# Loch Ness Monster

> Loch Ness Monster is a legendary Scottish cryptid reported in 1933, immortalized by the hoaxed 1934 'Surgeon's Photo,' and perpetuated by YouTube sighting videos and South Park's iconic 'tree fiddy' running gag.

The Loch Ness Monster, better known as Nessie, is a legendary cryptid said to inhabit Scotland's Loch Ness. The modern legend took off in 1933 when a local couple reported seeing an enormous creature in the lake, and a famous photograph in 1934 (later exposed as a hoax) turned Nessie into a global sensation. Online, the monster is one of the internet's most referenced cryptids, kept alive by YouTube "sighting" videos, the South Park "tree fiddy" gag, and a never-ending cycle of searches and debunkings.

## Origin
The earliest written account of a monster near Loch Ness appears in Adomnán's 7th-century biography of Saint Columba[1]. According to the text, around 565 AD, the Irish monk encountered locals burying a man who had been attacked by a "water beast" in the River Ness. When the creature lunged at another swimmer, Columba reportedly commanded "Go no further. Do not touch the man. Go back at once," and the beast fled as if "pulled back with ropes"[2]. Skeptics note that water-beast stories were extremely common in medieval hagiographies and likely recycle a standard folklore motif attached to a local landmark[4].

Sporadic sightings appeared over the centuries. In 1871 or 1872, D. Mackenzie of Balnain reportedly watched an object resembling an upturned boat "wriggling and churning up the water" before it disappeared at speed[6]. In 1888, mason Alexander Macdonald described "a large stubby-legged animal" surfacing near the shore, which he compared to a salamander[6].

The modern legend started on April 15, 1933. Aldie Mackay and her husband John were driving along a newly completed road beside Loch Ness when she spotted something enormous rolling in the water[4]. On May 2, journalist Alex Campbell wrote up the sighting for the Inverness Courier under the headline "Strange Spectacle in Loch Ness," describing "an enormous animal rolling and plunging on the surface"[8]. Campbell reportedly applied the word "monster" for the first time in print[2].

The story exploded. London newspapers sent reporters north, and circus owner Bertram Mills offered £20,000 (roughly £2 million in today's money) for the creature's capture[3]. That December, the Daily Mail hired big-game hunter Marmaduke Wetherell to track the beast. He found large footprints near the shore within days, but the Natural History Museum determined they had been made with a stuffed hippopotamus foot, likely an umbrella stand or ashtray base[1]. Whether Wetherell was the hoaxer or the victim was unclear[2].

Then came the photograph that defined Nessie for sixty years. In April 1934, London physician Robert Kenneth Wilson produced what became known as the "Surgeon's Photograph," appearing to show a small head and long neck rising from dark water[1]. The Daily Mail published it, and the image became an international sensation[4]. In 1994, it was exposed as a hoax: a revenge-seeking Wetherell had enlisted his son Ian and stepson Christian Spurling to build a fake monster head from plastic and wood, mount it on a toy submarine, and photograph it. Wilson agreed to serve as the front man for credibility[1].

- **Platform:** Print media (Inverness Courier)
- **Creator:** Alex Campbell (journalist who coined "monster"), Aldie Mackay (1933 sighting witness), Marmaduke Wetherell (Surgeon's Photograph orchestrator)
- **Date:** 1933 (modern legend); ~565 AD (earliest written account)

## Overview
Nessie is typically described as a large, long-necked creature with one or more humps breaking the water's surface, often compared to a plesiosaur, a marine reptile that went extinct around 65.5 million years ago[1]. Loch Ness itself is the perfect monster habitat on paper: roughly 38 kilometers long, up to 230 meters deep, and holding more freshwater than all the lakes in England and Wales combined[9]. Dark, peat-stained water reduces underwater visibility to almost nothing, making it easy to imagine something hiding in the depths[2].

