Charleston
Lake is situated in Canada 30 miles north of Kingston. It is approximately 9
miles long and about 4 miles wide with a depth of over 450 feet( 150 metres) in
some places. It is known as a good place for fishing, so there are good food
sources in the area. There is said to be a strange creature living in the lake
nicknamed Charlie by the residents. It has been recorded as being seen for over
a 100 years.
In 1897
Noah Shook claimed he was pursued by a large, hissing creature.
In 1947
three fisherman reported that they had seen a dinosaur type creature swimming
in Tallow Bay Rock.
In 1994,
Mr. H while visiting the place his father’s ashes were scattered on the lake ,
saw what he described as being a large rain slick in the water. "I had
never seen anything in the like that before" he said.
In 1997,
a couple travelling at night claimed they saw waves that were 3 to 4 feet (just
over 1 metre) high, caused by something in the water. There wasn’t any wind and
the water was calm and there were no boats in the area.
(If anyone knows of any more recent sightings please post a comment).
Charlie
is not the only strange creature in the area:
There
have also been reports of a snake like creature, living in Red Horse Lake
located in nearby Lyndhurst. The creature is said to be greenish black, a head
like a horse with small breathing tubes on its head and it about 60(20 metres)
to 80 feet ( 26 metres) long. Fisherman have reported seeing a long black body
in the water
In the
1970s, an unnamed woman , said she was leaning over her small row boat in order
to grab a bullfrog for her pond when a creature "just popped its head
right out of the water and looked at me!" The woman screamed from fright
and the creature dived beneath the water leaving foaming bubbles. The woman
left immediately.
Both
lakes are in The Charleston Provincial Park. The park also provides habitat for
the rare black rat snake which is also the largest snake found in the area. The
Black Rat Snake (Elaphe obsoleta) sometimes called a pilot black snake is a
non-venomous species . It prefers wooded areas and is known for having the
ability to climb the trunk of large mature trees . It is known to reach lengths
of 8 feet( 2.6 metres) but one was found that was 9.1 ( 3metres)feet long.
Now what
if a snake fell from a tree into a lake? That would explain the hissing creature
that chased Mr Shook all those years ago. It may also account for some of the
other sightings but not all of them. Just a thought for Monday.