#lochness — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #lochness, aggregated by home.social.
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A cage optimistically built in 1933 to catch the Loch Ness Monster. I'd love to say they found the bars torn asunder, but I don't think any of the monster hunters caught anything worse than a cold. #Fortean #cryptozoology #monsters #LochNess #Nessie
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A cage optimistically built in 1933 to catch the Loch Ness Monster. I'd love to say they found the bars torn asunder, but I don't think any of the monster hunters caught anything worse than a cold. #Fortean #cryptozoology #monsters #LochNess #Nessie
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Perched on the banks of Loch Ness in the Scottish Highlands, Urquhart Castle offers sweeping lake views framed by rugged hills and dense forests. The historic ruins, rich in tales of clans and battles, evoke the region’s turbulent medieval past. A Scottish flag flutters proudly above the stone walls, enhancing the charm for those drawn to #UrquhartCastle and #HistoricRuins. Surrounded by serene waters and vast green landscapes, the spot is a favourite for #NaturePhotography and a must-see highlight of #ScottishHighlands exploration.
Taken Sep 2009
#UKCountryPic #Photography #MastoGPT #UrquhartCastle #ScottishHighlands #NaturePhotography #HistoricRuins #LakeView #LochNess #Inverness #Scotland #UnitedKingdom
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Loch Ness Monster camera restored by Repair Shop experts
#Vintage #camera once used to hunt the #LochNess #Monster has been restored after spending more than 50 years on the #loch’s bed.
The camera was developed in the 1970s by Professor Roy Mackal of the Loch Ness Investigation Bureau and is believed to be the first purpose-built device designed specifically for the task of locating and photographing #Nessie.
https://www.thenational.scot/news/25821250.loch-ness-monster-camera-restored-repair-shop-experts/
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Loch Ness Monster camera restored by Repair Shop experts
#Vintage #camera once used to hunt the #LochNess #Monster has been restored after spending more than 50 years on the #loch’s bed.
The camera was developed in the 1970s by Professor Roy Mackal of the Loch Ness Investigation Bureau and is believed to be the first purpose-built device designed specifically for the task of locating and photographing #Nessie.
https://www.thenational.scot/news/25821250.loch-ness-monster-camera-restored-repair-shop-experts/
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Loch Ness Monster camera restored by Repair Shop experts
#Vintage #camera once used to hunt the #LochNess #Monster has been restored after spending more than 50 years on the #loch’s bed.
The camera was developed in the 1970s by Professor Roy Mackal of the Loch Ness Investigation Bureau and is believed to be the first purpose-built device designed specifically for the task of locating and photographing #Nessie.
https://www.thenational.scot/news/25821250.loch-ness-monster-camera-restored-repair-shop-experts/
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Loch Ness Monster camera restored by Repair Shop experts
#Vintage #camera once used to hunt the #LochNess #Monster has been restored after spending more than 50 years on the #loch’s bed.
The camera was developed in the 1970s by Professor Roy Mackal of the Loch Ness Investigation Bureau and is believed to be the first purpose-built device designed specifically for the task of locating and photographing #Nessie.
https://www.thenational.scot/news/25821250.loch-ness-monster-camera-restored-repair-shop-experts/
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Loch Ness Monster camera restored by Repair Shop experts
#Vintage #camera once used to hunt the #LochNess #Monster has been restored after spending more than 50 years on the #loch’s bed.
The camera was developed in the 1970s by Professor Roy Mackal of the Loch Ness Investigation Bureau and is believed to be the first purpose-built device designed specifically for the task of locating and photographing #Nessie.
https://www.thenational.scot/news/25821250.loch-ness-monster-camera-restored-repair-shop-experts/
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Ciao Mondo.