The scientific community has consistently explained alleged sightings as hoaxes, wishful thinking, or misidentification of ordinary objects like boats, logs, swimming deer, or large eels[1]. In 2018, researchers conducted a DNA survey of the loch and found no evidence of a plesiosaur or any large unknown animal, though results did show significant amounts of eel DNA[9]. This left open the theory that Nessie might be an oversized European eel, but nothing remotely close to a prehistoric reptile[1].

None of that has slowed down Nessie's cultural presence. The creature was estimated to contribute nearly $80 million annually to Scotland's tourism economy in the early 2000s[1]. Online, the monster is a fixture of cryptid compilations, blurry-photo jokes, and the iconic South Park bit where the Loch Ness Monster shows up disguised as various people to beg for "$3.50"[5].

## How It Spread
The hoax revelations barely dented public interest. Multiple sonar expeditions probed the loch from the 1960s onward[13]. In 1975, an American expedition led by Robert Rines used underwater photography and sonar to capture images of what appeared to be a large flippered object, prompting naturalist Sir Peter Scott to give the creature the scientific name Nessiteras rhombopteryx, meaning "the Ness wonder with the diamond-shaped fin"[7]. Skeptics quickly noticed this was an anagram of "Monster hoax by Sir Peter S," to which Rines countered with his own anagram: "Yes, both pix are monsters, R"[14].

In October 1987, Operation Deepscan deployed 24 boats armed with £1 million worth of sonar equipment in the largest search at that point[7]. The flotilla picked up three unexplained sonar contacts near Urquhart Castle, but project leader Adrian Shine conceded the readings could have been a seal or a group of salmon[7].

The internet gave Nessie an entirely new audience. On September 24, 2007, YouTuber Madkiller9 uploaded "Loch Ness Monster Caught on Tape," featuring ambiguous footage of something moving behind a boat. The video pulled in over 6.1 million views within a decade[5]. In February 2012, a clip from the ViralNews2012 YouTube channel showing what appeared to be a large serpent in frozen Icelandic waters got over 5.3 million views, with commenters drawing immediate Nessie comparisons[5].

That same spring, Loch Ness boat captain Marcus Atkinson produced sonar images of a bright green, serpent-shaped object at least 5 feet wide, 75 feet below the surface, apparently trailing his boat for over two minutes[10]. "I have never seen anything returned like this on the fish finder," Atkinson said. "Undoubtedly, there is something in the loch." Marine biologist Dr. Simon Boxall of Southampton's National Oceanography Centre suggested it was probably algae and zooplankton[10].

TV Tropes codified Nessie's grip on pop culture with two dedicated pages: "Stock Ness Monster" (created August 2010) cataloging the broad trope of fictional lake-dwelling cryptids, and "Not the Nessie" (November 2010) for the specific plot device of a fake Nessie, usually a disguised submarine[16]. The latter trope traces directly to the Surgeon's Photograph being literally a toy submarine with a prop head[16].

In October 2016, a Bureau of Land Management employee in Fairbanks, Alaska, filmed a strange 12-to-15-foot-long object swirling in the Chena River[15]. The clip hit 880,000 views on Facebook in a week, with many calling it an "Ice Monster" and comparing it to Nessie[12]. The BLM later said it was probably rope caught on a bridge pier, buoyed by ice particles[12]. CBS News, Fox News, and RT all ran stories on the footage[15].

The biggest search in over fifty years came in August 2023, when hundreds of citizen scientists descended on the loch armed with drones, hydrophones, and sonar[11]. They reported several possible sightings but found nothing conclusive. Environmental DNA analysis ruled out the presence of any large unknown animals, strongly suggesting that Loch Ness is monster-free, at least biologically[11].

## How to Use
Nessie shows up in memes through several common formats:

**Blurry sighting parody:** Take a low-quality, out-of-focus photo of any vaguely shaped object in water (a log, a duck, a pool noodle) and caption it as a breaking Loch Ness Monster sighting. The humor comes from mimicking the breathless "discovery" framing with obviously mundane subjects.

