I Once Saw The Loch Ness Monster!

“I once saw the Loch Ness monster.”

Nowadays this statement ranks alongside headlines such as “Elvis Presley spotted working in local supermarket” or “Fleet of UFOs sighted over Skegness.”

I find it sad that Nessie has fallen out of favour so dramatically that she is now a figure of fun.

Why? Because a lot of people who live along the shores of Loch Ness will tell you there genuinely IS something strange in those deep, dark waters. However, they have learnt to keep any sightings to themselves, simply to avoid ridicule.

I live about 30 miles from the loch, and drive along its shores about a dozen times a year. And yes, one day I really did see something in Loch Ness that I couldn’t explain. It was a cold, February day. The water, unusually, was flat calm and empty of boats. As we were passing a gap in the trees I saw, about a hundred yards from the shore, something long and black protruding six to ten feet out of the water. My instinct was to slam on the brakes, but I don’t think the driver behind me would have appreciated that. By the time I reached the next clearing in the trees the object had submerged. In its place could be seen a large area of disturbed water. Had I seen this anywhere else I would have thought it highly unusual. But here, on Loch Ness….!

That’s it. That was my sighting. Not exactly conclusive proof, but very interesting nonetheless.

I suspect the reason Nessie now ranks alongside mermaids and leprechauns is because of recent scientific studies, which claim that the ecosystem in the loch is incapable of supporting a family of large creatures. Now, I’m no scientist, but even I know of one particular food source that migrates through Loch Ness in huge numbers throughout the year: Atlantic salmon. These fish are not part of any food chain because their stomachs atrophy as they approach fresh water, consequently they are incapable of feeding. In fact so many salmon migrate through the Loch Ness system that they help to support a population of some 80 bottlenose dolphins in the Moray Firth.

Are there large unknown creatures in Loch Ness? Possibly. A lot of people who know those waters well definitely think so. Certainly, there is no good reason why they couldn’t exist.

I’ll finish with the strange tale of a deckhand on board a Royal Navy warship, which happened to be steaming through the loch on V.E. day. To celebrate the end of the war some bright spark dropped a couple of depth charges off the stern of the ship. In the aftermath of the explosions, rising out of the depths of the loch, was spotted the tail ends of two gigantic eels.

Eels? Now there’s a thought.

Okay, so now that I’ve stuck my head above the parapet, who’s going to join me? Who’s going to admit that they’ve seen something in this amazing world of ours, which simply defies explanation?

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