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On the prowl for Nessie - 18th September 2023

Scotland’s legendary Loch Ness Monster has garnered its largest crowd in 50 years. Cryptozoologists, both experts and amateurs alike, were joined by others online and 300 volunteers in the greatest Nessie hunt to date.

Equipped with advanced technology, the cryptozoologists employed hydrophones to detect large mammal sounds, sonar mapping probing the loch’s depth and thermal imaging drones scanning for heat signatures. Meanwhile, volunteers aided the hunt with more traditional techniques while other Nessie believers tuned in to their livestreams.

A few days prior to the hunt, reports of bizarre noises, described as four distinctive ‘gloops’, surfaced but residents failed to record them due to equipment not having been plugged in. However, Alan McKenna, head of Loch Ness Exploration speculated it, "may well be gas escaping from the bottom of the loch, it could be an animal of course, it could be the elusive Loch Ness monster." McKenna disclosed that despite several potential sightings, further inspection of the evidence needs to be conducted before drawing conclusions.

Tales of a unique creature living in Loch Ness go back to ancient times with even local rock art depicting a beast with flippers, but modern Nessie mania started 90 years ago when hotel worker Aldie Mackay spotted a "beast" in the water. Since then, Scotland’s been flooded by tourists and Nessie hunters generating an estimated annual revenue of around $51 million for the country’s coffers.

Despite the grand exploration yielding no concrete evidence, Nessie fans remain ardent believers in the creature’s existence. Volunteer Malcolm Begg theorises that the creature’s a diplodocus, an aquatic breed of dinosaur from the Jurassic era, whilst his 8 year old daughter Alba forms her own theory. "I think she has babies and she’s looking after them right now. So that’s why she’s hiding from us."

In the case of McKenna, Nessie’s not so much about the creature as it is about exploring and appreciating being in nature and believing in more than what meets the eye. Nevertheless, he still honours scientific processes to prove the monster’s existence, as he remains hopeful of one day spotting the legendary creature.