No show from Nessie at monster hunt
SHE is the legendary creature at the centre of Scotland’s most enduring mystery.
But yesterday the Loch Ness Monster remained elusive – despite the largest and most sophisticated search operation in 50 years.
An international army of amateur monster hunters plus film crews from across the world joined experts equipped with drones, infrared cameras and specialised listening equipment.
However, the one notable no-show was Nessie herself. While no conclusive proof was unearthed the search operation, which concludes today, was not a total washout.
Four tantalising ‘unexplained sounds’ were logged by investigators in an area said to be a favourite haunt of Nessie over the years.
Alan McKenna, of volunteer research team Loch Ness Exploration, said of the noises detected in the Urquhart Bay area: ‘They were picked up by hydrophones and there were four distinct sounds.
‘We can’t say it was Nessie – just that they are unexplained.’
The search has involved 200 volunteers, with a further 300 people providing virtual assistance and checking live streams of footage posted online.
News crews from as far afield as Japan and the US flew in hoping for the most sensational of scoops.
Mr McKenna said: ‘The response has been phenomenal. We did not expect this level of interest. We have had no sightings yet but the search continues. We are looking for breaks in the surface and asking volunteers to record all manner of natural behaviour on the loch.’
The Loch Ness Centre helped organise the biggest search of the water since the Loch Ness Investigation Bureau study in 1972.
Centre manager Paul Nixon said: ‘It is brilliant to see people from all round the world still fascinated by the story of the loch and Nessie.’