Cioé in passato ho fatto anche cose come questa! Uanama!#clay #claymonster #monster #mostro #scultura #fluo #homedecor #handmade #unrealtoys #lochnessmonster #lochness
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Rainbow across Ness
In a land so enchanted
Bridging Inverness#Haiku #OneHaikuADay #WritersCollective #writingcommunity #BackToHaiku #Seasons #Winter #Holiday #Christmastide #Christmas #NewYear #Travel #Family #Norway #USA #MerryChristmas #HappyChristmas #GodJul #Scotland #Inverness #RiverNess #Nessie #LochNess #Highlands #Rainbow #Photography
December 28, 2025 -
Rainbow across Ness
In a land so enchanted
Bridging Inverness#Haiku #OneHaikuADay #WritersCollective #writingcommunity #BackToHaiku #Seasons #Winter #Holiday #Christmastide #Christmas #NewYear #Travel #Family #Norway #USA #MerryChristmas #HappyChristmas #GodJul #Scotland #Inverness #RiverNess #Nessie #LochNess #Highlands #Rainbow #Photography
December 28, 2025 -
Rainbow across Ness
In a land so enchanted
Bridging Inverness#Haiku #OneHaikuADay #WritersCollective #writingcommunity #BackToHaiku #Seasons #Winter #Holiday #Christmastide #Christmas #NewYear #Travel #Family #Norway #USA #MerryChristmas #HappyChristmas #GodJul #Scotland #Inverness #RiverNess #Nessie #LochNess #Highlands #Rainbow #Photography
December 28, 2025 -
Rainbow across Ness
In a land so enchanted
Bridging Inverness#Haiku #OneHaikuADay #WritersCollective #writingcommunity #BackToHaiku #Seasons #Winter #Holiday #Christmastide #Christmas #NewYear #Travel #Family #Norway #USA #MerryChristmas #HappyChristmas #GodJul #Scotland #Inverness #RiverNess #Nessie #LochNess #Highlands #Rainbow #Photography
December 28, 2025 -
Rainbow across Ness
In a land so enchanted
Bridging Inverness#Haiku #OneHaikuADay #WritersCollective #writingcommunity #BackToHaiku #Seasons #Winter #Holiday #Christmastide #Christmas #NewYear #Travel #Family #Norway #USA #MerryChristmas #HappyChristmas #GodJul #Scotland #Inverness #RiverNess #Nessie #LochNess #Highlands #Rainbow #Photography
December 28, 2025 -
Nouvelle observation de Nessie! 😱 Une touriste texane, Mishawn Mielke, dit avoir aperçu le monstre du Loch Ness le 28 octobre vers 14h45, depuis le château d'Urquhart. #Nessie #LochNess #Mystere #Ecosse 🏴🧐 https://activite-paranormale.net/news/read/20030/nouvelle-observation-intrigante-du-monstre-du-loch-ness
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#LochNess is a natural mega sensory illusion factory. Its no wonder people think they see living things. #cryptology #opticalillusion
youtu.be/9cZ8SQBnYDk -
Scotland’s best places to visit named as city with ‘hidden gem’ restaurants tops list
It was also praised for its secluded bars.A Scottish city has been named the country’s best place to…
#Edinburgh #UnitedKingdom #UK #GB #Scotland #Headlines #News #Europe #EU #barsandnightclubs #Borders #Britain #DiscoverScotland #Food #Glasgow #Glencoe #GreatBritain #Jedburgh #LochNess #melrose #Museums #orkney #Pubs #Tartan #Travel
https://www.europesays.com/uk/556838/ -
https://www.europesays.com/uk/556838/ Scotland’s best places to visit named as city with ‘hidden gem’ restaurants tops list #BarsAndNightclubs #Borders #Britain #DiscoverScotland #Edinburgh #Food #Glasgow #Glencoe #GreatBritain #Jedburgh #LochNess #melrose #Museums #orkney #Pubs #Scotland #Tartan #Travel #UK #UnitedKingdom
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@paulbowler
Currently watching Terror of the Zygons.
#TerrorOfTheZygons #DoctorWho #1975 #OTD #Zygons #LochNess #LochNessMonster #OchAyeTheNooJimmy -
Spooky seismic lakes – Loch Ness and its monster
Loch Ness is known for a monster and for its location in the Great Glen, the most obvious tectonic feature of Scotland. Fault lines are associated with several spooky themes. For this entry into the Spooky Geology canon, I’m going to touch on some of the popular, paranatural ideas about fault-associated lakes. In this part 1 of 2, I’m tackling the oft-repeated relation between seismic activity on the Great Glen Fault and the Nessie legend.
There are some water bodies that exist above (and because of) an existing fault underneath, which conjures some spooky folklore. While all water bodies may be considered liminal areas between worlds, or passageways for the dead, those over faults are extra spooky because of the exaggerated ideas people have about what tectonic faults look like and how they behave. So let’s begin by touching on these fault-y ideas.
Faults and spookiness
Fault zones, in general, are already associated with three major spooky ideas:
- Lights – Earthquake lights are probably a real thing, but not in the way most people think of them. If they exist in one or more forms, they occur very rarely. We do not understand the mechanism and there is not a large body of convincing, reliable evidence. I’ve done extensive piecing together of what does exist in this post. They are spooky and still mysterious.
- Tectonic Strain Theory – This is the idea by research scientist Michael Persinger who proposed that ghosts, poltergeists, UFO sightings, and general strangeness may be the result of localized and transient geophysical forces associated with seismic areas under tectonic stress. This theory is not credible, yet it persists as a “sciencey” idea, popular with paranormalists because Persinger was a scientist and they can cite his research, which appears credible. The details are too much to go into here so I’ll save it for another post someday.
- Breath of the gods – Faults in Greece and Turkey have characteristics that result in transmission of hydrocarbons to the surface. A few of these places were known to be ancient locations of temples or ritual spots which were undoubtedly constructed due to the geological activity that occurred there. Examples include the Oracle at Delphi and the Hieropolis’ Plutonium. Only a few faults have this exciting characteristic.
Geomythology of Loch Ness
It is such joy when two of my favorite subjects overlap. Here is my opportunity to talk about spooky geology + cryptozoology! I feel I am uniquely qualified for this. For this discussion, we reenter the familiar sphere of geomythology and head to Scotland.
