the age of the potential creature from its first sighting to now. It would be well over 3 centures old, making it the oldest living creature in existence as well as surpassing the age projections of its species by almost 2 centuries.
Next, we consider the source of food. Being a carnivorous creature of its size and weight, we would expect a land-locked area to show a marked decrease in the potential food poulation over time, especially as humans have increased in effect on the terrain and natural food sources.
Finally, we must consider the unlikely event that a group (or at least a mating pair) of prehistoric creatures could have survived for generations in a a small geographic area with a limited food source through a time when the last two ice ages froze the entire lake. The creature(s) must have not only survived this, but also had to survive for nearly 11 million years past the extinction of the rest of their species.
However, the nice thing about myths is that they transcend logic in favor of embracing mystery and hope, things that cannot be quantified or measured.
Myth's are awesome in that sense! I totally agree with the points you make and find it very difficult to believe that this creature is actually living out there. Maybe once it had, but through water movement and other natural occurrences, we can easily say that the remains of such would long be hidden and highly unlikely to locate. Even if proven wrong though, I believe the best interest would be to leave the myth and rumors to continue welcoming tourism to the area.
DeleteThis is another GREAT example of modern mythology! Just like bigfoot, there will always be those that believe, and those that don't. I love that we have been able to tell exaclty what kind of prehistoric dinosaur it is, yet still insist that it isn't really there.
ReplyDeleteBig Foot! :) that is another good one, who could still be out there somewhere lol. And I feel the same way about linking the skeletal remains and presumed body structure to a classification of a prehistoric dinosaur like creature. I guess it only really matters if you believe or not :)
DeleteMichael,
ReplyDeleteI found your blog to be very interesting. The Loch Ness monster is perhaps one of the most famous myths of modern time. I liked pictures and the diagram of the plesiosaur.
Thank you! yeah, I thought the connection was pretty interesting because of the desire to link it's mythology to scientific knowledge to further amplify it's truth. It's a wonder that they even found another species to identify it's remains to.
ReplyDeleteHi Michael,
ReplyDeleteI think Nessie eats magical mud from the Loch bottom, has a magical shield of protection so that scientists can't see/locate her, and I think she mates with other such fantastic creatures via deep undergound conduits that link the Loch with other bodies of water, like Payette Lake. :) Ok, I don't really believe all that, but it's great that (as proven here) our desire to believe in myth is a lot stronger than science and when it doesn't conform to logic, we can simply invent new rules that incorporate a pseudo logic. Like magical mud-food!
The construction of the blog is quite creative. The background takes us right to Loch Ness and the colors keep reminding us of water. The picture of the skeletal structure of the plesiosaur is a great addition!
Good discussion, as well. Nice work!