Thursday 1 October 2009

some thoughts on lake monsters


So far I have mentioned about 70 lake monsters on the blog and that doesn’t include sea serpents. 70 lake monsters sounds a lot but there are many more out there yet to blog about. I never realised how many there were until I started this blog. The similarities between them are also interesting. There are lots of long necks, serpentine like and crocodile like creatures spotted. Some may be big fish, some may be eels some may even be crocodiles but some may be something new , a new species or perhaps a very old species adapted and evolved. I am not really talking dinosaurs here but something more recent from the last 10 or 12,000 years, not a billion years old. Something surviving from the ice age and evolving is more likely than a dinosaur. A lot of the lakes with reported creatures are similar in being cold, dark waters and fairly isolated until recent times and many were only formed since the ice age. There is not a great deal of information on sea creatures of the ice age, mainly I suspect because remains have not been discovered. There is lots on woolly mammoths and sabre toothed tigers but not a lot on sea creatures or lake creatures of the age. It could be then that an undiscovered species is waiting to be found. I think a giant eel is a likely candidate but there may be big fish, prehistoric in appearance out there, like the sturgeon but a new species. It could be a serpentine like creature, a giant water dwelling worm, the possibilities are endless. I hope when something is found we are not disappointed that it is not the prehistoric monster some hope for , nor some other strange beast. It may turn out to be something mundane but because it has been hidden for so long that it is still exciting.

I am fascinated by lake and sea monster stories as you can probably tell and have spent many hours watching lochs and lakes . I am always struck by the similarities between the areas and the lakes more than anything. Is it the similarities that matter or the differences…..well I tie myself in knots on that one. I think the similarities are important because if it turns out that these sightings are an optical illusion , then the similarities will be important. If it turns out a creature does dwell in a lake , then the similarities between lakes will also be important in assessing whether another creature could survive in another lake.

I hope one day soon to have the time to compare all the sightings I can find and the areas they take place in, to show the similarities and hope it will show some correlation to either types of species or types of place, both of which may turn out to be important in the future. What ever the outcome of investigating the lake monsters sightings, whether mis perception or creature, I want to know the answers. Curiosity is a wonderful thing and I am very curious about lake monsters!

2 comments:

Austin Whittall said...

Writing from Argentina. I am an "amateur" cryptozoologist too. Read your post on "Nahuelito" and this one too. Just as a reference, I have records (reports, articles) on sightings in the following Patagonian lakes and rivers:
1. Lakes: Aluminé, Nahuel Huapi, Blanca, Vintter (General Paz), Colhue Huapi, La Plata, Fontana, Buenos Aires / Carreras, Negra, Gutierrez, Mascardi, Lolog, Lacar,Caviahue, Huechulafquen, Nonthue, Maihue, Ranco, Foitzick, Cisnes, Llanquihue, Del Toro, Fagnano, Esquel, Rosario, Vidal Gormaz, de las Rocas, Tagua Tagua [28 lakes]
2. Rivers: Deseado, Tamango, Senguer, Santa Cruz, Aysen, Bio Bio, and Huemules. [7 rivers]
3. Islands: Tierra del Fuego, Chiloé, and Wager.
4. Other places: Coihueco, Aucapan.
5. Patagonian coast: Strait of Magellan and Relocavi Fjord.[7 other locations]

Myths, legends, chronicles written by explorers between 1520 and 1920s back these alleged lake monster sightings.

"Saludos desde Buenos Aires, Argentina"

Tabitca said...

Hello. thank you for your comment. Wow I am impressed! Do you have a blog or website I can post a link to as I am sure lots of people would be interested?
If not and if you feel like writing a posting about lake monsters I would be happy to post it here .
The list of lake creatures is never ending and I find new ones every day. Fascinating stuff isn't it?
Thanks again.