Theories about Nessie Existence

Seal

In 1934 the Sir Edward Mountain expedition analysed film taken the same year and concluded that the monster was a species of seal, which was reported in a national newspaper as "Loch Ness Riddle Solved – Official". Seals have been observed and photographed a few times in Loch Ness. A long-necked seal was advocated by Peter Costello for Nessie and for other reputed lake monsters. R.T. Gould wrote "A grey seal has a long and surprisingly extensible neck; it swims with a paddling action; its colour fits the bill; and there is nothing surprising in its being seen on the shore of the loch, or crossing a road."

This explanation would cover sightings of lake monsters on land, during which the creature supposedly waddled into the lake upon being startled, in the manner of seals. Seals could also account for sonar traces which act as animate objects. 

 

Oarfish

The Regalecus glesne, is a strange eel-like animal rarely seen that has been measured at up to twenty-five feet in length. It is bright silver in color and has a high, bright red crest of spikes running down the back of its snake-like body.

In 1930, Dr. Anton Brun caught what he believed to be an eel larva. It was 2 m (6 ft) long and he made the calculation that if it grows like regular eels, it would mature to eighteen times its current size making the adult over 33 m (110 ft) long.

Two men were gathering seaweed on the coast of Bermuda in 1860 when they came across a serpent-like creature stranded in the rocks. They killed it and the animal was reported as a sea serpent until a naturalist eventually showed up and identified the creature as an oarfish.

 

Giant Eel

Eels are found in Loch Ness, and an unusually large eel would fit many sightings.  Eels are not known to protrude swanlike from the water and thus would not account for the head and neck sightings. Dinsdale dismissed the proposal because eels move in a side-to-side undulation.

On May 2, 2001: Two conger eels were found on the shore of the loch, but since conger eels are saltwater animals and Loch Ness is a freshwater body of water, it is believed that they were put there to be seen as "Mini-Nessies".

 

Elephant

In a 1979 article, California biologist Dennis Power and geographer Donald Johnson claimed that the Surgeon’s Photograph was in fact the top of the head, extended trunk and flared nostrils of a swimming elephant, probably photographed elsewhere and claimed to be from Loch Ness.

 

Frilled shark

An unusual species of frilled shark, Chlamydoselachus anguineus, might also be taken for a sea serpent. Like the oarfish it is eel-shaped. It has a single dorsal fin placed well back along the body, which can appear as a mane.

The frilled shark has an ancient history and is almost a living fossil. It would truly be a likely candidate for a sea serpent if it was only a little larger. So far the largest known frilled shark was only six feet nose-to-tale.

In 1880 Captain S. W. Hanna netted a long eel-like shark that measured some twenty-five feet. While not matching the description of Chlamydoselachus anguineus exactly, it is probably a close relative and suggests there may be some giant frilled sharks in the sea that could be taken for sea serpents.

 

Salt water crocodile

One dangerous candidate as a sea monster is the salt-water crocodile. These creatures, living in the India Ocean and the area around Southeast Asia and Australia have been measured to lengths of 18 feet and weighing almost a ton.

Unconfirmed reports indicate they may get as long as thirty feet. They are hungry, aggressive and often attack people.