The first modern report of the sighting of the Loch Ness Monster occurred on this day, May 2 in 1933. Records of sightings date back to 565 CE, but grew more common after this event and the building of a road along the Loch Ness shore. The “Surgeon’s Photo” above from that era has been largely discredited and even the doctor who took it refused to have his name associated with it.
Hoaxes abounded over the years that followed, lending support for the community, if not for the existence of the creature. I have visited the lake and can attest to its stark beauty. I did not see the beast, though I secretly wanted to as do many of the tourists that now float up and down the lake while listening to guides’ tales of their beloved creature.
In truth, the lake is deep, murky from the nearby peat that leaches into the feeding waters, and even modern technology cannot lend much credence or doubt to the legend. Tales of dragons and such are cherished throughout Great Britain, just as are leprechauns in Ireland. It seems we want to believe in lonely, misunderstood beings, perhaps because they remind us of ourselves.
Some time ago I wrote the prose poem below which appears in my book “At Sea.” This is a good day to share it.
