Loch Ness Monster, missing for eight months, has fans 'worried'

Where's Nessie? Where's Nessie? Photo: Getty Photo: Getty Image 1 of / 23 Caption Close Loch Ness Monster, missing for eight months, has fans 'worried' 1 / 23 Back to Gallery

Missing: One sea creature, known for her distinctive long neck and propensity for Scottish lakes, last seen eight months ago. Anyone with leads instructed to alert the Official Loch Ness Monster Sightings Register.

One of cryptozoology's most famous icons is missing, according to "worried" members of the society that tracks Loch Ness Monster sightings.

"It's quite unusual for this length of time to pass with no sightings at all," Official Loch Ness Monster Sightings Register keeper Gary Campbell told The Scotsman. "We're quite worried that there has been an eight-month gap since the last sighting. This is especially so when you consider that pretty much everyone will have access to a camera phone to take video and pictures."

Nessie, who was seen eight times in 2016, has gone silent since August 21 with nary a peep out of her native waters. Campbell, who has recorded Nessie appearances for 20 years, reports she's been seen over 1,000 times in that time period — and it's not like her to stay hidden for so long.

"We're really hoping that with the longer evening light that comes with summer and the fact that the Highlands seems to be booming with tourists that someone will see something soon," Campbell told The Scotsman.

He also asked that Nessie lovers keep an eye on the Loch Ness webcam, the source of several of last year's sightings.

The first reported sighting of the Loch Ness Monster was in the sixth century A.D., although the legend gained traction in the 20th century when the famous photo (seen above) was taken. She is believed to live deep in the waters of Loch Ness, perhaps in a hidden cave, making occasional sojourns to the surface.

Multiple expeditions have tried using sonar and satellite tracking to locate Nessie, but she remains well-concealed, possibly in a different space-time continuum.