An extreme version of Nessie, circa 1933, a plesiosaur type that came ashore to steal sheep. According to TetZoo, this depiction, made into desktop wallpaper and sensationalizing the Spicer sighting, is by Gino D’Achille.Geomythology is the study of legendary stories that appear to modern observers to be an attempt by a pre-modern culture to explain a natural geological event. The cultural story can have a kernel of truth that suggests people of that time and place recognized a geological cause in a creative sense.
Geomyths are subjective in their translation and application. In other words, interpreting facts and making assumptions are a necessary part of making geomythological connections. Therefore, the process is tricky and fraught with pitfalls, particularly for those with an over-eager propensity for correlation.
Luigi Piccardi, a geoscientist who researches and writes academically about geomythology, proposed in 2001 that sightings of the Loch Ness monster may be related to seismic activity. On its face, this was a sciencey idea that seemed plausible. Piccardi suggested that waves, bubbles, and noises created by the fault activity could be mistaken for unseen monsters in the water. He also connected the cultural idea of faults as sacred places, and lakes as having supernatural creatures, to the lore of Loch Ness.
The Great Glen Fault
Loch Ness is part of a chain of lakes along the Great Glen of Scotland. The glen is a trough that cuts an obvious track through the country from SW to NE from Fort William to Inverness. It is a surface expression of the underlying Great Glen fault (GGF) and subsequent glacial action. The fault is very old, over 400 million years old, representing a suture of two land masses into what we now call Great Britain. The GGF is a strike-slip fault, but because it is so old, the movement of the fault over these eras is not clear.
Note that England does not appear in this graphic but is connected at the southern boundary.Piccardi’s explanation, first proposed at a 2001 geological conference in Edinburgh, then followed by a paper in 2014 (see references below), was popular with the news media. He framed it as “a simple natural explanation” for sightings of the Loch Ness Monster. However, it fell flat with many who knew about the seismicity of this area and about the long and colorful history of Nessie sightings.
Significant quakes on the GGF are not that common. However, the consensus from geologists is that the GGF is likely still seismically active. Between 1768 and 1901 several earthquakes were felt around Inverness, including one of the largest recorded in Scotland at M=5.1 in 1816. But because there was no precise measuring equipment in place, it’s unclear where the epicenters were or if they were the result of movement on the GGF or on other faults outside the glen. Nothing much happened after 1901 until October 4, 2013 when an earthquake with a magnitude of 2.4 occurred close to the village of Drumnadrochit, near Loch Ness. Reports described “a loud rumble” or “explosion”.
Piccardi cited the large quakes around Inverness from 1816 (M=5.1 and M=4.7), and in 1890 (M=4.5 with several aftershocks around M=3) as evidence of the Nessie-tectonic connection. He also referred to a quake in Inverness in 1934, close to the time when the Loch Ness Monster legend was really taking off. (That quake was later relocated off the GGF.) He pointed out that the Inverness Courier reported on that quake in the same issue as a monster sighting. It’s unclear if it occurred at the same time as the quake. This is the closest we get to a correlation and it is not that impressive.
Saint Columba and the Monster
For his primary evidence, Piccardi referred to the account of Saint Columba banishing a “monster” in the Ness River in the 6th century (which wasn’t written until more than a century later). A translation says the monster appeared with an awful roar. Piccardi supposes that this noise could be the sound of an earthquake. The other bits cited from this account as evidence of monster=earthquake are even weaker – a door opening by itself and the saint’s loud voice (I could not see any reason to mention the latter one). We will never know if the monster tale was coincident with an actual earthquake, or if Columba’s monster story had any truth to it at all.
While cryptozoologists love to roll back in time to say that the Columba story is evidence of a monster of long ago, scholars consider the story of the Saint rebuking the monster as a typical story of Christianity conquering the pagan sentiment of the lands. Indeed, Columba met with the King of the Picts, the native people of the area in the Middle Ages. It’s highly probable he was there, but the monster story was far more likely to have been propaganda than evidence of an unknown creature.
A vaguely described, man-eating river monster is just not similar to the modern accounts of Nessie, no matter how much cryptozoologists would like it to be. The Columba story is not evidence for a 6th century encounter with the creature.
This mural in the Scottish National Portrait Gallery depicts the Picts being converted to Christianity by Saint Columba.Seismic activity as a source of Nessie sightings
It is certainly possible that even tiny seismic events can create upwelling, turbidity, or waves that people may interpret as a monster surfacing. However, this could reasonably account for only a handful of sightings in Loch Ness. The Highlands area now has a multitude of seismic sensors in place to catch quakes below M=1. The most obvious evidence for this claim – a time correlation between Nessie sightings and seismic activity – has not materialized.
Instead, we can be quite certain that most of the Nessie “sightings” can be attributed to a long list of mundane potential causes – boat wakes or wind waves, mistaken animal identification such as birds, fish, or deer (and the waves they create), or floating logs or vegetation.
