A Monster in the Scottish Highlands

People have always been fascinated with the unknown and the unfamiliar. This explains human interest with aliens, ghosts, and strange phenomena like lake monsters. The Loch Ness monster is possibly the most famous lake monster rumored to exist, but there is also an American tale of an unidentified lake monster. Allegedly residing in Lake Champlain, it’s affectionately known as Champ.

THE HISTORY OF CHAMP

The legend of Champ stretches all the way back to the Iroquois and Anenaki Native American tribes who told stories of a sea serpent known as “Tatoskok.” There was a rumor that the French explorer Samuel de Champlain, the lake’s namesake, saw Champ in 1609. However, this claim has been disputed as mere hearsay. The first recorded sighting of Champ occurred in 1883 when Sheriff Nathan J. Mooney claimed that he had seen the monster in the lake, describing it to be a “…gigantic water serpent… about 25 to 30 feet in length.” After his supposed sighting, more and more sightings cropped up. In early 19^th century, P.T. Barnum, the famous American promoter of hoaxes and human curiosities, offered $50,000 to anyone who could produce the carcass of Champ. As a testament to the legend of Champ, Barnum wanted to showcase its carcass in the World’s Fair Show, but the reward went unclaimed.

Then, in 1977, an amateur photographer named Sandra Mansi released a photo of what she claimed to be Champ. It shows a plesiosaur-like body and neck protruding from the water. That picture escalated Champ’s fame, fuelling intense debate about its existence.

BELIEVERS VS. SKEPTICS

For the believers who have long claimed that Champ is a plesiosaur, a thought to be extinct dinosaur, Mansi’s photo was a godsend. Interestingly, the Mansi photo was almost a carbon copy of the 1934 “Surgeon’s Photograph” which showed the head and neck of the Loch Ness Monster. Though the authenticity of the Loch Ness picture had been questioned for some time, it didn’t stop the Champ believers from declaring a small measure of victory. Since Mansi’s picture showed a creature which closely resembled “Nessie” of Loch Ness, it reinforced their theory that Champ of Champlain was the same type of serpent. In some aspects, Loch Ness is quite similar to Lake Champlain. Both lakes are over 400 feet deep and were formed by retreating glaciers after the ice age. The believers further stated that Lake Champlain is large enough to support a fish population which is adequate to sustain a lake monster like Champ.

On the other side, skeptics point out that if Champ is the only creature of its kind in the lake, it has to be over 10,000 years old, which is impossible. Assuming that there’s not just one Champ and the lake monsters are breeding, there would have to be several serpents in the lake and would therefore increase sighting or leave behind some sort of fossil evidence. As for the photo, skeptics point out that the monster was located in a place where the water level was no more than 14 feet deep, which was far too shallow for a monster as large as Champ to be pictured without exposing nearly its entire body.

MORE INFORMATION ON CHAMP:

• Champ Links: A list of links to other sites with information about Champ.

• The Measure of A Monster: A compilation of information about Champ, including sightings.

• Champ of Lake Champlain: Information on Champ with FAQ section.

• Lake Champlain's Champ: Discusses the first sighting of Champ.

• Lake Champlain: Champ Page: Official Lake Champlain page about Champ.

• Champ: Information and a supposed photo of Champ...this photo certainly shows more than a clever costume.

• Lake Champlain's Champ: Touches on the history of Champ.

• Shadowlands Sea Serpent Page: Briefly discusses Champ.

• "Champ" of Lake Champlain: Discusses the likelihood of discovering Champ.