Loch Ness Monster
The Loch Ness monster is a creature that may or may not exist, this monster has since been nicknamed "Nessie". The creature is said to inhabit Loch Ness in the Scottish Highlands. Most eye witnesses and believers speculate that this creature or creatures are one of few remaining plesiosaurs'. These ancient dinosaurs have managed to survive and hide from the world. This of course would be quite a feat for an ancient reptile that needs to eat, play and move on a daily basis.
The state of belief and the amount of interest the animal has generated has varied since it was first brought to the world's attention in 1933. The evidence that has thus far been examined for Nessie is anecdotal at best; this includes a handful of highly disputed photographs and sonar readings. Most of the scientific community believes that the Loch Ness Monster is nothing more than a modern-day myth, however there are still scientists who believe such a creature could still exists given the right circumstances.
The first recorded sighting of Nessie was on May 2, 1933 by Mr. Alex Campbell. Campbell was a water bailiff at the time for Loch Ness and was also a part-time armature journalist. On August 4, 1933 the courier (news paper) published a full news column on the monster stating that a London man, claimed to see the beast. It wasn't until December 6, 1933 that the first photograph was released to the public. The image its self was taken by Hugh Gray. The creature received official notice after Scotland's Secretary of State put out an order that prevented police to make any attacks on it. In 1934 public interest surged as the now well known "surgeons photograph" made its way into public eyes, this image can be seen on the front page of the site and is one of the most famous photographs of any nature to date. In the same year a book was published by R. T. Gould. In this book Gould investigated many records and claims about the monster. He soon found that sightings of the beast went as far back as the 6th century.
The very first recounting of the Loch Ness Monster was in 565 AD. In this story, Saint Columbia rescues a frantic swimmer from a mysterious lake monster. That being said, stone carvings which date back around 1,500 years depict an unknown creature which very well could be the Loch Ness Monster.
The Loch Ness monster or "Nessie" is defiantly an interesting and mysterious beast. Whether you believe in it or not you must certainly agree that this creature has started a culture of people pushing past the normal and looking into the paranormal. To many, the Loch Ness Monster is the first paranormal entity they ever come into contact with and certainly not the last.