Editing Loch Ness Monster (section)

==Sightings==

=== Early precursors ===

==== Saint Columba (565) ====
The earliest report of a monster in the vicinity of Loch Ness appears in the ''Life of St. Columba'' by [[Adomnán]], written in the 7th century AD.<ref name="Carruth">J. A Carruth ''Loch Ness and its Monster'', (1950) Abbey Press, Fort Augustus, cited by Tim Dinsdale (1961) ''Loch Ness Monster'' pp. 33–35</ref> According to Adomnán, writing about a century after the events described, Irish monk [[Columba|Saint Columba]] was staying in the land of the [[Picts]] with his companions when he encountered local residents burying a man by the [[River Ness]]. They explained that the man was swimming in the river when he was attacked by a "water beast" that mauled him and dragged him underwater despite their attempts to rescue him by boat. Columba sent a follower, Luigne moccu Min, to swim across the river. The beast approached him, but Columba made the [[sign of the cross]] and said: "Go no further. Do not touch the man. Go back at once."<ref name="Adomnan176">Adomnán, p. 176 (II:27).</ref> The creature stopped as if it had been "pulled back with ropes" and fled, and Columba's men and the Picts gave thanks for what they perceived as a miracle.<ref name="Adomnan176" />

Believers in the monster point to this story, set in the River Ness rather than the loch itself, as evidence for the creature's existence as early as the 6th century.<ref name="Adomnan330">Adomnán p. 330.</ref> Skeptics question the narrative's reliability, noting that water-beast stories were extremely common in medieval [[hagiography|hagiographies]], and Adomnán's tale probably recycles a common motif attached to a local landmark.<ref name="BinnsColumba">R. Binns ''The Loch Ness Mystery Solved'', pp. 52–57</ref> According to skeptics, Adomnán's story may be independent of the modern Loch Ness Monster legend and became attached to it by proximity and by believers seeking to bolster their claims.<ref name="Adomnan330" /> Ronald Binns considers that this is the most serious of various alleged early sightings of the monster, but all other claimed sightings before 1933 are dubious and do not prove a monster tradition before that date.<ref name="Binns">R. Binns ''The Loch Ness Mystery Solved'' pp. 11–12</ref> Christopher Cairney uses a specific historical and cultural analysis of Adomnán to separate Adomnán's story about St. Columba from the modern myth of the Loch Ness Monster, but finds an earlier and culturally significant use of Celtic "water beast" folklore along the way. In doing so he also discredits any strong connection between [[kelpie]]s or water-horses and the modern "media-augmented" creation of the Loch Ness Monster. He also concludes that the story of Saint Columba may have been impacted by earlier Irish myths about the Caoránach and an [[Oilliphéist]].<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Bro |first1=Lisa |title=Monsters of Film, Fiction and Fable, the Cultural Links Between the Human and Inhuman |last2=O'Leary-Davidson |first2=Crystal |last3=Gareis |first3=Mary Ann |date=2018 |publisher=Cambridge Scholars Publishing |isbn=9781527510890 |pages=377–399}}</ref>

==== D. Mackenzie (1871 or 1872) ====
In October 1871 (or 1872), D. Mackenzie of [[Balnain]] reportedly saw an object resembling a log or an upturned boat "wriggling and churning up the water," moving slowly at first before disappearing at a faster speed.<ref name="Mackal" /><ref name="Mammoth" /> The account was not published until 1934, when Mackenzie sent his story in a letter to [[Rupert Gould]] shortly after popular interest in the monster increased.<ref name="auto">{{Cite news |last=Bignell |first=Paul |date=14 April 2013 |title=Monster mania on Nessie's anniversary |work=[[The Independent]] |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/monster-mania-on-nessies-anniversary-8572148.html |url-status=live |access-date=18 January 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191211084013/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/monster-mania-on-nessies-anniversary-8572148.html |archive-date=11 December 2019}}</ref><ref name="Mammoth" /><ref>{{Cite news |last=Searle |first=Maddy |date=February 3, 2017 |title=Adrian Shine on making sense of the Loch Ness monster legend |work=[[The Scotsman]] |url=https://www.scotsman.com/200voices/cultural-icons/adrian-shine-making-sense-loch-ness-monster-legend/ |url-status=live |access-date=18 January 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200215183846/https://www.scotsman.com/200voices/cultural-icons/adrian-shine-making-sense-loch-ness-monster-legend/ |archive-date=15 February 2020}}</ref><ref name="Williams2015">{{Cite book |last=Gareth Williams |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0zQ6CQAAQBAJ&pg=PR105 |title=A Monstrous Commotion: The Mysteries of Loch Ness |year= 2015 |publisher=Orion Publishing Group |isbn=978-1-4091-5875-2 |page=105 |access-date=18 January 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200805075230/https://books.google.com/books?id=0zQ6CQAAQBAJ&pg=PR105 |archive-date=5 August 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref>

==== Alexander Macdonald (1888) ====
In 1888, mason Alexander Macdonald of [[Abriachan]]<ref name="Gould" /> sighted "a large stubby-legged animal" surfacing from the loch and propelling itself within {{convert|50|yd|abbr=on}} of the shore where Macdonald stood.<ref name="Loch Ness Delrio">{{Cite book |last=Delrio |first=Martin |url=https://archive.org/details/lochnessmonster0000delr/page/48 |title=The Loch Ness Monster |publisher=Rosen Publishing Group |year=2002 |isbn=0-8239-3564-7 |page=[https://archive.org/details/lochnessmonster0000delr/page/48 48] |url-access=registration}}</ref> Macdonald reported his sighting to Loch Ness [[water bailiff]] Alex Campbell, and described the creature as looking like a [[salamander]].<ref name="Gould" />

