Loch Ness Monster Sighting: Google Street View Lets ‘Hunters’ Search For Nessie

Tuesday, Google paid homage to a milestone for Nessie enthusiasts in a Doodle: the 81st anniversary of the storied Loch Ness Monster. With the last “sighting” of the creature in 2014, armchair hunters can now use Google Street View to search out the loch in hopes of getting a glimpse of lake monster, citing the Huffington Post.

Although the famous “Surgeon’s Photograph” (April 21, 1934) was proven to be fake, Christian Spurling admitted it was a toy submarine he outfitted with a long neck, interest in the mythical Loch Ness monster has not wavered. Now, Google has joined the fray by using its popular Street View technology to help novice hunters explore the Scottish lake rumored to house Nessie.

#Google Joins the Search for the Loch Ness Monster @TheAtlantic http://t.co/0hGEjazvqf pic.twitter.com/Bhdg0I3D9A

— Liz Covart (@lizcovart) April 22, 2015

The search engine giant enlisted the assistance of locals and marine divers to help collect a litany of images. A number of specialized cameras were attached to boats, which allow viewers to see above and below water views of marine life lurking in the loch. One image in particular got the attention of social media, and soon another Loch Ness sighting of the monster ensued. A spokesperson for Google weighed in on the reported sighting in its snaps.

“We were surprised by this sighting too. Is it a log, a bird or… the monster?!”

Head of the Loch Ness & Morar Project, Adrian Shine, known as a veteran hunter of the resident monster, appeared in a video posted by Google about the novel project.

“Loch Ness is a lost world, but it’s accessible through technology. And what should be here, of course, we all know the answer to that. It’s the sort of place that if there weren’t any dragons, there really ought to be.”

A quarter of a century ago, Shine spearheaded Operation Deepscan. The week-long marine expedition consisted of a fleet of vessels equipped with sophisticated sonar equipment. He and others trawled the Scottish Highlands for two days and covered the loch’s 23 miles. However, there were no verified sightings of the Loch Ness monster — only false-positives.

Shine is now combing through a large volume of purported monster sightings to unlock the mystery of the creature. Despite the debunking of the famous picture, there has been evidence of something dwelling in the vicinity. The famed researcher believes a sturgeon or some other benign explanation is behind reported sightings of Nessie.

With the injection of its Street View production into the quest to find the elusive creature, Google is not claiming to have discovered it, nor does the company endorse or refute the belief of its existence, citing a statement on the myth’s anniversary.

“Skeptics may feel that those who claim to have seen the Loch Ness monster are crazy, greedy or perhaps over-served. However, there are many natural phenomenon that contribute to strange sightings on the loch. Boat wakes, birds, otters, logs, trees, and even reflections of the light can be misconstrued as unidentifiable swimming creatures. These visual cues, combined with the power of suggestion, contribute to the perpetuation of the Loch Ness monster myth.”

Do you believe in the sighting rumors of the Loch Ness monster? Or like some, do you believe there is a cover-up in effect?

[Photo by Keystone/Getty Images]