Loch Ness: Catfish Theory Explained By Longtime Watcher

Is the Loch Ness monster actually a catfish? That is the theory that one longtime watcher has concluded with.

Steve Feltham, 52, has been searching for the elusive monster, also known to the locals as Nessie, for nearly 25 years. Now, after all that time, Feltham says he has figured out just exactly what the creature is. No, it is not a monster, according to Feltham. Rather, it is a very large catfish.

While he is not certain and doesn’t claim to have completely solved the mystery surrounding the Loch Ness monster, he said by “looking at all the evidence, speaking to eyewitnesses, the most likely solution is a Wels catfish.”

According to Reuters, the Wels catfish, a native European catfish, can grow up to 13 feet long and weigh as much as 800 pounds. They are also known to survive for decades, which could explain why so many people have claimed to have seen the monster.

“I have to be honest. I just don’t think that Nessie is a prehistoric monster,” Feltham told the Times of London. “What a lot of people have reported seeing would fit in with the description of the catfish with its long curved back.”

While Feltham thinks he has found the answer that people have been searching for for thousands of years, it is unlikely that the tourists, hoping to catch a glimpse of Nessie, will stop coming to the famous Scottish lake.

Feltham, who currently holds the Guinness World Record for the person who has searched for Nessie the longest, may not give up his search quite yet either, although his catfish explanation seems to fit the mystery.

“The current frontrunner is the Wels catfish. It’s the most likely explanation,” Feltham told the Agence France-Presse via Yahoo News. “I’m not saying it’s the final explanation. It ticks most of the boxes with sightings — but it doesn’t tick them all.”

Since 1991, when Feltham left his home and girlfriend behind, he has been living in a caravan right on the edge of the massive loch. He has spent years scanning the water, hoping to either see the mysterious creature or find an explanation as to what it is. Just because he has come up with a decent theory doesn’t mean he is giving up his quest to find the definitive answer.

“We still have this world-class mystery and for the next several decades I hope to carry on trying to find the answer,” he said. “Whatever Nessie turns out to be, it is dwindling. We are looking for the last one or two now.”

What do you think about Feltham’s Loch Ness catfish theory? Leave your comments below.

[Photo by Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images]