=== Aldie Mackay (1933) ===
The best-known article that first attracted a great deal of attention about a creature was published on 2 May 1933 in ''[[The Inverness Courier]]'', about a large "beast" or "whale-like fish". The article by Alex Campbell, water bailiff for Loch Ness and a part-time journalist,<ref>{{Cite news |date=2013-04-12 |title=Loch Ness Monster: Is Nessie just a tourist conspiracy? |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-22125981 |access-date=2024-01-25 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref> discussed a sighting by Aldie Mackay of an enormous creature with the body of a whale rolling in the water in the loch while she and her husband John were driving on the A82 on 15 April 1933. The word "monster" was reportedly applied for the first time in Campbell's article, although some reports claim that it was coined by editor Evan Barron.<ref name="Binns" /><ref name="monster1933">''Inverness Courier'' 2 May 1933 "Loch Ness has for generations been credited with being the home of a fearsome-looking monster"</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Campbell |first=Steuart |date=14 April 2013 |title=Say goodbye to Loch Ness mystery |work=The Scotsman |url=https://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle-2-15039/steuart-campbell-say-goodbye-to-loch-ness-mystery-1-2893334 |url-status=live |access-date=18 January 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191211081757/https://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle-2-15039/steuart-campbell-say-goodbye-to-loch-ness-mystery-1-2893334 |archive-date=11 December 2019}}</ref>

''The Courier'' in 2017 published excerpts from the Campbell article, which had been titled "Strange Spectacle in Loch Ness".<ref>{{Cite web |date=11 September 2017 |title=Report of strange spectacle on Loch Ness in 1933 leaves unanswered question – what was it? |url=https://www.inverness-courier.co.uk/news/report-of-strange-spectacle-on-loch-ness-in-1933-leaves-unanswered-question-what-was-it-139582/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200221183348/https://www.inverness-courier.co.uk/news/report-of-strange-spectacle-on-loch-ness-in-1933-leaves-unanswered-question-what-was-it-139582/ |archive-date=21 February 2020 |website=The Inverness Courier}}</ref><blockquote> "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. Soon, however, it disappeared in a boiling mass of foam. Both onlookers confessed that there was something uncanny about the whole thing, for they realised that here was no ordinary denizen of the depths, because, apart from its enormous size, the beast, in taking the final plunge, sent out waves that were big enough to have been caused by a passing steamer."</blockquote>

According to a 2013 article,<ref name="auto" /> Mackay said that she had yelled, "Stop! The Beast!" when viewing the spectacle. In the late 1980s, a naturalist interviewed Aldie Mackay and she admitted to knowing that there had been an oral tradition of a "beast" in the loch well before her claimed sighting.<ref name="auto" /> Alex Campbell's 1933 article also stated that "Loch Ness has for generations been credited with being the home of a fearsome-looking monster".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Hoare |first=Philip |date=2 May 2013 |title=Has the internet killed the Loch Ness monster? |work=[[The Guardian]] |url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/may/02/internet-killed-loch-ness-monster |url-status=live |access-date=18 January 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191212145304/https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/may/02/internet-killed-loch-ness-monster |archive-date=12 December 2019}}</ref>

===George Spicer (1933)===
Modern interest in the monster was sparked by a sighting on 22 July 1933, when George Spicer and his wife saw "a most extraordinary form of animal" cross the road in front of their car.<ref name="CourierSpicer">{{Cite news |date=4 August 1933 |title=Is this the Loch Ness Monster? |work=Inverness Courier}}</ref> They described the creature as having a large body (about {{convert|4|ft}} high and {{convert|25|ft}} long) and a long, wavy, narrow neck, slightly thicker than an elephant's trunk and as long as the {{convert|10|-|12|ft|adj=on|0}} width of the road. They saw no limbs.<ref name="Spicer">T. Dinsdale (1961) ''Loch Ness Monster'' p. 42.</ref> It lurched across the road toward the loch {{convert|20|yd|m}} away, leaving a trail of broken undergrowth in its wake.<ref name="Spicer" /> Spicer described it as "the nearest approach to a dragon or pre-historic animal that I have ever seen in my life,"<ref name="CourierSpicer" /> and as having "a long neck, which moved up and down in the manner of a scenic railway."<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Are Hunters Closing in on the Loch Ness Monster? |url=https://www.scotsman.com/interactive/are-hunters-closing-in-on-the-loch-ness-monster#main-page-section-1 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190729173701/https://www.scotsman.com/interactive/are-hunters-closing-in-on-the-loch-ness-monster#main-page-section-1 |archive-date=29 July 2019 |access-date=15 March 2022 |website=The Scotsman}}</ref> It had "an animal" in its mouth<ref name="CourierSpicer" /> and had a body that "was fairly big, with a high back, but if there were any feet they must have been of the web kind, and as for a tail I cannot say, as it moved so rapidly, and when we got to the spot it had probably disappeared into the loch."<ref name=":1" /> Though he was the first to describe the creature as a [[plesiosaur]]-like dinosaur, evidence suggested by researchers at [[Columbia University]] in 2013 proved his story to be fake. The university and [[Daniel Loxton]] suggested that Spicer's sighting was fictionalized and inspired by a long-necked dinosaur that rises out of a lake in ''[[King Kong (1933 film)|King Kong]]'', a film that was extremely popular in cinemas in his home city of London during August 1933, when Spicer reported the sighting.<ref>{{Cite web |date=17 August 2014 |title=Did King Kong inspire Nessie? |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/did-king-kong-inspire-the-myth-of-the-loch-ness-monster/J5UR3D5VNKF6U6KQU6P76EYSJ4/ |access-date=20 July 2023 |website=[[The New Zealand Herald]] |language=en-NZ |archive-date=20 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230720080557/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/did-king-kong-inspire-the-myth-of-the-loch-ness-monster/J5UR3D5VNKF6U6KQU6P76EYSJ4/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Loxton and [[Donald Prothero]] later cited ''King Kong'' as evidently an influence on the Loch Ness Monster myth.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Edwards |first=Phil |date=2015-04-21 |title=How scientists debunked the Loch Ness Monster |url=https://www.vox.com/2015/4/21/8459353/loch-ness-monster |access-date=2023-08-13 |website=Vox |language=en |archive-date=13 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230813070500/https://www.vox.com/2015/4/21/8459353/loch-ness-monster |url-status=live }}</ref>