2013 “Nessie sighting” by David ElderPiccardi kept giving media interviews about his tectonic Nessie geomyth even though robust evidence was lacking. I recall hearing about it in 2001 and thinking it was a weak idea then. It never got better. Piccardi wasn’t well versed in cryptid tales and how they evolve; they aren’t that simple, especially to dismiss. The seismic Nessie story got publicity, though. History of geology writer (for Scientific American and then Forbes), David Bressan, also didn’t put any stock into the idea either. In 2013, Bressan wrote that Piccardi was aiming to get more attention paid to geomythology as a field but knew little about Nessie/cryptids. I totally agree.
Conclusion
What is the verdict on Nessie and seismic activity? A resoundingly negative.
Piccardi attempted to show that there was 1.) a basis for the seismic activity at Loch Ness, 2.) that historic earthquakes could have been source of, or at least enhanced, the monster legend, and 3.) that seismic activity might account for monster sightings today. While 1 may be true to an extent, I reject 2 and 3. The GGF is not active enough now, nor in the past, to have had a substantive influence on the Nessie legend. Piccardi attempted to line up a few known quakes with locations of monster sightings but they didn’t correlate in time, which is critical to make a solid connection.
Using the Saint Columba story is really reaching in several ways. First, the monster=earthquake connection is flimsy. And, the story itself is fictionalized. Even though it’s beloved by cryptozoologists, the ancient description of the creature, even though vague, is substantially different from modern reports. Instead, the actions by Columba represents a morality tale of Christianity triumphing over “evil” Pagan belief. It is not credible evidence of a long-existing mystery animal in the loch.
Finally, there is no basis to state that a rumbling sound, a main feature of small earthquakes, is associated with the monster in the lake from its entry into popular culture in the 1930s to the present. Anomalous waves are the most common association with the monster. These are regularly generated by several other mundane sources in the loch, but not notably via earthquakes. A reasonable correlation between seismic events and Nessie is absent.
The geomythological idea of seismic activity as an explantion for Nessie is sunk. It’s a fun idea, though, that keeps getting repeated even by people who should know better. Of all the many causes for the development of the Nessie legend and it’s sustaining popularity, we cannot fault the fault.
References
Allen, M. (2019). The long and moving story of the Great Glen Fault. Mercian Geologist. 19(4), pp. 216-223.
Galloway, D.D. (2014). Bulletin of British Earthquakes 2013. British Geological Survey Internal Report, OR/14/062.
Musson, R. M. W. (2007). British Earthquakes. Proceedings of the Geologists’ Association, 118(4), pp. 305-337.
Piccardi, L. (2014). Post-glacial activity and earthquakes of the Great Glen Fault (Scotland). Mem. Descr. Carta Geol. d’It. XCVI, pp. 431-446.
Piccardi, L. (2001). Seismotectonic Origins of the Monster of Loch Ness (abstract). Earth System Processes – Global Meeting (June 24-28, 2001).
#cryptids #earthquakes #geomythology #GreatGlenFault #LochNess #LochNessMonster #Nessie
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Kind am #LochNess #missbraucht: Polizei fahndet nach Täter. #Trump war doch gerade dort.
https://www.gmx.net/magazine/panorama/kind-loch-ness-missbraucht-polizei-fahndet-taeter-41256482#.wa.mailsentWeitere aktuelle News bei GMX https://www.gmx.net/
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Meeeeoooow! 🐱
#Scotland’s endangered #wildcats could be saved in massive 800 sq mile #Highland #rewilding plan
The new Affric Highlands charity has set out ambitious plans to restore nature and wildlife over a sweeping area from #LochNess to the west coast.
Dan Vevers Sunday Mail Chief Reporter
08 May 2025"Scotland's #endangered wildcats could be saved as part of a massive 800-square-mile rewilding plan across the Highlands. The new Affric Highlands charity has set out ambitious plans to regenerate native #woodland, #peatland and #riverside habitats and boost endangered species like wildcats, covering a sweeping stretch of the country from Loch Ness to the west coast.
"The group said it will work with local landowners to boost the local economy and make the region a hub for sustainable timber, fishing, farming, venison and wildlife tourism. Affric Highlands - whose emblem is a wildcat, also known as the '#HighlandTiger' - vowed to see the iconic animal flourish as it takes on the huge 30-year project."
Read more:
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/scotlands-endangered-wildcats-could-saved-35186581#SolarPunkSunday #RewildingScotland #EndangeredSpecies #Nature
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University of St Andrews: Nessie loves a sunny summer’s day – how anecdotes become data. “New research from the University of St Andrews has used a database of Loch Ness Monster reports to translate anecdotes into data, shedding light on statistical biases and the important of defining the right information for analysis. While anecdotes are often dismissed in scientific research this […]
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Pop Cryptid Spectator 10
Welcome to PCS number 10. Spring is nearly here. I can tell because I’ve been noticing a number of media reports ramping up for cryptid spotting. A key feature of pop cryptids is the idea that they are in your neighborhood and should be celebrated and marketed. So, I’m sharing some examples of these observations in this Spectator, as well as past and future ones. If you spot one from your area, drop me a message!