**Tree fiddy bait-and-switch:** Write or tell a long, increasingly detailed story that builds toward a meaningful conclusion. The punchline: one character turns out to be the Loch Ness Monster, who "needed about tree fiddy." Typically deployed in comment threads and story-format posts to troll readers who got invested in the narrative.

**Stock Ness Monster reference:** Use the generic idea that any lake, river, or body of water might harbor its own Nessie-like creature. Common when news outlets report "mysterious" objects spotted in water, or when foggy/blurry water footage surfaces online.

**Cryptid comparison reaction:** When any large, unidentified object appears in water footage, whether sincere or obviously fake, compare it directly to Nessie. The Alaska Ice Monster and Iceland sea serpent videos both followed this pattern naturally.

## Cultural Impact
Nessie is one of the most commercially valuable folklore creatures in existence. Tourism around the legend brings an estimated $80 million per year to Scotland's economy[1]. The village of Drumnadrochit, near Loch Ness, is home to museums, souvenir shops, and the lochness.co.uk live webcams, which have been streaming for over 30 years and welcomed millions of viewers looking for a glimpse of the creature[9].

TV Tropes documents hundreds of films, shows, books, games, and ads featuring Nessie or Nessie-type lake monsters under the "Stock Ness Monster" entry[16]. Productions range from the 1981 horror film "The Loch Ness Horror" to the 1996 family drama "Loch Ness"[5]. The "Not the Nessie" variant, where a disguised submarine impersonates the monster, was directly inspired by the Surgeon's Photograph being a literal toy submarine, and shows up in everything from Sherlock Holmes films to Scooby-Doo movies[16].

Sir Peter Scott's 1975 attempt to give the monster a formal scientific name, published in the journal Nature, is likely the only time a cryptid received binomial nomenclature in a peer-reviewed publication[7]. The name's double life as an anagram confessing to a hoax only deepened the legend's absurdist appeal[14].

The South Park "tree fiddy" gag from the 1999 episode "The Succubus" became one of the show's most quoted recurring bits, spreading through online communities as a standalone joke format for over two decades[5].

## Fun Facts
- Circus owner Bertram Mills's £20,000 reward for Nessie's capture in 1933 would be worth roughly £2 million today. His circus animals were watered on the banks of Loch Ness, and the "monster's" head-and-neck shape looked a lot like an elephant's trunk[3].
- In 1975, four firemen built a 309-foot papier-mâché "lady monster" to attract what they assumed was a male Nessie. The recorded mating call was accidentally that of a male walrus, and then a sudden wind smashed the model into a jetty[3].
- Italian journalist Francesco Gasprini claimed in 1959 that he had invented the modern Nessie story in 1933 while working as a London correspondent for a Milan newspaper, fabricating eyewitness accounts to fill a slow news day. He planned to "kill off" the monster but the story got away from him[14].
- Robert Rines's counter-anagram for Nessiteras rhombopteryx was "Yes, both pix are monsters, R," defending his own underwater photographs[14].
- Loch Ness is the largest freshwater body by volume in Great Britain and never freezes, thanks to a thermocline effect where cooler water sinks and is replaced by warmer water from below[9].

## Frequently Asked Questions
### What is the Loch Ness Monster?
The Loch Ness Monster, or Nessie, is a legendary cryptid said to inhabit Loch Ness in the Scottish Highlands. Typically described as a large, long-necked creature with humps protruding from the water, it is one of the most famous examples of cryptozoology[1]. The scientific community considers Nessie a myth built on hoaxes, misidentifications, and wishful thinking[1].

### Where did the Loch Ness Monster come from?
The earliest written account dates to the 7th century, describing Saint Columba's encounter with a "water beast" near Loch Ness around 565 AD[2]. The modern legend began on May 2, 1933, when the Inverness Courier published Alex Campbell's article about a sighting by local couple Aldie and John Mackay[8].