On 4 August 1933 the ''Courier'' published a report of Spicer's sighting. This sighting triggered a massive amount of public interest and an uptick in alleged sightings, leading to the solidification of the actual name "Loch Ness Monster."<ref name=":0" />

It has been claimed that sightings of the monster increased after a road was built along the loch in early 1933, bringing workers and tourists to the formerly isolated area.<ref>R. Mackal (1976) "The Monsters of Loch Ness" p. 85.</ref> However, Binns has described this as "the myth of the lonely loch", as it was far from isolated before then, due to the construction of the [[Caledonian Canal]]. In the 1930s, the existing road by the side of the loch was given a serious upgrade.<ref name="Binns" />

===Hugh Gray (1933)===
Hugh Gray's photograph taken near [[Foyers, Highland|Foyers]] on 12 November 1933 was the first photograph alleged to depict the monster. It was slightly blurred, and it has been noted that if one looks closely the head of a dog can be seen. Gray had taken his [[Labrador Retriever|Labrador]] for a walk that day and it is suspected that the photograph depicts his dog fetching a stick from the loch.<ref>[[Daniel Loxton|Loxton, Daniel]]; [[Donald Prothero|Prothero, Donald]]. (2015). ''Abominable Science! Origins of the Yeti, Nessie, and Other Famous Cryptids''. [[Columbia University Press]]. pp. 142–144. {{ISBN|978-0-231-15321-8}}</ref> Others have suggested that the photograph depicts an [[Eurasian otter|otter]] or a [[swan]]. The original [[Negative (photography)|negative]] was lost. However, in 1963, [[Maurice Burton]] came into "possession of two lantern slides, contact positives from th[e] original negative" and when projected onto a screen they revealed an "otter rolling at the surface in characteristic fashion."<ref>[[Maurice Burton|Burton, Maurice]]. ''A Ring of bright water?'' ''[[New Scientist]]''. 24 June 1982. p. 872</ref>

===Arthur Grant (1934)===
[[File:Arthur Grant loch ness sketch.png|thumb|Sketch of the Arthur Grant sighting]]

On 5 January 1934 a motorcyclist, Arthur Grant, claimed to have nearly hit the creature while approaching [[Abriachan]] (near the north-eastern end of the loch) at about 1&nbsp;a.m. on a moonlit night.<ref>[[Steuart Campbell|Campbell, Steuart]]. (1997). ''The Loch Ness Monster: The Evidence''. Prometheus Books. p. 33. {{ISBN|978-1573921787}}</ref> According to Grant, it had a small head attached to a long neck; the creature saw him, and crossed the road back to the loch. Grant, a veterinary student, described it as a cross between a seal and a plesiosaur. He said he dismounted and followed it to the loch, but saw only ripples.<ref name="Gould">{{Cite book |last=Gould |first=Rupert T. |title=The Loch Ness Monster and Others |publisher=Geoffrey Bles |year=1934 |location=London}}</ref><ref name="GrantTD">Tim Dinsdale ''Loch Ness Monster'' pp.&nbsp;44–45</ref>

Grant produced a sketch of the creature that was examined by zoologist [[Maurice Burton]], who stated it was consistent with the appearance and behavior of an otter.<ref>[[Maurice Burton|Burton, Maurice]]. ''A Fast Moving, Agile Beastie''. ''[[New Scientist]]''. 1 July 1982. p. 41.</ref> Regarding the long size of the creature reported by Grant, it has been suggested that this was a faulty observation due to the poor light conditions.<ref>[[Maurice Burton|Burton, Maurice]]. (1961). ''Loch Ness Monster: A Burst Bubble?'' ''[[The Illustrated London News]]''. May, 27. p. 896</ref> Paleontologist [[Darren Naish]] has suggested that Grant may have seen either an otter or a [[Pinniped|seal]] and exaggerated his sighting over time.<ref>[[Darren Naish|Naish, Darren]]. (2016). [https://books.google.com/books?id=mN2oCwAAQBAJ&dq=%22arthur+grant%22+seal&pg=PT77 "Hunting Monsters: Cryptozoology and the Reality Behind the Myths"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200805033613/https://books.google.com/books?id=mN2oCwAAQBAJ&pg=PT77&dq=%22arthur+grant%22+seal&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj5-ujUlfzTAhUjLcAKHflzAoE4ChC7BQg1MAM#v=onepage&q=%22arthur%20grant%22%20seal&f=false |date=5 August 2020 }}. Arcturus.</ref>

==={{anchor|"Surgeon's Photograph" (1934)|Surgeon's photograph}}"Surgeon's photograph" (1934)===

The "surgeon's photograph" is perhaps the most famous alleged photo of the creature, and the first to portray its head and neck. It is attributed to [[Robert Kenneth Wilson]], a London [[gynaecology|gynaecologist]].<ref>R. P. Mackal (1976) ''The Monsters of Loch Ness'' p. 208</ref> On April 20, 1934, multiple British newspapers reported Wilson's claim to have seen the monster while driving near Loch Ness the day before, but the stories do not mention the existence of a photograph.<ref>{{cite news |title=LOCH NESS AGAIN ! London Surgeon Sees Denizen with Small Head and Swan-Like Neck |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-mirror/165409641/ |work=Daily Mirror |date=20 April 1934 |pages=3}}</ref><ref name=western>{{cite news |title=LOCH NESS MONSTER SEEN AGAIN ! |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/western-morning-news/165409555/ |access-date=13 February 2025 |work=Western Morning News |date=20 April 1934 |pages=8}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=SURGEON SEES 'MONSTER' |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-telegraph/165409528/ |access-date=13 February 2025 |work=The Daily Telegraph |date=20 April 1934 |pages=16}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=SURGEON SEES MONSTER London Visitor's Luck At Loch Ness |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-record/165409506/ |access-date=13 February 2025 |work=Daily Record |date=20 April 1934 |pages=7}}</ref> "Dr. Wilson described the monster as having a small head and a swan-like neck protruding three feet above the surface of the water," the ''Western Morning News'' reported.<ref name=western />