In this edition:
- California’s Bigfoot law – Spot the Sasquatch
- The British Bigfoot
- Wisconsin’s New Cryptid and Paranormal Convention
- Mothman-flavored chips
- First Nessie sighting of the year
California’s Bigfoot law – Spot the Sasquatch
Here is an update to PCS #9 issue that covered the proposed bill to make Bigfoot the official cryptid of California. While I explained that it makes sense to market your local famous monster for tourism dollars, the truth about this proposal appears to be much more… umm, shallow and dumb. In an article for a local CA paper, the assemblyman who introduced the bill admits that it was supposed to be a bit of a joke in terms of a “spot” or placeholder bill:
“…[W]e thought that it would be especially funny to introduce a spot bill regarding Bigfoot because typically spot bills disappear. We thought we would go over-the-top with AB 666 and that down the road if we needed to, we could amend the bill and tell people, ‘Bigfoot disappears; Bigfoot’s elusive.’”
Yeah, funny – wasting time with phony legislation. Hilarious, except the bill got a lot of attention. Now it’s not much of a joke.
The article goes on to note how deeply ingrained the Bigfoot belief is to the county. A volunteer for the Willow Creek China Flat Museum said that they had visitors from all ages and from around the world, noting the boost gained from TV shows:
“I think it’s generational. Every generation it seems to get legs again,” Nelson said. “A friend of mine who has a shop in Willow Creek that has some Bigfoot memorabilia was noticing that he was having grown adult (visitors), parents that were influenced by ‘In Search of …’ with Leonard Nimoy, and their children were motivated by or inspired by ‘Finding Bigfoot.’
“We have so many YouTube creators that come through. There are maybe four or five individual YouTube creators that filmed Bluff Creek content over the summer. It’s continual.”
So the Gen Xers had In Search Of… and the Millennials had Finding Bigfoot! The beat goes on with YouTubers and TikTokkers.
Wisconsin’s New Cryptid and Paranormal Convention
One new event this year is the Wisconsin Cryptids, Anomalies, and Paranormal Convention. This is organized by a local paranormal society: Cryptids, Anomalies and the Paranormal Society (CAPS). From a media report:
“Cryptids, Anomalies and the Paranormal Society is a research-based group out of Wisconsin,” said Barnaby Jones, founder and lead researcher for CAPS. “We research all aspects of the paranormal — UFOs, Bigfoot, the Beast of Bray Road, Mothman — any kind of creatures that are currently unidentified by modern science.”
“I’ve always been interested in the paranormal, ever since I was young,” he said. “I’ve always been interested in cryptids as well — the undiscovered animals. When I was younger, I always thought that Bigfoot was out in the Pacific Northwest. I never realized that he had been sighted in all 49 states aside from Hawaii.
There are a few notable items in these quotes. First, “I’ve always been interested in the paranormal” is a phrase uttered countless times. I could say it for myself, and if you are reading this, there is a good chance to you can also attest to it. Once the itch to read more about the mysterious and unexplained gets to you, it forever needs to be scratched. For Gen Xers and later, we were provided with plenty of paranormal media in books, on TV, and then on the internet, to stoke interest. This is a primary reason why paranormal events are so popular and making money! It’s nostalgic for many and feeds into the chosen identity for others.
Next, it’s important to note, once again, the association of cryptids with paranormal topics. More than ever, there is little to reference regarding the zoology of cryptids. The idea of it rings hollow even though it’s mentioned quite a bit by speakers invited to these conventions. Even though the phrase “modern science” is used in terms of investigating a cryptid, this is lip service only, as nothing in these town festivals is scientific; it is entirely cultural.
Finally, “Bigfoot was out in the Pacific Northwest” until suddenly, it was in every state. This is something I have heard verbatim from those not interested in cryptids but just living their lives and finding cryptids were in their backyard. They were shocked to learn that Bigfoot research was taking place in their state – Florida, Texas, Pennsylvania, Ohio. In the 1970s, Bigfoot’s relations were noted nationwide and if you had what you considered to be a Bigfoot experience, it would not be considered that weird.
These points are essential to the framing of Pop Goes the Cryptid. The creatures became part of every small town and you knew of it. Then, everyone else knew of it too. Cryptid festivals capitalize on this knowledge and a pride in the local monster that reflects what it means to live in this state or town.
An updated list of cryptid festivals is kept at Modern Cryptozoology where I continue to update it as new events are publicized.
The British Bigfoot
Not only has Bigfoot spread to every US state and much of Canada, but it also made its way across the ocean to Britain. With England being a very unlikely place for a forest-dwelling wilderness creature to live, this great article from Esquire explains that you can pinpoint the surge in popularity of the British Bigfoot to 2015, associated with the arrival of the Finding Bigfoot crew.
“By the late 2010s, everywhere in the UK seemed to have a Bigfoot. Cryptid enthusiast Andy McGrath’s 2017 book Beasts of Britain is full of tales of people’s experiences and most sightings are reported as happening after 2010. Among these eyewitness accounts are the Box Hill Ape, the Haslingden Chewbacca and the Ape-Man of Scotland’s Abernethy Forest.”
