For hundreds of years there have been sightings and reports of a large unknown creature living in the depths of Loch Ness in Scotland. The Loch Ness Monster also know as “Nessie” is said to inhabit the loch and is one of the most famous cryptids in history. The debate as to existence of this lake monster and what kind of creature it actually is has been ongoing for years with various theories and explanations. Skeptics believe that the sightings of Nessie are simply cases of misidentification of more common animals like seals, eels, and even some inanimate objects like wakes and gases and in many other cases simply hoaxes.

Believers have a much different opinion as to what Nessie may actually be and the most agreed upon possibility is that of a Plesiosaur often based on many descriptions of the creature and its long neck and features. Arguments have been made on both sides as to why Nessie could and couldn’t be a Plesiosaur like the age of the Loch , water temps, and the ability for it to have evolved over the years of being trapped in the Loch.

Over the years there have been fewer and fewer sightings and reports of the Loch Ness Monster and now many are asking where is Nessie ? The most popular piece of evidence for years as to the existence of Nessie was the famous “Surgeon’s Photo” from but has recently been proven to be a hoax. This along with the lack of recent sightings and reports lead many believers included wondering if Nessie is still lurking in the water of Loch Ness or has she ever.

“Surgeon’s Photo of Nessie”

In 2011 a sonar image was taken by a local boat skipper of an unidentified object that many believe could have been Nessie. According to him the object was following his boat for a couple of minutes down at a depth of approx 75 feet. The sonar image has been examined by many people including scientist and the object has yet to be identified. Here is the 2011 Loch Ness Monster sonar image.

In 2013 an image of a large object on Loch Ness captured by Apple maps stirred up a lot of interest. The unidentified object appears to be just under the surface and of approx a 100 feet in length. So far there has been a ton of speculation and debate as to what the object was and many people have identified it as a boat although some still disagree with this assessment. Here is the Apple maps Loch Ness Monster photo.

“Apple Maps Nessie comparison to Boat -below”

But the sonar and Apple map images aside there has been a real decline in Nessie reports over the years. Bookmaker William Hill even put out a reward for proof of the infamous creature in 2013 but received no credible evidence. In fact 2013 produced no real sightings or reports of the creature for the first time in over 90 years. Now half way through 2014 and we have yet to see any credible sighting so now one has to wonder is Nessie dead ?