The following day, April 21, the ''[[Daily Mail]]'' announced it has purchased exclusive rights to a photo it attributed to "Mr. Robert Kenneth Wilson, M.A., M.B., Ch.B.Camb., F.R.C.S., of Queen Anne-street, W., who has been touring the Loch Ness countryside." Along with the photo, it ran an interview with Wilson about "his remarkable luck in being able to secure such a photograph." Wilson said he was looking at the loch when he saw the monster, grabbed his camera, and snapped four photos. Only two exposures came out clearly; the first reportedly shows a small head and back, and the second shows a similar head in a diving position. The first photo became well known, and the second attracted little publicity because of its blurriness.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=D. W. T. |date=April 1962 |title=The Loch Ness Monster. By R. T. Gould. Geoffrey Bles, 1934. (out of print.) - More than a Legend. By Constance Whyte. Hamish Hamilton, 1961. 21<i>s</i>. - Loch Ness Monster. By Tim Dinsdale. Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1961. 25<i>s</i>. - The Elusive Monster. By Maurice Burton. Windmill Press, 1961. 21<i>s</i>. |url=https://doi.org/10.1017/s0030605300001630 |journal=Oryx |volume=6 |issue=4 |pages=241–242 |doi=10.1017/s0030605300001630 |issn=0030-6053}}</ref>

For 60 years, the photo was considered evidence of the monster's existence, although skeptics dismissed it as driftwood,<ref name="Mammoth" /> an elephant,<ref name="Fresh" /> an otter or a bird. The photo's scale was controversial; it is often shown cropped (making the creature seem large and the ripples like waves), while the uncropped shot shows the other end of the loch and the monster in the centre. The ripples in the photo were found to fit the size and pattern of small ripples, rather than large waves photographed up close. Analysis of the original image fostered further doubt. In 1993, the makers of the [[Discovery, Inc.|Discovery Communications]] documentary ''Loch Ness Discovered'' analyzed the uncropped image and found a white object visible in every version of the photo (implying that it was on the negative). It was believed to be the cause of the ripples, as if the object was being towed, although the possibility of a blemish on the negative could not be ruled out. An analysis of the full photograph indicated that the object was small, about {{convert|60|to|90|cm|ft|0|abbr=on}} long.<ref name="museumofhoaxes_nessie" />

Since 1994, most agree that the photo was an elaborate [[hoax]].<ref name="museumofhoaxes_nessie">{{Cite web |title=The Loch Ness Monster and the Surgeon's Photo |url=http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/nessie.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140806122015/http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/nessie.html |archive-date=6 August 2014 |access-date=28 May 2009 |publisher=Museumofhoaxes.com}}</ref> It had been described as fake in a 7 December 1975 ''[[The Sunday Telegraph|Sunday Telegraph]]'' article that fell into obscurity.<ref>[http://www.strangemag.com/strangemag/strange21/reviews21/surgeonsphoto21.html Book review of Nessie – The Surgeon's Photograph – Exposed] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120114122012/http://www.strangemag.com/strangemag/strange21/reviews21/surgeonsphoto21.html |date=14 January 2012 }} Douglas Chapman.</ref> Details of how the photo was taken were published in the 1999 book, ''Nessie – the Surgeon's Photograph Exposed'', which contains a facsimile of the 1975 ''Sunday Telegraph'' article.<ref>David S. Martin & Alastair Boyd (1999) ''Nessie – the Surgeon's Photograph Exposed'' (East Barnet: Martin and Boyd). {{ISBN|0-9535708-0-0}}</ref> The creature was reportedly a toy submarine built by Christian Spurling, the son-in-law of actor, screenwriter, director, producer, and -- perhaps most saliently -- big-game hunter [[M. A. Wetherell]]. Spurling admitted the photograph was a hoax in January 1991.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://moderskeppet.se/live/klassiska-fotomanipulationer-odjuret-i-loch-ness/ | title=Loch Ness-odjuret – Historien bakom bilden » Moderskeppet }}</ref> Wetherell had been publicly ridiculed by his employer, the ''Daily Mail'', after he found "Nessie footprints" that turned out to be a hoax. To get revenge on the ''Mail'', Wetherell perpetrated his hoax with co-conspirators Spurling (sculpture specialist), [[Ian Colin|Ian Colin Marmaduke Wetherell]] (his son, himself a future actor, who bought the material for the fake), and Maurice Chambers (an insurance agent).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Loch Ness Hoax Photo |url=http://www.unmuseum.org/nesshoax.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190508042212/http://www.unmuseum.org/nesshoax.htm |archive-date=8 May 2019 |access-date=28 May 2009 |publisher=The UnMuseum}}</ref> 

The toy submarine was bought from [[F. W. Woolworth Company|F. W. Woolworth]], and its head and neck were made from [[wood putty]]. After testing it in a local pond the group went to Loch Ness, where Ian Marmaduke Wetherell took the photos near the Altsaigh Tea House. When they heard a [[water bailiff]] approaching, Wetherell sank the model with his foot and it is "presumably still somewhere in Loch Ness".<ref name="Mammoth">''The Mammoth Encyclopedia of the Unsolved''</ref> Chambers gave the photographic plates to Wilson, a friend of his who enjoyed "a good practical joke". Wilson brought the plates to Ogston's, an Inverness chemist, and gave them to George Morrison for development. He sold the first photo to the ''Daily Mail'',<ref>{{Cite web |title=Nessie's Secret Revealed |url=http://home.yowieocalypse.com/Nessies_Secret_Revealed/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150104013839/http://home.yowieocalypse.com/Nessies_Secret_Revealed/ |archive-date=4 January 2015 |access-date=3 January 2015 |website=yowieocalypse.com}}</ref> who then announced that the monster had been photographed.<ref name="Mammoth" />