Not to burst anyone’s balloon, but this is obviously a cultural phenomenon that has been easily adapted to fill the “wildman” niche for this part of the world.
“There’s a specific bucolic undercurrent in all these sightings, a notion that Bigfoot is a link back to a lost Britain — Edenic, gentle and free of urban sprawl. Believing that Bigfoot is happily sloping through forests and across hillsides makes our country feel like a more beautiful, rural place; at the same time, the improbability of his existence makes us mourn a landscape that is long lost. He’s a ghost of who we were before all the dark satanic mills and whatnot sprang up….He makes mundane surroundings seem vivid with possibility.”
The article keys in on the internet, particularly YouTube, that has aided in population Britain with Bigfoots. The proponents argue among themselves, disputing the legitimacy of tales and the reality of the creature. As is typical, when the zoology doesn’t make sense, the fallback is to the paranormal explanations, or what I call Supernatural Creep. People are insistent on what they saw, but because that doesn’t make natural sense, they drift to the para-natural to explain it rather than give up the belief. What are people seeing? It’s impossible to say except to note they are seeing what they believe in. Back in the day, they might have said they saw fairies and, not too long ago, ghosts or aliens. Today, it’s Bigfoot, because he’s reported to be literally everywhere, but found nowhere.
Mothman flavored chips
I don’t know if I can keep up with all the Mothman inspired products these days. The iconic creature is constantly featured in so many products including clothing, candles, and cocktails. Might as well capitalize on the popularity, right? Mister Bee’s, a snack company from West Virginia has introduced a potato chip flavor inspired by the cryptid legend. The spice blend is undisclosed but available locally in the Parkersburg area of WV. It will be statewide in time for Point Pleasant’s Mothman Festival in September, where I’m sure it will be a hit.
First Nessie sighting of the year
Scottish media outlets report the exciting news that Nessie has been seen for the first time in 2025. It seems the news brings with it hope that it will be a banner year for the creature. It doesn’t take much. The evidence for Nessie is found in ambiguous photos and dramatic eyewitness accounts, which is plenty to keep attention on one of the world’s most famous and beloved cryptids. This new account comes from the Loch Ness Centre, a key tourist destination that offers a museum of history and boat trips. An unnamed witness observed what appeared to be a dark form beneath the calm, still waters of the loch. The account leaves many questions, though. A photo accompanied the story, showing a dark blob under the water that is not exactly “calm”.
The object actually does not look particularly large considering the size of the waves (which are probably 10-12 inches, at most). The pixellation suggested the photo was greately zoomed and cropped. With the witness remaining unnamed, the photo is credited to the Centre, not the photographer. Hmm…. Off to a good start for tourist season, though! To the critical viewer, however, the image is entirely unimpressive.
Thanks for reading! Send comments, questions, or suggestions to sharon(at)sharonahill.com. If you want to send some cryptid plushies or other merch, or books to review, email for my physical mailing address.
For more, click on Pop goes the Cryptid landing page. Make sure you subscribe to all the posts – it’s always free and I don’t send annoying spam.
Pop Cryptid Spectator is also available on Substack. Please share this with cryptid fans you know!
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#Bigfoot #BritishBigfoot #cryptid #cryptidFestivals #Cryptozoology #LochNess #LochNessMonster #MothmanChips #NessieSighting #popCryptid #PopCryptidSpectator
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❄️ Artist: #DavidZinn in City: #AnnArbor MI USA 🇺🇸 02/2025 - Title:
🟡 "Roger is secretly fond of attention
and the Loch Ness Monster's most
embarrassing cousin." 🐍
🔴 "Roger liebt insgeheim die
Aufmerksamkeit und ist der
peinlichste Cousin des Monsters
von Loch Ness."
#StreetArt #Art #Chalkart #Artist #SidewalkChalk #Seamonster #Nessie #Swimminghole #LochNess #Snake -
Pop Cryptid Spectator #4
Hello and welcome to the 4th Pop Cryptid Spectator – my chronicle of the changing appearance of and attitudes towards “cryptids” in popular culture. My interest is in exploring the crossover of cryptozoology into a mass cultural phenomenon featuring “cryptids”. This edition provides more examples of how cryptids are part of our everyday lives and how science and scholarly efforts can be unwanted intrusions into cryptid belief. Cryptids are a way of framing the world in terms of mystery and monsters and wonder about amazing creatures that may still be out there to find.
In this edition:
- Google Underwater view of Loch Ness
- Loch Ness Data Set in new statistics paper
- Cryptid Media – Frogman: The Croaks are no Hoax
- Cryptid Media – Project: Cryptid, Volume 2
- Cryptid Stuff – Bath Bombs
- Utah Yetis hit a trademark hurdle
- Solved, but Ignored
Google Underwater view of Loch Ness
Nessie is a top tier example of a cryptid that was very much a sci-cryptid (viewed with a zoological lens with minimal or no non-natural connotations). After all the effort to search the Loch, there has been no reasonable evidence that a mysterious monster lives in the lake. Nonetheless, Loch Ness remains a top cryptid tourist attraction because the idea of a monster in the lake is so alluring that it eclipses the facts. Nessie as a pop cryptid has no chance of disappearing soon. Nessie is Top of the Pops.
