Creatures, Myths & Legends

Hundreds descend on Loch Ness for largest ever monster hunt

By T.K. Randall
June 6, 2024

Image: Urquhart Castle from Loch Ness
Credit: Dave Conner / CC BY 2.0 (adapted) Last year, we saw what was billed as the largest Loch Ness monster hunt in 50 years - an endeavor involving hundreds of volunteers as well as the use of dozens of webcams, camera-equipped drones and even special hydrophones that managed to pick up unexplained sounds in the murky depths.

While the search ultimately failed to find anything conclusive, the event itself was so successful that the Loch Ness Monster Centre decided to organize a second, even larger attempt for this year.

Starting on May 30th, the follow-up event saw hundreds of people once again descend on the area.

Alistair Mathieson, who runs a cruise vessel named Deepscan, deployed a 60ft hydrophone in order to listen for any unusual sounds that might be coming from the depths.

Intriguingly, he picked up a strange "rhythmic pulsing" that nobody has been able to identify."I've been obsessed with Scotland and Nessie my whole life, and to be here is just a dream," said Ashley Range who came all the way from Washington state to be part of the hunt.

"To be on an actual expedition and out on Deepscan, exploring Loch Ness, is a dream come true. I definitely believe in Nessie. Although a lot of the evidence can be explained, there is a lot out there that is unexplainable. It has been an incredible trip."

A young boy - 11-year-old Evelyn Murphy - also spotted an unusual break on the water's surface, though the jury is still out on whether it was actually anything anomalous.

"The excitement this weekend has proven that intrigue surrounding Loch Ness and its monster is still very much alive," said Paul Nixon, general manager of the Loch Ness Centre.

"We all want the same thing - to discover the mysteries of the natural phenomena beneath the loch."

Source: Scotsman

Tags: Loch Ness, Nessie, Lake Monster