Canada’s “Nessie” Finally Proven?

We never really believed in the giant or colossal squid until their carcasses mysteriously washed up on the shore somewhere, all huge and awesome and world-changing. If these things exist, we had to ask ourselves—what else is out there?

That’s why I love cryptozoology so much—it helps us remember that we don’t know everything—we really don’t know jack!—and there’ still plenty out there to be discovered. So I’m hoping that a recent discovery in Canada will prove to be another such case.

A strange creature’s 1.2 meter-length body has washed up on the shores of Okanagan Lake. Dan Poppoff, who discovered the creature in June during a kayaking trip, called it in to an expert on the Ogopogo, the Canadian version of the Lock Ness Monster.

(This is the part of the story I find a little fuzzy—this guy immediately calls the leading cryptozoologist on the subject rather than calling the cops, a scientist, a zoo, something else?)

Arlene Gall, author of three books about the legendary Ogopogo, has been documenting sightings for three decades. The Ogopogo is a fairly new phenomenon, having been sighted about five times a year since it was sighted by a reported 30 cars of people in 1928. Some enthusiasts, however, claim its first sighting was in 1872, during European colonization. There have been a few filmings of the creature, but nothing conclusive. Most evidence for its existence has been in eyewitness reports—perhaps until now.

There have been two sightings this year so far.

Witnesses claim the creature moves, is the size of, and creates the commotion of a while. Canada is apparently proud of their “Nessie,” having made a stamp of her in 1990. (I wonder if we’ve ever given Big Foot the same recognition? No wonder he’s so elusive!)

Gall is pretty excited about the prospects of these remains—which contain a spinal cord and vertebrae— being an authentic Ogopogo.

She says, “This is something very important to the scientific community. What we’re looking for is an unidentified species and this might open the door to this mystery.”

Poppoff also sent her a photograph of the body, after which she instructed him to freeze the body until she could arrange two scientists to come and take a DNA sample.

DNA from the creature’s tail is currently being analyzed. I’ve got my fingers crossed that it won’t be some generic lizard but a new creature—how about you?