Here are the 7 most famous lakes on the planet where monsters live. Truth or legend? Let's find out.
1. Selma in Lake Seljordsvatnet, Norway
This is a fairly small lake located 110 miles west of Oslo. The town of Seljord on its shore has become a center for cryptozoologists – specialists who study creatures supposedly living in water or caves, whose existence has not been scientifically proven.
Seljord's «home monster» is named Selma, and it is a huge sea serpent. The oldest report of Selma dates back to 1750 and tells the story of a man who was sailing from Ulvenes to Nes when a huge serpent met his boat and dragged it underwater. Since then, hundreds of eyewitness accounts have been recorded by people who supposedly observed the serpent's appearance. Mostly on hot, still summer nights, since August is the monster's mating season – at least, that's what the locals believe. Whether it's true or not, they are very proud of Selma. She is even depicted on the town's coat of arms.
2. Nessie in Loch Ness, Scotland
Nessie is perhaps the most famous of the world's lake monsters. Its home is the deep, dark Loch Ness, located in the Scottish Highlands, 23 miles southwest of Inverness. It is a body of water with poor depth visibility due to the high peat content in the surrounding soil, and much could be hiding in its waves.
So, who is Nessie? According to eyewitnesses who have seen her surfacing from the water, she has a long neck, a tail and a serpentine head, while the monster itself is either black or green in color. She is not very sociable and rarely shows herself to people. There is still no scientific proof of Nessie's existence, but ever since the first legends about her appeared in 1930, many stories, books and films have been dedicated to her.
3. Nahuelito in Lake Nahuel Huapi, Argentina.
This beautiful high-altitude lake in the foothills of the Patagonian Andes in Argentina is part of the national park of the same name and home to its own monster: Nahuelito. It first attracted the attention of the whole world thanks to an article published in the Toronto Globe in 1922. The journalist reported at the time that he had actually seen the muzzle of the monster, which is compared to a large sea serpent or even a dinosaur.
4. Ogopogo in Lake Okanagan, British Columbia
Located in the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia, Canada, this lake has an average depth of 250 feet. Due to its glacial origin, its shoreline levels have shifted, forming terraces that are used for growing fruit. Trout live in Lake Okanagan, but rumor has it that something else lurks in its depths: a legendary monster named Ogopogo.
Ogopogo's story is captivating. It combines the beliefs of the indigenous inhabitants with the tales of the first settlers. According to one version, Ogopogo is a bloodthirsty monster; according to another – a guardian spirit caring for the lake.
In any case, Ogopogo has turned the lakeside town into a tourist attraction, where a 15-foot green statue stands on the waterfront, and the monster's image is the logo of the local WHL hockey team.
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5. Canavar in Lake Van, Turkey
Lake Van is Turkey's largest lake, in the Anatolia region, located in the far east of the country. It is home to a curious monster named Canavar, which, again, resembles a sea serpent. It has even been filmed several times. The most interesting of these clips is considered to be a 1997 video shot by a local resident, Unal Kozak. Many called it a fake, because the monster in the frame moved only in one direction and released air in one constant stream. Be that as it may, the monster brings a lot of benefit to tourism – all visitors dream of seeing it.
6. The Storsjö monster in Lake Storsjön, Sweden
This is Sweden's fifth-largest lake, located in the province of Jämtland in the center of the country. Here tourists hope to encounter the legendary lake monster.
The monster, described as snakelike with a cat-like, dog-like or snake-like head, is first mentioned in a 1635 manuscript, which reports that the monster was tied to the bottom of the lake by a heavy stone covered with runes. Another folk tale about the monster's origin is even more colorful. According to this story, two trolls were fussing with their cauldrons on the shore of the lake when suddenly a terrible serpent-like creature emerged from one cauldron and slipped into the lake.
7. Memphre in Lake Memphremagog, between Quebec and Vermont
Lake Memphremagog is a finger-shaped freshwater glacial lake that stretches between Vermont and Quebec. The first to speak of the serpent-like lake monster, very similar in appearance to Nessie, were the residents of the first settlements in this area. Later, many more eyewitness accounts were recorded.
In 2011 the Royal Canadian Mint issued a large colored coin depicting Memphre. By the way, on this coin its body is bright green, although eyewitnesses have always claimed that the monster has black scales.
