Re: NANFA-- Loch Ness Monster of North America

DasArm_at_aol.com
Tue, 14 Dec 1999 00:35:19 EST

In a message dated 12/13/99 7:13:44 PM Eastern Standard Time,
mcclurgl_at_washburn.edu writes:

<< The American Indians had a name for a lake
monster...don't remember if it was in Lake Champlain or not...and that
name was Ogopogo. (or some such spelling)

My own personal theory is that these "monsters" exist. However, I
seriously doubt they are Pleisiosaurs (sp?) or other prehistoric relicts.
I think they are more likely undocumented species of fish such as giant
Sturgeons. Just my two cents worth... >>

Ogopogo is from Lake Okanagan in British Columbia. It has been theorized to
be a zeuglodon ( a primitive toothed whale long thought to be extinct ) and
alternately, a plesiosaur. I think that it is possible that it could be
either one because the coelacanth , a primitive fish thought to be extinct
for millions of years was discovered in the 1930's. off the coast of South
Africa. And somewhat recently there was another population discovered 3,000
miles away ( hope I got the approximate distance right ). On the other hand
I've heard that for the animals to exist they would have to be in such
population densities that there would be more sightings . So if the animals
do exist it could be that they are slowly dying out and this is the last
remnant of them and by the time we develop the technology or the tecniques to
make certain they exist they may be extinct by then anyway. Or they may be
something less spectacular like you suggested . Not that I'd mind seeing an
undocumented species of giant sturgeon being discovered but a plesiosaur
would be totally unlike anything living today! The White River Monster has
been said by one cryptozoological researcher to be a large male elephant seal
which was a loner that strayed out of its normal range and and that was
therefore unidentifiable by the observers which were unfamiliar with the
animal. So a more mundane explanation is very likely according to this
example. I think that more than likely they are not plesiosaurs or anything
spectacular but then again I try to keep my mind open for the small
possibility that these creatures might possibly exist. Although if they do I
think that they would be more likely to be found in the ocean than in a lake.
If they do exist in any lakes I think that the population would be so small
and isolated that they would be inbred and dying out from a lack of genetic
diversity. Perhaps we'll never have the opportunity to know either way.

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