Little is known of the second photo; it is often ignored by researchers, who believe its quality too poor and its differences from the first photo too great to warrant analysis. It shows a head similar to the first photo, with a more turbulent wave pattern, and possibly taken at a different time and location in the loch. Some believe it to be an earlier, cruder attempt at a hoax,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Tony Harmsworth |title=Loch Ness Monster Surface Photographs. Pictures of Nessie taken by Monster Hunters and Loch Ness Researchers |url=http://www.loch-ness.com/surfacepictures.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150213112232/http://loch-ness.com/surfacepictures.html |archive-date=13 February 2015 |access-date=3 January 2015 |website=loch-ness.com}}</ref> and others (including [[Roy Mackal]] and Maurice Burton) consider it a picture of a diving bird or otter that Wilson mistook for the monster.<ref name="Mackal">Mackal, Roy. ''The Monsters of Loch Ness''.</ref> According to Morrison, when the plates were developed, Wilson was uninterested in the second photo; he allowed Morrison to keep the negative, and the photo was rediscovered years later.<ref>''The Loch Ness Story'', revised edition, Penguin Books, 1975, pp. 44–45</ref> When asked about the second photo by the ''Ness Information Service Newsletter'', Spurling "...&nbsp;was vague, thought it might have been a piece of wood they were trying out as a monster, but [was] not sure."<ref>''Ness Information Service Newsletter'', 1991 issue</ref>

===Taylor film (1938)===
On 29 May 1938, South African tourist G. E. Taylor filmed something in the loch for three minutes on [[16 mm film|16&nbsp;mm colour film]]. The film was obtained by [[popular science]] writer [[Maurice Burton]], who did not show it to other researchers. A single frame was published in his 1961 book, ''The Elusive Monster''. His analysis concluded it was a floating object, not an animal.<ref>[[Maurice Burton|Burton, Maurice]]. (1961). ''The Elusive Monster: An Analysis of the Evidence From Loch Ness''. Hart-Davis. pp. 83–84</ref>

==={{anchor|Chief Constable William Fraser (1938)}}William Fraser (1938)===
On 15 August 1938, William Fraser, [[chief constable]] of [[Inverness-shire]], wrote a letter that the monster existed beyond doubt and expressed concern about a hunting party that had arrived (with a custom-made [[harpoon gun]]) determined to catch the monster "dead or alive". He believed his power to protect the monster from the hunters was "very doubtful". The letter was released by the [[National Archives of Scotland]] on 27 April 2010.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Casciato |first=Paul |date=28 April 2010 |title=Loch Ness Monster is real, says policeman |publisher=reuters |url=http://uk.reuters.com/article/oukoe-uk-scotland-lochness-monster-idUKTRE63Q1ZQ20100427 |url-status=dead |access-date=28 April 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160602230652/http://uk.reuters.com/article/oukoe-uk-scotland-lochness-monster-idUKTRE63Q1ZQ20100427 |archive-date=2 June 2016}}</ref><ref name="Police chief William Fraser demanded">{{Cite web |date=27 April 2010 |title=Police chief William Fraser demanded protection for Loch Ness Monster |url=http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/world/police-chief-william-fraser-demanded-protection-for-loch-ness-monster/story-e6frg1p3-1225859084997 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211028121156/https://www.perthnow.com.au/static/css/main.23cd5183.chunk.css |archive-date=28 October 2021 |access-date=7 February 2012 |website=Perth Now}}</ref>

==={{anchor|Sonar contact (1954)}}Sonar readings (1954)===
In December 1954, sonar readings were taken by the fishing boat ''Rival III''. Its crew noted a large object keeping pace with the vessel at a depth of {{convert|146|m|0}}. It was detected for {{convert|800|m|abbr=on}} before contact was lost and regained.<ref name="sansilike_search">{{Cite web |title=Searching for Nessie |url=http://www.sansilke.freeserve.co.uk/nessie/search.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090531220500/http://www.sansilke.freeserve.co.uk/nessie/search.html |archive-date=31 May 2009 |access-date=28 May 2009 |publisher=Sansilke.freeserve.co.uk}}</ref> Previous sonar attempts were inconclusive or negative.

===Peter MacNab (1955)===

Peter MacNab at [[Urquhart Castle]] on 29 July 1955 took a photograph that depicted two long black humps in the water. The photograph was not made public until it appeared in Constance Whyte's 1957 book on the subject. On 23 October 1958 it was published by the ''Weekly Scotsman''. Author Ronald Binns wrote that the "phenomenon which MacNab photographed could easily be a wave effect resulting from three trawlers travelling closely together up the loch."<ref>Binns, Ronald. (1983). ''The Loch Ness Mystery Solved''. [[Prometheus Books]]. p. 102</ref>

Other researchers consider the photograph a hoax.<ref>[[Steuart Campbell|Campbell, Steuart]]. (1991). ''The Loch Ness Monster: The Evidence''. Aberdeen University Press. pp. 43–44.</ref> Roy Mackal requested to use the photograph in his 1976 book. He received the original negative from MacNab, but discovered it differed from the photograph that appeared in Whyte's book. The tree at the bottom left in Whyte's was missing from the negative. It is suspected that the photograph was doctored by re-photographing a print.<ref>[http://hoaxes.org/archive/permalink/the_macnab_photograph "The MacNab Photograph"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170419192638/http://hoaxes.org/archive/permalink/the_macnab_photograph |date=19 April 2017 }}. The Museum of Hoaxes.</ref>

===Dinsdale film (1960)===
Aeronautical engineer [[Tim Dinsdale]] filmed what he believed to be a dark hump that left a wake crossing Loch Ness on 23 April 1960.<ref>{{Cite web |date=19 January 2007 |title=The Loch Ness Monster |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVOyo-OwDYM |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171226053746/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVOyo-OwDYM |archive-date=26 December 2017 |access-date=8 July 2009 |publisher=YouTube}}</ref> Dinsdale, who reportedly had the sighting on his final day of search, described it as mahogany red with a blotch on its side when viewed through binoculars. He said that when he mounted his camera the object began to move, and he shot {{convert|40|ft|abbr=on}} of film. According to the [[Joint Air Reconnaissance Intelligence Centre]] (JARIC) who published a 1966 report analyzing the film, the object was "probably animate".<ref name="filmandvideo">{{Cite web |title=Loch Ness movie film & Loch Ness video evidence |url=http://www.loch-ness.org/filmandvideo.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100317145110/http://www.loch-ness.org/filmandvideo.html |archive-date=17 March 2010 |access-date=28 April 2010 |publisher=Loch-ness.org}}</ref>{{third-party inline|reason=Source has apparent conflict of interest.|date=April 2016}} After the film, Dinsdale continued to pursue finding the Loch Ness Monster but while he claimed to have had additional sightings he was unable to produce more photographic evidence.