Back in PC Spectator #2, one of the items I shared was about the faked swimming Godzilla on Google Earth. I noted that it was clearly a hoax because Google Maps/Earth did not include ocean views. But, I was mistaken. It does, in some areas. People can post their own photos to Google Maps and some of these are, indeed, from underwater. And, Google includes some special feature projects including Underwater Earth. Google Maps includes a “street” view of the waters of Loch Ness. The photos were part of a 2015 campaign to explore the Loch. According to Jeb Card, who supplied this tip, this associated video was shown at the Loch Ness Investigation Centre for a while.
To try this yourself, zoom into the location where the little Google street “guy” turns into a green dinosaur with a jaunty golf hat. You can take a virtual tour on a boat down the lake. Some of the photos even show an underwater view.
Zoom into Urquhart Castle, turn on street view, and browse the Underwater Earth selections by selecting the little circles representing views.
Move up and down to see the murky, peat stained waters.
Loch Ness Data Set
A new journal article has been published by Charles Paxton, Adrian Shine, and Valentin Popov in the Journal of Statistics and Data Science Education examining anecdotal accounts of the Loch Ness Monster. The researchers compiled a data set of 1800+ reports of sightings. The database was used with the intent to instruct university-level students on how to think about anecdotes as data. The abstract says:
“The Loch Ness Monster reports database illustrates the importance of considering independence, inaccuracy and imprecision when considering data and how statisticians might handle anecdotes as data. Whilst the data is inappropriate for directly making inferences about Loch Ness Monsters, it may be appropriate for making inferences about the population of Loch Ness Monster reports.”
Dr. Paxton tells me that existing research shows “there is strong evidence that cultural expectations influence aquatic monster reports.” And he says more on this topic is to come! That’s right in the Pop Cryptid wheelhouse!
Cryptid Media
Frogman: The croaks are no hoax!
I am not a fan of horror, but pop cryptids most certainly excel in this film genre. Out in 2024 was “Frogman” which appears to blend the harmless legend from the real town of Loveland, Ohio into a found-footage carnage-fest. I will not be watching it, but I am interested in how this has not only incorporated the legend, but how it will modify and shape the legend going forward. It looks very much like a Blair Witch effect where people will legend trip to the area of a fictional story to scare themselves. Note that Loveland has two Frogman festivals as they continue to capitalize on the tale. Ribbit!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlXapURCpQA&t=107s
Project:Cryptid
Comics and illustrated cryptid fiction is key to popularizing cryptids to the public, particularly younger people. Project: Cryptid is a comic series featuring creative tales of half-seen, barely believable creatures. The second volume of collected content is out now.
Cryptid stuff – Bath bombs
How about a cryptid-themed gift that dissolves away leaving no trace it ever existed, just like a real cryptid experience! Try some cryptid bath bombs which are available on Amazon Japan, Ebay and Etsy.
Utah Yetis hit a trademark hurdle
Back in September, rumors swirled that the new National Hockey League team in Salt Lake City (previously the Arizona Coyotes franchise) would be named the Utah Yetis. The use of a cryptid name would reaffirm how cryptids continue to exert their large presence as sport team mascots, particularly in hockey. The NHL already has the New Jersey Devils and the Seattle Kraken (whose matchups are sometimes called the “battle of the cryptids”). But the plan to adopt the Yeti name is now on thin ice. While cryptids are notably copyright and trademark-free, the “Yeti” name is now synonymous with the cooler brand. The US Patent and Trademark Office has rejected the proposed name due to a “likelihood of confusion” with the existing brand. Strangely, the YETI cooler brand doesn’t use the Yeti creature in their branding. The hockey team still has a chance to make their case. Seems like a collaboration between the two entities would be a monstrously smart deal! Hoping for the best.
Solved! But ignored.
There is a strange internet phenomenon whereby people fixate on a photo or news story or, in this case, a favorite cryptid, without ever digging in deeper to find out more about it. Below are three cases where actual bodies of mysterious creatures were found. Legitimate, reasonable explanations are published which are well-supported by animal experts, testing, or even DNA in one case. Yet the creature maintains a “cryptid” label, suggesting it is unknown. The creatures are even depicted as exaggerated animals by those who speculate what they looked like in life, even though the bodies were discovered in less than prime condition.
