Amateur hunters and experts alike descended on a famous Scottish lake Saturday to reignite the search for the elusive Loch Ness Monster, aka “Nessie,” AP reported.
The Loch Ness Center said that researchers would hunt for “Nessie” using advanced technology, including thermal-imaging drones, infrared cameras and a hydrophone designed to detect sounds beneath the lake’s dark waters, AP reported.
The Center’s Alan McKenna told BBC radio that hunters were “looking for breaks in the surface and asking volunteers to record all manner of natural behavior on the loch,” adding that the aim was “to inspire a new generation of Loch Ness enthusiasts.” (RELATED: Peruvian Villagers Claim They Were Attacked By 7-Foot Tall Aliens)
The biggest search for the Loch Ness Monster in 50 years is under way this weekend, “incredibly excited” hunters hope to get closer to finding out what the mythical creature is.
The Loch Ness Center said researchers will be using thermal-imaging drones, infrared cameras and a… pic.twitter.com/d7dTj2igAb— ∼Marietta (@MariettaDaviz) August 27, 2023
McKenna cautioned that “not every ripple or wave” means the monster is near, and that although most of the sounds can be explained, “there are a handful that cannot.”
Searching for the Loch Ness Monster is nothing new, dating back to 1933 when the manager of the former Drumnadrochit Hotel, Aldie McKay, reported spotting a “water beast” in the deep mountain-fringed lake, AP reported.
The current two-day search, dubbed the “Quest” by organizers from the Loch Ness Center, is the biggest and most high-tech in the last 50 years, the Washington Post reported. A hundred volunteers situated on shore have helped record any unusual sights and almost 300 have monitored a live stream from the weekend search, according to the BBC.
Over the years many stories have emerged, both hoaxes and sincere eyewitness accounts, the AP reported. Some possible theories have been put forward to explain what eyewitnesses have actually seen, including prehistoric marine reptiles, giant eels or floating logs.
“I believe there is something in the loch,” volunteer Craig Gallifrey said. “I do think that there’s got to be something that’s fueling the speculation.”
Although Gallifrey is open to other interpretations, he said that however the search concludes, “the legend will continue.”