### What does the Loch Ness Monster mean?
As a cultural reference, Nessie represents the human desire to believe in mysteries and undiscovered creatures. As an internet meme, it is most often invoked through blurry-photo parodies or the South Park "tree fiddy" joke, where elaborate stories end with the Loch Ness Monster asking for $3.50[5].

### How do you use the Loch Ness Monster meme?
Common uses include posting blurry photos of mundane water objects as "Nessie sightings," writing long bait-and-switch stories that end with the "tree fiddy" punchline, or comparing any mysterious water footage to the Loch Ness Monster[5].

### Is the Loch Ness Monster still popular?
Nessie is a classic that shows no signs of fading. A major citizen-science search in August 2023 attracted hundreds of participants and worldwide media coverage[11]. The "tree fiddy" joke format is still used across Reddit, and every new piece of ambiguous water footage gets compared to Nessie[12].

### What is the Surgeon's Photograph?
The Surgeon's Photograph is the most iconic image of Nessie, taken in 1934 and attributed to London physician Robert Kenneth Wilson. In 1994, it was revealed as a hoax: a toy submarine with a sculpted monster head, orchestrated by big-game hunter Marmaduke Wetherell as revenge against the Daily Mail[1].

### Who was Marmaduke Wetherell?
Wetherell was a big-game hunter hired by the Daily Mail in December 1933 to track the Loch Ness Monster. After his hippo-foot-print find was exposed as fake, he orchestrated the Surgeon's Photograph hoax with his son Ian and stepson Christian Spurling, recruiting Wilson as a credible front man[4].

### What is "tree fiddy"?
"Tree fiddy" ($3.50) is a catchphrase from the 1999 South Park episode "The Succubus," where Chef's father tells stories in which characters reveal themselves to be the Loch Ness Monster asking for three dollars and fifty cents. It became a popular internet joke for derailing long-form stories[5].

### What was Operation Deepscan?
Operation Deepscan was the largest organized search of Loch Ness at its time, conducted in October 1987. It used 24 boats equipped with £1 million worth of sonar equipment. The operation detected three unexplained sonar contacts near Urquhart Castle, but these could not be conclusively identified and may have been seals or fish[7].

### What did the 2018 DNA study find?
A 2018 environmental DNA survey of Loch Ness found no signs of a plesiosaur or other large unknown animal. The results did show high concentrations of eel DNA, leaving open the possibility that Nessie sightings involved unusually large eels[1].

### What happened during the 2023 Loch Ness search?
In August 2023, hundreds of volunteer "monster hunters" searched the loch using drones, hydrophones, and sonar in the biggest organized effort in over fifty years. Several possible sightings were reported, but no conclusive evidence was found, and DNA analysis ruled out any large unknown animals[11].

### What is "Nessiteras rhombopteryx"?
It is the scientific name proposed for Nessie in 1975 by naturalist Sir Peter Scott, published in the journal Nature. The name means "the Ness wonder with the diamond-shaped fin," but skeptics pointed out it is an anagram of "Monster hoax by Sir Peter S"[7][14].

### How much is Nessie worth to Scotland?
Nessie-related tourism was estimated to contribute nearly $80 million annually to Scotland's economy in the early 2000s[1]. The village of Drumnadrochit near Loch Ness is a hub for museums, gift shops, and monster-themed attractions[9].

### Could Nessie be a plesiosaur?
Scientists consider this extremely unlikely. While plesiosaur fossils suggest some species may have lived in freshwater, a single creature cannot sustain a breeding population[11]. The 2018 DNA study found no reptilian DNA in the loch, and the water temperature (averaging about 5.5°C) would be inhospitable for a cold-blooded reptile[9].

### Are there other lake monsters like Nessie?
Yes. Dozens of lakes worldwide have their own monster legends, including Manipogo (Lake Manitoba, Canada), the Lake Erie Monster, the Flathead Lake Monster (Montana), and Mokele-mbembe (Congo River Basin). Some of these traditions predate the modern Nessie legend[13].