In 1993, Discovery Communications produced a documentary, ''Loch Ness Discovered'', with a digital enhancement of the Dinsdale film. A person who enhanced the film noticed a shadow in the negative that was not obvious in the developed film. By enhancing and overlaying frames, he found what appeared to be the rear body of a creature underwater: "Before I saw the film, I thought the Loch Ness Monster was a load of rubbish. Having done the enhancement, I'm not so sure."<ref name="Discovery">Discovery Communications, Loch Ness Discovered, 1993</ref>

However, additional analyses of the Dinsdale film have indicated that his sighting was a case of mistaken identity and that he likely filmed a boat under poor lighting conditions.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Shine |first=Adrian J. |date=2003 |title=The Dinsdale Loch Ness Film. An Image Analysis. |url=http://www.lochnessinvestigation.com/dinsdale%20paper%202003%20V2.pdf |access-date=4 November 2023 |website=lochnessinvestigation.com |archive-date=5 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231105051710/http://www.lochnessinvestigation.com/dinsdale%20paper%202003%20V2.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> Although Dinsdale attempted to rule this out by organizing for a fishing boat to sail a similar route later that morning, this comparison was filmed under different lighting conditions, with a white boat. JARIC's estimates of the size and speed of the object are now believed to be overestimates, due to miscalculations of the angle of the camera and cuts in the film, and overlaying multiple frames seems to show a pale blob towards the rear end of the object, which appears in multiple frames and matches with the position of the helmsman of a boat as demonstrated in Dinsdale's boat comparison. It has also been noted that the object in his film does not actually submerge as often perceived but blends into the greyer reflections on the water. Additionally, Dick Raynor has noted that Dinsdale's binoculars were actually a wider field of view than his telephoto camera.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Raynor |first=Dick |date=23 April 2010 |title=Reflections on Tim Dinsdale's 1960 film. |url=http://www.lochnessinvestigation.com/remembered.html |access-date=4 November 2023 |website=lochnessinvestigation.com |archive-date=5 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231105051709/http://www.lochnessinvestigation.com/remembered.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Additionally, critics consider the dark shape noticed by the Discovery documentary analysis unlikely to be the shadow or a body underwater due to the low angle of view, and it is more likely to be reflections of the shore behind the object.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Raynor |first=Dick |title=Views from Cyberspace a sort of f.a.q. |url=http://www.lochnessinvestigation.com/cyberspace.html#seeunderwater |access-date=4 November 2023 |website=lochnessinvestigation.com |archive-date=24 April 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150424012220/http://www.lochnessinvestigation.com/cyberspace.html#seeunderwater |url-status=live }}</ref>

Although most researchers do not believe Dinsdale to be a hoaxer, his susceptibility to [[confirmation bias]] and trusting dubious sources as evidence has been criticized.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Naish |first=Darren |title=Books on the Loch Ness Monster 3: The Man Who Filmed Nessie: Tim Dinsdale and the Enigma of Loch Ness |url=https://tetzoo.com/blog/2019/8/24/books-on-the-loch-ness-monster-3-the-man-who-filmed-nessie-tim-dinsdale-and-the-enigma-of-loch-ness |access-date=6 November 2023 |website=Tetrapod Zoology |date=24 August 2019 |archive-date=6 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231106232722/https://tetzoo.com/blog/2019/8/24/books-on-the-loch-ness-monster-3-the-man-who-filmed-nessie-tim-dinsdale-and-the-enigma-of-loch-ness |url-status=live }}</ref>

==="Loch Ness Muppet" (1977)===

On 21 May 1977, [[Anthony "Doc" Shiels]], camping next to Urquhart Castle, took what were alleged to be the clearest picture of the monster then available.<ref name="TonyShields">{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2024/jul/30/tony-shiels-obituary |first=Charles|last=Darwent|title=Tony Shiels obituary |access-date=2024-09-25|date=2024-07-31|work=[[The Guardian]]}}</ref> Shiels, a magician, claimed to have summoned the animal out of the water. He later described it as an "elephant squid", claiming the long neck shown in the photograph is the squid's "trunk" and that a white spot at the base of the neck is its eye. Due to the lack of ripples, it has been declared a hoax by many people and received its name because of its staged look.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Naish |first=Darren |title=Photos of the Loch Ness Monster, revisited |url=http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/tetrapod-zoology/2013/07/10/photos-of-the-loch-ness-monster-revisited/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150423234921/http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/tetrapod-zoology/2013/07/10/photos-of-the-loch-ness-monster-revisited/ |archive-date=23 April 2015 |access-date=21 April 2015 |website=Scientific American}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Nessie sightings |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/picturegalleries/howaboutthat/10776095/In-pictures-Loch-Ness-Monster-sightings-through-the-years.html?frame=2887222 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190510124508/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/picturegalleries/howaboutthat/10776095/In-pictures-Loch-Ness-Monster-sightings-through-the-years.html?frame=2887222 |archive-date=10 May 2019 |access-date=21 April 2015 |website=The Telegraph| date=21 April 2015 }}</ref>

