Famous Legendary Lake Monsters From Around the World
We have heard and read plenty of articles or even able to see photographs and videos of Yeti or the Abominable Snowman, a large, man-like animal reported as existing high in the Himalayas and Sasquatch or Bigfoot, reportedly lives in the US, particularly the Pacific Northwest. Let’s meet seven more monsters allegedly living on different lakes on the different parts of the world.
Mokele - Mbembe: Africa
This is an artist’s rendition of the Mokele-mbembe. It resembles a Styracosaurus, a kind of dinosaur.
Mokele-mbembe is believed to roam the countries of Congo, Gabon, Cameroon, and Zambia. It is believe that this monster lives on lakes and swamps. The meaning of its name is“one who stops the flow of rivers” in the Lingala language, is the name given to a large water dwelling cryptid found in the legends and folklore of the Congo River basin. According to some accounts, the first sighting of this monster was in 1776 and was last sighted Congo by Eugene Thomas in 1989 and last sighted in Cameroon in 2006. It is sometimes described as being a living creature and sometimes as being a spirit. It is analogous to the Loch Ness Monster in Western culture.
Some cryptozoologists believe that such a creature exists. This belief has originated from the reports of the Bantu tribesmen, pygmies and other natives living in the region. These people report sightings of long-necked, water-dwelling animals of gigantic sizes that occasionally kill people without provocation. Some scholars suppose that the creature might be a type of dinosaur that could have survived the mass extinction of the dinosaurs that is believed to have occurred about 65 million years ago. So far, scientists have failed to find a reliable evidence for the existence of a creature corresponding to the native legend.
Ogopogo Monster: Canada
This is a reconstruction of the Jim Reiger sighting.
Ogopogo is a lake monster reported to live in Okanagan Lake in British Columbia, Canada. According to local legend it was first sighted in 1860 in the said area. The first clear sighting, witnessed by a large group of people, occurred in 1926 at an Okanagan Mission Beach {fact}}. There were about thirty cars of people who all claimed to have witnessed the same event. It was also in this year that Bobby Carter, then editor of the Vancouver Sun, wrote, “Too many reputable people have seen the monster to ignore the seriousness of actual facts.”
Similar sighting of another lake monster named Manipogo was also reported. Believed to live in Lake Manitoba, sightings of this serpent like sea monster have been going on since roughly 1908.
Issie Monster: Japan
Monster Issie or Ishii is believed to live in Lake Ikeda, a Caldera lake in Japan. It is perhaps best known to tourists as the location of the purported sightings of Issie the monster. The creature was reportedly photographed in 1978. In 1991, another visitor of the lake caught video footage of a bizarre looking creature, approximated to be 30 ft. in length.
Nessie: Scotland, UK
Nessie is a lake monster believed to inhabit Loch Ness in Scotland. This monster is one of the best-known cryptids studied by cryptology. Popular belief and interest in the animal has fluctuated over the years since it came to the world’s attention in 1933. Evidence of its existence is largely anecdotal, with minimal, and much disputed, photographic material and sonar readings: there has not been any physical evidence (skeletal remains, capture of a live animal, definitive tissue samples or spoor) uncovered as of 2008.
A similar loch monster named Morag is reported to live in Loch Morar, Scotland. After Nessie herself, Morag is among the best known of Scotland’s legendary monsters.
Champ or Champy: USA
Champ or Champy is a lake monster is first reported in 1609 and had been last sighted in 2005 in Lake Champlain in USA. While there is no scientific evidence for the existence of this cryptid, there have been over 300 reported sightings. The legend of the monster is considered a “big draw” for tourism in the Burlington, Vermont area.
Like the other lake monsters, Champ is considered a relative of the plesiosaur, an extinct group of aquatic reptiles. A recent sound recording, said to be of Champ, consists of numerous echolocation clicks, suggesting that the alleged cryptid may be a new kind of freshwater whale or dolphin.
Lake Van Monster
Another lake monster allegedly spotted in 1995 is the Lake Van Monster. Lake Van is a large alkaline lake in Eastern Turkey. There are now more than 1,000 people claiming to have witnessed the beast which is reported to measure around fifteen meters long with spikes on its back and appears similar to a Plesiosaur or Ichthyosaurus. Following these reports the Turkish government sent an official scientific survey group to the lake who failed to spot the creature. A 4-meter high statue based on reported sightings has been erected to its honor in Van, Turkey. Skeptics point out that the region would benefit from tourist revenue and a hoax might attract visitors.
Lake Tianchi Monster: China/Korea
Many believe that Heaven Lake or Lake Cheonji is home to the Lake Tianchi Monster also known as Lake Chonji Monster. This monster was first seen, according to report, in 1903. It was said that in 2007, Lake Tianchi Monster was seen near the border of North Korea. Some reports argue that there is not just a single monster, but an estimated 20 monsters.
Assuming that that these monsters exist, with al the similarities of their descriptions and pictures, isn’t it possible that there is ONLY ONE monster roaming around the world? Well, whether these creatures exist or not, they still continue to captivate imagination and interest of many people. To wrap it up, I’d like to ask this - How about in your place? Are there also legends or sightings about monster?
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