## References
1. [BBC ON THIS DAY | 11 | 1987: Search ends for Loch Ness monster](<http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/october/11/newsid_3166000/3166741.stm>)
2. [Лох-несское чудовище — Википедия](<https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Лох-несское_чудовище>)
3. [Loch Ness monster | History, Sightings, & Facts | Britannica](<https://www.britannica.com/topic/Loch-Ness-monster-legendary-creature>)
4. [Loch Ness Monster - Know Your Meme](<https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/loch-ness-monster>)
5. [Loch Ness Monster](<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loch_Ness_Monster>)
6. [Loch Ness Monster - Urban Dictionary](<https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Loch%20Ness%20Monster>)
7. [Loch Ness Monster - Wikipedia](<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loch_ness_monster#Saint_Columba_.286th_century.29>)
8. [The History of the Loch Ness Monster - Historic UK](<https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofScotland/The-Loch-Ness-Monster/>)
9. [On this day in Scotland | | The Loch Ness Monster: a fishy history](<https://history.scot/the-loch-ness-monster-a-history/>)
10. [Inside The Enduring Legend Of The Loch Ness Monster](<https://allthatsinteresting.com/loch-ness-monster>)
11. [The Loch Ness Monster: The truth behind the Nessie legend | DiscoverBritain.com](<https://www.discoverbritain.com/heritage/mythology/loch-ness-monster/>)
12. [The Loch Ness Monster - History of a Mysterious Sea Creature](<https://www.english-online.at/science/loch-ness-monster/loch-ness-monster.htm>)
13. [90 years of Loch Ness monster mania! Why the hunt hasn't stopped since that first blurry photo](<https://studyfinds.com/loch-ness-monster-search/>)
14. [Sonar Image Reveals What Could Be The Loch Ness Monster (PICTURES) | HuffPost UK News](<https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/04/20/sonar-image-loch-ness-monster_n_1440548.html>)
15. [The Legend of Loch Ness | NOVA | PBS](<https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/article/legend-loch-ness/>)
16. [Nessie and Other Lake Monsters](<http://www.strangemag.com/nessie.home.html>)
17. [Loch Ness "Monster" sighted for the first time, igniting the modern legend | May 2, 1933 | HISTORY](<https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/loch-ness-monster-sighted>)
18. [The Surgeon’s Photo](<http://hoaxes.org/photo_database/image/the_surgeons_photo/>)
19. [Nessie on the Net! The Official and Ultimate Nessie Loch Ness Monster Web Site and Live Cams - Highlands, Scotland.](<https://www.lochness.co.uk/>)
20. [Loch Ness Monster - Crystalinks](<https://www.crystalinks.com/loch_ness.html>)
21. [Not the Nessie - TV Tropes](<https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/NotTheNessie>)
22. [Stock Ness Monster - TV Tropes](<https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/StockNessMonster>)
23. [How to Navigate Aged Care Training Opportunities in Australia | Mystery Case Book](<http://www.mysterycasebook.com/lochnesslnpibstudy.html>)
24. [How to Navigate Aged Care Training Opportunities in Australia | Mystery Case Book](<http://www.mysterycasebook.com/lochnessandrescarroll.html>)
25. [Is video of 'strange thing' in Alaska river a Loch Ness monster-like creature? | Fox News](<https://www.foxnews.com/us/is-video-of-strange-thing-in-alaska-river-a-loch-ness-monster-like-creature>)
26. [Alaska's mysterious "Ice Monster" sparks comparisons to Loch Ness - CBS News](<https://www.cbsnews.com/news/people-comparing-alaskan-ice-monster-to-scotlands-loch-ness-monster/>)
27. [Viral – UPROXX](<https://uproxx.com/viral/loch-ness-alaska-sea-monster-video/>)
28. [Loch Ness Monster Facts](<https://web.archive.org/web/20110830173314/http://www.loch-ness-monster-nessieland.com/loch-ness-monster-facts.shtml>)

---
Source: https://meme.com/memes/loch-ness-monster
Published by meme.com — The Internet Meme Library