===Holmes video (2007)===
On 26 May 2007, 55-year-old laboratory technician Gordon Holmes videotaped what he said was "this jet black thing, about {{convert|14|m}} long, moving fairly fast in the water.",<ref name=Fox/> Loch Ness monster watchers described it as among "the best footage ever seen."<ref name="Fox">{{Cite news |date=1 June 2007 |title=Tourist Says He's Shot Video of Loch Ness Monster |work=Fox News |agency=[[Associated Press]] |url=https://www.foxnews.com/story/tourist-says-hes-shot-video-of-loch-ness-monster |url-status=live |access-date=28 April 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130514022520/http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,276793,00.html |archive-date=14 May 2013}}</ref> [[BBC Scotland]] broadcast the video on 29 May 2007.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1 June 2007 |title=Fabled monster caught on video |url=http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/europe/05/31/britain.lochness.ap/index.html |access-date=28 April 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070618230827/http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/europe/05/31/britain.lochness.ap/index.html |archive-date=18 June 2007}}</ref> ''[[STV (TV channel)|STV]] News North Tonight'' aired it on 28 May 2007 and interviewed Holmes. Adrian Shine, a [[marine biologist]] at the Loch Ness 2000 Centre in [[Drumnadrochit]], suggested that the footage was an otter, seal or water bird.<ref>{{Cite web |title=stv News North Tonight – Loch Ness Monster sighting report and interview with Gordon Holmes – tx 28 May 2007 |url=http://video.stv.tv/bc/scotland-nessie-20080530-nessie-caught-on-tape/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100717040727/http://video.stv.tv/bc/scotland-nessie-20080530-nessie-caught-on-tape/ |archive-date=17 July 2010 |access-date=28 May 2009 |publisher=Scotlandontv.tv}}</ref>

==={{anchor|Sonar image (2011)}}Sonar image (2011)===
On 24 August 2011, Loch Ness boat captain Marcus Atkinson photographed a [[sonar]] image of a {{convert|1.5|m|ft|adj=mid|-wide}}, unidentified object that seemed to follow his boat for two minutes at a depth of {{convert|23|m|abbr=on}} and ruled out the possibility of a small fish or seal. In April 2012, a scientist from the [[National Oceanography Centre]] said that the image is a bloom of [[algae]] and [[zooplankton]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Love |first=David |date=21 April 2012 |title=Does sonar image show the Loch Ness Monster? |url=https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/sonar-image-show-loch-ness-1119802 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211017024730/https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/sonar-image-show-loch-ness-1119802 |archive-date=17 October 2021 |access-date=13 August 2021 |website=Daily Record |language=en}}</ref>

==={{anchor|George Edwards's photograph (2011)}}George Edwards photograph (2011)===
On 3 August 2012, skipper George Edwards claimed that a photo he took on 2 November 2011 shows "Nessie". Edwards claims to have searched for the monster for 26 years, and reportedly spent 60 hours per week on the loch aboard his boat, ''Nessie Hunter IV'', taking tourists for rides.<ref>{{Cite web |last=McLaughlin |first=Erin |date=15 August 2012 |title=Scottish Sailor Claims To Have Best Picture Yet of Loch Ness Monster &#124; ABC News Blogs – Yahoo! |url=http://gma.yahoo.com/blogs/abc-blogs/scottish-sailor-claims-best-picture-yet-loch-ness-100057921--abc-news-topstories.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307172658/https://gma.yahoo.com/blogs/abc-blogs/scottish-sailor-claims-best-picture-yet-loch-ness-100057921--abc-news-topstories.html |archive-date=7 March 2016 |access-date=11 April 2013 |publisher=Gma.yahoo.com}}</ref> Edwards said, "In my opinion, it probably looks kind of like a [[manatee]], but not a [[mammal]]. When people see three [[List of animals with humps|hump]]s, they're probably just seeing three separate monsters."<ref>McLaughlin, Erin, "[http://gma.yahoo.com/blogs/abc-blogs/scottish-sailor-claims-best-picture-yet-loch-ness-100057921--abc-news-topstories.html Scottish Sailor Claims To Have Best Picture Yet Of Loch Ness Monster] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307172658/https://gma.yahoo.com/blogs/abc-blogs/scottish-sailor-claims-best-picture-yet-loch-ness-100057921--abc-news-topstories.html |date=7 March 2016 }}", [[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]]/[[Yahoo! News]], 16 August 2012</ref>

Other researchers have questioned the photograph's authenticity,<ref name="naish">{{Cite web |last=Naish |first=Darren |date=10 July 2013 |title=Photos of the Loch Ness Monster, revisited |url=https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/tetrapod-zoology/photos-of-the-loch-ness-monster-revisited/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150423234921/http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/tetrapod-zoology/2013/07/10/photos-of-the-loch-ness-monster-revisited/ |archive-date=23 April 2015 |access-date=14 November 2019 |website=[[Scientific American]]}}</ref> and Loch Ness researcher Steve Feltham suggested that the object in the water is a fibreglass hump used in a [[National Geographic Channel]] documentary in which Edwards had participated.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Watson |first=Roland |date=20 August 2012 |title=Follow up to the George Edwards Photo |url=http://lochnessmystery.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/follow-up-on-george-edwards-photo.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170706151201/http://lochnessmystery.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/follow-up-on-george-edwards-photo.html |archive-date=6 July 2017 |access-date=20 August 2012}}</ref> Researcher Dick Raynor has questioned Edwards' claim of discovering a deeper bottom of Loch Ness, which Raynor calls "Edwards Deep". He found inconsistencies between Edwards' claims for the location and conditions of the photograph and the actual location and weather conditions that day. According to Raynor, Edwards told him he had faked a photograph in 1986 that he claimed was genuine in the National Geographic documentary.<ref name="Edwardsclaims">{{Cite web |last=Raynor |first=Dick |title=An examination of the claims and pictures taken by George Edwards |url=http://www.lochnessinvestigation.com/georgeedwardsclaims.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181008035058/http://www.lochnessinvestigation.com/georgeedwardsclaims.html |archive-date=8 October 2018 |access-date=1 September 2012}}</ref> Although Edwards admitted in October 2013 that his 2011 photograph was a hoax,<ref name="Edwards hoax">{{Cite web |last=Alistair |first=Munro |title=Loch Ness Monster: George Edwards 'faked' photo |url=http://www.scotsman.com/news/odd/loch-ness-monster-george-edwards-faked-photo-1-3126919 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150511053841/http://www.scotsman.com/news/odd/loch-ness-monster-george-edwards-faked-photo-1-3126919 |archive-date=11 May 2015 |access-date=5 June 2015 |website=The Scotsman}}</ref> he insisted that the 1986 photograph was genuine.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Gross |first=Jenny |date=5 October 2013 |title=Latest Loch Ness 'Sighting' Causes a Monstrous Fight |work=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |url=https://www.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304795804579099051192907582 |url-status=live |access-date=5 June 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150710004252/http://www.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304795804579099051192907582 |archive-date=10 July 2015}}</ref>

