Rebecca Stewart was watching the loch from Fort Augustus pier on Monday the 2nd October when she spotted a fin-like object on the other side of the loch. The resultant iphone pictures merited a mention in the media as exemplified by this article in the Scottish Sun.
It got some positive remarks across the Internet and I "liked" it myself on Facebook. The problem, of course, is it was taken at a vast distance with an inferior image capture device - a mobile phone. I knew "Cruise Loch Ness" operated in the area and contacted the manager, Marcus Atkinson, to see if he knew anything about it.
The result is this picture below taken from their "Chieftain" boat by Ricky, captain of the vessel on the same day, for which I give them thanks. It was reckoned it sank as they passed, though it is not clear whether the debris sank due to the turbulence of the passing ship.
It is a piece of driftwood, but definitely fin-shaped in appearance, so top marks to the witnesses for making that observation despite the large distance involved. However, since we are probably talking about something half a mile away, the odds of being fooled rise with the distance.
What does one need? A proper camera and a decent distance between you and the monster. The William Jobes photos I talked about recently fulfilled the better camera and closer distance requirements, but even there at 300+ metres, the conclusive, clear images are still hard to come by. Therein lies the problem of solving the mystery of the Loch Ness Monster.
The author can be contacted at lochnesskelpie@gmail.com
Are we sure that's driftwood? I see an eye there in the centre, and something like a duck's bill on the right.
ReplyDeleteI thought the same. It reminds me of the Rines gargoyle head photo. Seems unlikely to me that a piece of 'driftwood' sitting so high out of the water would suddenly sink out of sight. I'd like to see an enhancement of this object before jumping to any conclusions.
DeleteI get the feeling you already jumped to a conclusion.
DeleteWill, as the author himself states: 'It is a piece of driftwood.' Let it go man. Let it go.
DeleteI'm an enthusiast, I won't deny it. Rather than feeling that the case FOR Nessie has to always be proven, I approach the subject from the opposite angle. I think the case AGAINST Nessie needs to be proven.
DeleteYes, driftwood. Good proof how it can give off something else.
ReplyDeleteAs said in previous article, if an object is just driftwood, expect someone else to come along with a corroborating picture ....
ReplyDeleteYes, as above.
DeleteI always thought the original fin foto was a wood or debris! ..just wanna add this is wat i like bout the lads on cruise loch ness...although a couple are big believers in nessie they are quick to rule out any false reports!... Roy
ReplyDeleteHmmm, comments suggesting this piece of driftwood is actually an animal have been deleted to spare the commenters further embarrasment.
ReplyDeleteIm suprised nobody else took a photo of this driftwood. I bet if this Ricky fellow hadn't took this photo people would be saying it was Nessie.
ReplyDeleteActually, this one is trickier. It looks like it is mid-loch, so you just get a blob on your camera. There is no roadside on the Glendoe side either. You basically needed a boat to get within decent camera range of it.
DeleteSome tourists may have snapped it on the boat too.
Im not so sure people wud take fotos of known debris!! Why? I think the only people who wud do this are people like ricky who works on a boat and tells people what they can mistake sightings for or people who wanted to hoax someone. As mentioned in another article when i saw mr jobe outside boathouse restaurant there was logs in the loch and i didnt see anyone taking fotos or taking much notice and there was bout 30 people in the area! ROY
ReplyDeleteWell, they do, especially after said photos are publicised and they go and check it out, it has happened before and will happen again. And, Roy, there are ALWAYS logs in the loch. You saying there were logs in the loch makes out that this was some kind of unusual occurence, it is not. Dozens of streams and rivers feed into the loch at all times. Not seeing tree debris may be deemed the more unusual event.
DeleteTo reiterate, you claim you saw William Jobes in September, not in May. BTW, I am not re-opening the Jobes debate here as you seem to be trying to do!
I didnt say i saw him in seprember!! I said i heard a convo in a pub in fort augustus he was there( sep 5th)....i saw him in august 2011. And i disagree ut is unusual to see so many logs and debris on the loch as there was in augusr 2011 on the back of a real bad storm. U get the odd log now and again but not loads in one
DeleteGo....in fact i saw bout 5 bits of debris ust from vision of the boathouse which is unusual. So have u any more photos of this piece of wood not just the one off tbe boat driver????...WILL....i have answered u in the relevant article....cheeers Roy
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Indeed, pictures taken half a mile away and requiring full zoom don't cut it.
ReplyDeleteROY, would you mind telling me the exact location of the 'council pond' near you which contains terrapins please? I want to drive there and do a little research. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteRoland i hope your not going go fall out with fellow nessie believers just because some dont think every photo is a nessie, i hope not because that would be a shame. Im a firm believer in nessie so im on your side. Im not sure about ROY but i get the impression he is too. Do you believe in nessie ROY?
ReplyDeleteSometimes we have to respect the fact that people have different opinions.Lets hope we have some good photo's to talk about in the near future and not driftwood like the above photo. This is a great blog Roland but not everyone is going to agree.
No falling out, Gezza, but going from an opinion of misidentifier to hoaxer should be a step not lightly taken.
DeleteYes but that is my opinion Roland, it was a hoax, but im not going to dwell on it now. I have given my reasons in the piece it was written about.
DeleteAnd there it shall be left.
DeleteWill, finding terrapins in the Uk should not be difficult, I googled this:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.independent.co.uk/environment/nature/look-out-abandoned-terrapins-about-1863903.html
It seems the Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (ARC) Trust are involved and so you should consult the experts for the best answers.
Thanks, will take a look!
DeleteSoz WILL i cant give the name out of the pond because its a touchy situation at the mo cus the council want to get rid of them so any terrapins taken out cannot be put back in lol seems bit daft really..but my mate fishes the lake and he fishes all over the country and knows which areas have these little snappers lol so if u give me ur area i will ask him to give u details and i can pass them on to u....always happy to help!!! Roy
ReplyDeleteNever mind Terrapins Roy, do you believe in nessie? HA
DeleteLol Gezza! Lets just say i think there is something to answer for at loch ness! Even when u take away all the mistakes and hoaxes there is still summit to look into! But i think we need to get rid of the nonsense and obvious non creature sightings and look into wat we av left....thats why i welcome sceptics like dick raynor( i know u wont agree lol ) because he helps to rid us of a lot of mistakes at loch ness!he talks sense most of the time but i do agree i dont think the hugh gray foto is a swan! but nobody is going to get everthing right....its al bout opinions!!There is no falling out here with GB i just say things as i find them cus im honest! Long live the mystery!! Roy
ReplyDeleteFair comment Roy, so can you give me an example of Dick Raynor correcting a mistake or rumbling a hoax or maybe making you change your mind about a certain photo, video or sighting?
ReplyDeleteRoland, I don't really know where to post this, so I'll post it here. Look at this nonsense at 1:27, "Myth 22". Do you think the man in the video thinks Adrian Shine is Wilson? https://youtu.be/m3I_WIwsmSM
ReplyDeleteThis is how casually some people dismiss the existence of these animals. A simple, factually incorrect "Myth Buster"!
Well, a 10 second debunking of the Loch Ness Monster was always going to struggle.
DeleteAnother FIN sighting this week? Thats 3 now.
ReplyDeleteAnd another webcam image. The sightings are flying in .
ReplyDelete