"There, the creature disported itself, rolling and plunging for fully a minute, its body resembling that of a whale, and the water cascading and churning like a simmering cauldron." ("Report of strange spectacle on Loch Ness in 1933 leaves unanswered question - what was it?", 2020) Stated in the Inverness Courier, a reliable news source near Loch Ness, is a description of the Mackay Family’s account while driving by Loch Ness in 1933. The Inverness Courier’s “Strange Spectacle on Loch Ness” publication is noted as the first popularization of the modern Loch Ness Monster tale.
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The following year in 1934, the Daily Mail of London hired Duke Wetherell to find and report on the Loch Ness Monster. Upon ridicule by Daily Mail and the public after a false finding of tracks of the creature on the shore of Loch, Robert Wilson (in aid of Wetherell) managed to capture what is known as the “Surgeon’s Photo” that depicted the Loch Ness Monster. Once the image was published by Daily Mail, it was popularized as visual evidence of the creature. “In 1993, Christian Spurling, stepson of the flamboyant movie maker and big game hunter "Duke" Wetherell, admitted he'd made the "monster" out of some plastic and a clockwork, tinplate, toy submarine.” (Source) On account of the above statement by family, many believe the famous “Surgeon’s Photo” was staged, however, others remain true to the image as Spurling’s statement was not public until after his death. Regardless, the publication by Inverness Courier and the “Surgeon’s Photo” of the Daily Mail are famous for being the first modern descriptive and visual representation (respectively) of the Loch Ness Monster.
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Following the famous sighting of Nessie, thousands of cryptozoologists got involved. One organization in particular was formed with the single purpose of finding and learning more about the Loch Ness Monster: The Loch Ness Phenomena Investigation Bureau. This bureau was established in 1961 by a group of loyal cryptozoologists, photographers, and the television company ATV. When the organization failed in 1977, skeptics took it as further evidence that the Loch Ness Monster does not exist. In spite of this shut down, many of the individuals involved still believe in Nessie. One photographer from the Bureau, Dick Raynor, has an extensive website where he analyzes the evidence collected from the Bureau as well as more modern evidence, including his own recordings (right). Although he has admitted that a large sum of evidence collected has since been proven worthless, Raynor provides hope for believers with two works: A distant sighting of a creature on the beach in 1963 and a video taken in 1967.
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In 1960, Tim Dinsdale began his own search for the Loch Ness Monster and, by the time he was done, recorded the first modern video of the Loch Ness Monster (right). This video, recorded in Dinsdale’s first year of searching, shows an object or creature approximately 16 feet long moving through the water. For skeptics, this video provides a stronger glimpse of what the creature looks like, as Tim Dinsdale described his back to look like that of “an American buffalo”, and stronger evidence that is less likely to be seen as a hoax. Skeptics agree that the video is likely not a hoax, but instead a mistake. Due to the darkness and blurriness of the video, many skeptics say that the video is instead a boat recorded from a distance, and point to Tim Dinsdale’s previous mistakes of recording floating rocks and twigs as evidence. Dinsdale’s vision was further called into question when it was revealed that he failed a pilot vision test in prior years.
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Another famous first is that of Robert Rines’ Loch Ness Monster photograph (left). Rines’ photograph, the first taken underwater, was shot during a sonar expedition searching for Nessie, and it depicts what cryptozoologists describe to be a flipper. According to the scientists involved, this flipper is approximately 8 feet long, making it relatively the same size as described in previous sightings. Robert Rines himself admitted in an interview (right) that the quality of this photo makes it hard to guarantee that the object is a flipper, but hopes it is only the beginning of underwater photographic evidence. Rines also briefly mentions that this photograph was enhanced, a point that skeptics use to prove that it is faulty as evidence.
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As technology advanced, it seemed that the answer behind what is in Loch Ness would be easier to discover. Professionals in the scientific community believed that sonar equipment would be able to provide a definite answer as it would record anything found in the water. Yet, skeptics and believers still debate the accuracy of the evidence. When the sonar expeditions first began, nothing was discovered by Cambridge University’s team, seemingly proving that the Loch Ness Monster was nothing more than a conspiracy theory. Although it seemed as though the evidence had finally reached a conclusion, something new was discovered.
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