The cameron lake monster sightings

Cameron Lake is a popular recreational lake located 20 km west of Parksville, Vancouver Island. It’s size is 477 hectares and it’s elevation 184 metres. It has Fish Stocks of Rainbow Trout, Cutthroat Trout and brown trout and Kokanee Salmon. Myths persist about Cameron Lake. One was that it is bottomless, another that is 1300ft deep however it is 240 ft deep. There are supposedly underwater tunnels to Horne lake. The lake does not freeze in the winter. People have reported seeing what they describe as a creature in Cameron Lake

In 2004, a woman and her father reported that they had seen a very large, long black creature in Cameron Lake. The animal swam along the lake near Highway 4 and the two were able to see it from their car until the highway veered away from the lake.

In 2007this was reported : Bridgette Horvath ... says she saw something very odd in the water when driving by the swimming area recently," ...
"Horvath said she was driving past the lake with a friend on the afternoon of July 30 when she noticed a strange wake in the water. There was no boat making the wake, which she said appeared to be made by something large under the water.
"She pulled her vehicle over and got out to look.
"In all, she said, there appeared to be three objects or creatures in the water.
"'They were going in a circle, like when whales school up fish,' she said.
"Horvath is mystified, but, says Cameron Lake resort owner Louis Verheyen, this was not the first sighting of something strange in Cameron Lake." ...
"'A couple of weeks ago someone said they saw something that looked like a row of car tires or something. Another time, a guy was fishing and he said he saw something really big on his depth sounder. It scared him and he left.'" Source:

http://www.bclocalnews.com/vancouver_island_central/parksville_qualicumbeachnews/?c

In 2008: CAMERON LAKE - After leaving church in Qualicum Beach this past Sunday, Sonny and Muriel Knapp went for a drive to Port Alberni. As they passed Cameron Lake, Muriel spotted something in the water, describing it as a five metre log, slender, headless, swimming eel. Unable to pull over as they drove past Angel Rock, her husband Sonny slowed to see the creature and echoed Muriel’s description. Other people have also reported seeing something strange on Cameron Lake. However, the people who live along the eastern shore of Cameron Lake dismiss the sightings as the wakes from boats. They admit they don’t want increased tourist traffic disturbing the lake’s serenity.

Then I came across this on a fishing forum.(It is amazing what you find on fishing and diving forums and site. There are often reports you don’t see elsewhere):

I have actually seen it up close twice, both times about 50' out, when I was 16. We were in a boat on both the times. Family friends have a cabin on the lake there and we were out tubing one afternoon. It wasnt very nice out, fairly calm tho. I was driving the boat and remember seeing this large round snake like creature 'crest' out of the water. All I saw was I guess the back end of it. It was like seeing the last part of a whale or dolphin when it sounds after taking a breath. There was a large fin on the side I could see about the size of my hand(now at 25). It was dark-greenish and smooth looking. No tail, that I saw.
The first time I saw it, it was out roughly on the other side of the first river mouth that you drive past heading toward Port from Coombs. Maybe 100-125' off shore. The second time I saw it was when we were taking the boat to go cliff jumping closer to angel rock, but again on the cabin's side of the lake. Didn't see any fins this time, only the same color and shape and same action as before. The second time it was closer to shore but it is really deep around that rock ledge which is why we were jumping from it. Source:

http://www.fishtactics.com/ViewThread?threadID=510

So is there a large creature in the lake? Well this comment is interesting:

Cameron Lake is an ideal spot for swimming and fishing, as well as sail boarding, due to a wind funnel created by the surrounding mountains

http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/little_qualicum_falls/

So some sightings could be the result of wave formations. As there are large fish stocks in the lake it is possible a large eel or predatory fish is living there. As always investigation may turn up some evidence. I believe there is an expedition from the British Columbia Cryptozoology Society heading that way this month.