Loch Ness Monster sightings have been steadily decreasing over the years and it has led many to wonder if Nessie still inhabits the waters of the Loch or has the mysterious lake monster died.

Steve Feltham is perhaps the most well known Nessie hunter in the world spending the last 24 years in search of the elusive cryptid has his own “Nessie no more” theory. Feltham after a long journey says he has come to a realization and now believes the Loch Ness Monster is likely nothing more than a Wels catfish.

According to Feltham this would explain the sightings of Nessie going all the way back to the 1930’s. The theory is based on the catfish being introduced into the loch by Victorians for sport and as the fish began to reach maturity sightings of the Loch Ness Monster started being reported. The possible existence of the creature was brought to everyone’s attention back in 1933.

There would of been a viable breeding population of the catfish which has been known to grow to sizes of up to 13 feet long in the loch over several years. The Wels catfish is scaleless fresh and brackish water species and its color, size, and long curved back could explain some of the sightings of Nessie over the years. The veteran Nessie hunter also believes the decreasing number of sightings can also be explained by the catfish population of the loch declining.

“Wels Catfish“

The aggressive species are known to attack humans and even eat other catfish as part of their diet and may have eaten enough of their own breeding females over time to lead to their lowering numbers. Many Nessie believers and researchers don’t agree and point to many aspects of sightings and reports as to why its unlikely that more than a few previous sightings could be explained by this theory. The lake monster of Loch Ness is still believed by many to be a prehistoric animal called a Plesiosaur.

So far there have only been three official 2015 Loch Ness Monster sightings none of which were very detailed or provided any video or photo evidence only eyewitness accounts. As the number of sightings and reports continue to decrease year by year the Feltham theory seems to become more plausible to many Cryptozoology enthusiasts. Although there is still plenty of information which points to the creature being something else and to keep the mysteries of Loch Ness alive along with the hopes that we will one day discover a yet unknown cryptid there.