Zuiyo Maru carcass. A carcass was hauled up by the Japanese fishing trawler, Zuiyo Maru, near New Zealand in 1977. Japanese scientists who saw the photos stated the creature was a dead plesiosaur, a marine reptile extinct for 66 million years. However, the greater scientific consensus was that the carcass was a decaying basking shark. This animal decays in a certain way where the lower jaw drops off, giving the impression of a small head and long neck remaining. The description, measurements, and tissue samples all supported the basking shark conclusion. The story of a plesiosaur continues to circulate in popular culture. See: http://www.paleo.cc/paluxy/plesios.htm
Basking sharkTexas chupacabra. The strange canid lurking around Phylis Canion’s ranch in Cuero, Texas surprised her by its hairlessness and odd proportions. When it ended up dead on a road in 2007, she saved the remains. What might have been the same kind of creature was also caught running on a police dashboard camera a year later. The hairless, weird-looking canid was dubbed a “chupacabra” (or “Texas blue dogs”) and inherited the legendary blood-sucking, livestock-murdering legend of the much more alien-type original creature from Puerto Rico. Canion had her animal DNA tested. The results, without question, showed it was a coyote. However, the animal clearly had genetic conditions and/or a disease that caused it to have additional unusual features. To this day, mammals suffering from mange (coyotes and foxes are the most common) are often called a “chupacabra” by the media.
CoyoteMontauk Monster. Summer 2008 gave us the Montauk Monster, another mostly hairless and bizarre-looking carcass from a Long Island beach. It was well-photographed and thus began the game of “mass opinionating” that is now standard on social media where everyone who knows nothing about nature insists they know what the thing is – a mutant, alien, or new species – or they make dumb jokes in the comments about it. Like the Zuiyo Maru carcass, the degree of decay fooled people who don’t know how decomposition works. The immersion in water rendered the carcass bloated and hairless, the soft face parts fell off exposing the bone which some saw as a beak. It wasn’t a beak. The animals was, without a doubt, a raccoon. But that explanation was unsatisfactory to those who really wanted it to be new and weird. They refused to accept the natural conclusion because it didn’t suit their wider, werider needs. The Montauk Monster, as a beaked, monstrous bloated beach marauder, still remains some people’s favorite cryptid. See: https://tetzoo.com/blog/2021/10/23/montauk-monster-a-look-back
RaccoonPop cryptids live on, seemingly in spite of expert, scientific analysis. These few examples strongly suggest that no amount of investigation or lab tests will ever truly “solve” the most famous cryptid mysteries. Perhaps because many people don’t want the answer. They will continue to believe in and promote what they wish it to be, and ignore the reasonable conclusion.
For more, click on Pop goes the Cryptid landing page. Make sure you subscribe to all the posts – it’s always free and I don’t send annoying spam.
You can email me with comments, suggestions or questions at Popcryptid(at)proton.me
Pop Cryptid Spectator is also available on Substack. Please share this with cryptid fans you know!
Pop Cryptid Spectator Pop Cryptid Spectator #3Pop Cryptid Spectator #2
Pop Cryptid Spectator #1
#cryptid #cryptids #Cryptozoology #Frogman #LochNess #LochNessMonster #MontaukMonster #mysteryAnimal #mysteryCarcass #Nessie #ProjectCryptid #utahYetis #zuiyoMaro
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El #monstruo del #LochNess hallado fuera del lago #LochNess ?
Un #fósil de un #ictiosaurio de 25 m de largo , y 200 milliones de años , hallado en #Leicestershire #UK -
Po wielu latach!
Wielu nieprzespanych nocach i dniach.
I tak dalej…Proszę Państwa, Wysoki Sądzie! To jest Potwór z Loch Ness!
🤣😜 -
Raumfahrer Wilson und das Ungeheuer von Loch Ness unterhalten sich über eine verlegte Brille.
#raumfahrerwilson #astronaut #ungeheuer #angelodonnermann #brille #glasses #lochness #kinderbuch #childrensbooks #bilderbuch #picturebook #comicart #childrensillustration #zeichnung #drawing #illustration #monster #peckelston
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“Forest Above Loch Ness — “Forest with green moss along the Great Glen Way above Loch Ness, Scotland.
This photograph comes from the second-to-last day of our walk on Scotland’s Great Glen Way . Every day was different, but this one stood out in several ways. First of all, we hiked it “backwards.” On every other day we hiked toward our destination of Inverness. But this time we were dropped off north of Lewiston, where we were staying, and we walked back toward town. A few miles into the walk we encountered our most exposed highland terrain as we crossed a high, windy ridge and then descended to re-enter forest…continues: https://gdanmitchell.com/2024/07/04/forest-above-loch-ness/
#greatglenway #GGW #forest #nature #landscape #hike #lochness #travel #scotland #unitedkingdom
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"Happy Nessie"
#happy #happyday #ness #nessie #lochness #lochnessmonster #seaserpent #happynessie #happynessieday #scotland #higlands #folklore #mythology #art #artist #artwork #artworkoftheday #ink #inkdrawing #watercolours #watercoloursketch #pencils #colourpencils #colourful #mixedmedia #mixedmediaart #hi #happymonday #haveagoodday #haveagoodweek #chillvibes ✨ -
Evening reblurg: Pixel J. Cat: Clambering Ninja; life drawings from church from when I was sitting on the stand; and a dragon rising from the ocean (inspired by #WingsofFire book 2).
#catsofmastodon #art #mastoart #lifedrawing #mormonart #churchart #dragon #dragonart #dragons #pencilsketches #tradigital #krita #digitalpainting #markerart #water #oceanart #thesea #lochness #nessie #butnot #soniener