A survey of the literature about other supposed sightings, including photographs, published in ''[[The Scientific American]]'' blog network on 10 July 2013, indicates none of them are actual sightings.<ref name="naish" />

==={{anchor|David Elder's video (2013)}}David Elder video (2013)===
On 27 August 2013, tourist David Elder presented a five-minute video of a "mysterious wave" in the loch. According to Elder, the wave was produced by a {{convert|4.5|m|abbr=on}} "solid black object" just under the surface of the water.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Jauregui |first=Andres |date=26 August 2013 |title=Loch Ness Monster Sighting? Photographer Claims 'Black Object' Glided Beneath Lake's Surface |work=HuffPost |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/loch-ness-monster-sighting-photo_n_3817842 |url-status=live |access-date=8 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201028130728/https://www.huffpost.com/entry/loch-ness-monster-sighting-photo_n_3817842 |archive-date=28 October 2020}}</ref> Elder, 50, from [[East Kilbride]], [[South Lanarkshire]], was taking a picture of a swan at the [[Fort Augustus]] pier on the south-western end of the loch,<ref>{{Cite news |date=26 August 2013 |title=Do new pictures from amateur photographer prove Loch Ness Monster exists? |work=Metro |url=http://metro.co.uk/2013/08/26/do-new-pictures-from-amateur-photographer-prove-loch-ness-monster-exists-3938074/ |url-status=live |access-date=25 September 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180730203236/https://metro.co.uk/2013/08/26/do-new-pictures-from-amateur-photographer-prove-loch-ness-monster-exists-3938074/ |archive-date=30 July 2018}}</ref> when he captured the movement.<ref name="sightaug13">{{Cite news |last=Baillie |first=Claire |date=27 August 2013 |title=New photo of Loch Ness Monster sparks debate |work=The Scotsman |url=http://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/heritage/new-photo-of-loch-ness-monster-sparks-debate-1-3062880 |url-status=live |access-date=25 September 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924125904/http://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/heritage/new-photo-of-loch-ness-monster-sparks-debate-1-3062880 |archive-date=24 September 2015}}</ref> He said, "The water was very still at the time and there were no ripples coming off the wave and no other activity on the water."<ref name="sightaug13" /> Sceptics suggested that the wave may have been caused by a wind gust.<ref>{{Cite news |date=28 August 2013 |title=Finally, is this proof the Loch Ness monster exists? |publisher=news.com.au |url=http://www.news.com.au/travel/news/finally-is-this-proof-the-loch-ness-monster-exists/story-e6frfq80-1226705466799 |url-status=live |access-date=25 September 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130928111650/http://www.news.com.au/travel/news/finally-is-this-proof-the-loch-ness-monster-exists/story-e6frfq80-1226705466799 |archive-date=28 September 2013}}</ref>

===Apple Maps photograph (2014)===
On 19 April 2014, it was reported that a satellite image on [[Apple Maps]] showed what appeared to be a large creature (thought by some to be the Loch Ness Monster) just below the surface of Loch Ness.<ref name="Gander">{{Cite news |last=Gander |first=Kashmira |date=19 April 2014 |title=Loch Ness Monster found on Apple Maps? |work=The Independent |location=London |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/loch-ness-monster-found-on-apple-maps-9271075.html |url-status=live |access-date=20 April 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180730204210/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/loch-ness-monster-found-on-apple-maps-9271075.html |archive-date=30 July 2018}}</ref> At the loch's far north, the image appeared about {{convert|30|m}} long. Possible explanations were the [[Wake (physics)|wake]] of a boat (with the boat itself lost in [[image stitching]] or low contrast), [[pinniped|seal]]-caused ripples, or floating wood.<ref>{{Cite news |last=McKenzie |first=Steven |date=21 November 2014 |title=Fallen branches 'could explain Loch Ness Monster sightings' |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-30053585 |url-status=live |access-date=21 April 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150422083540/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-30053585 |archive-date=22 April 2015}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=22 April 2014 |title=Loch Ness Monster on Apple Maps? Why Satellite Images Fool Us |url=http://www.livescience.com/45014-loch-ness-monster-apple-maps.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150405130205/http://www.livescience.com/45014-loch-ness-monster-apple-maps.html |archive-date=5 April 2015 |access-date=21 April 2015 |website=livescience}}</ref>

===Drone footage (2021)===
In September 2021, it was reported that a {{convert|20|ft|abbr=on}} creature was captured on a live-stream near the loch.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gill |first=Kate |date=2021-09-24 |title='Loch Ness monster' spotted lurking near shore by wild camper |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/tv/lifestyle/loch-ness-monster-spotted-lurking-near-shore-by-wild-camper-b2188218.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230710155919/https://www.independent.co.uk/tv/lifestyle/loch-ness-monster-spotted-lurking-near-shore-by-wild-camper-b2188218.html |archive-date=2023-07-10 |access-date=2023-07-10 |website=[[The Independent]] |location=London}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Linge |first=Mary |date=2021-09-25 |title='Loch Ness Monster' spotted again! This time on drone footage |url=https://nypost.com/2021/09/25/loch-ness-monster-spotted-again-this-time-on-drone-footage/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230710160145/https://nypost.com/2021/09/25/loch-ness-monster-spotted-again-this-time-on-drone-footage/ |archive-date=2023-07-10 |access-date=2023-07-10 |website=[[New York Post]] |language=en-US}}</ref>