In the deep, dark, murky, peat- filled waters of Loch Ness, there is a secret that has puzzled and intrigued humans for 1500 years. Many have seen parts and pieces of this puzzle and, though they have been documented, many have ridiculed them. Nevertheless, there is something there and technology has opened a new passageway for the world to see and witness this in awe and wonder.

Loch Ness is one of the largest lakes in the world, stretching 23 miles in length through the most rugged and undeveloped part of Scotland; it is a valley that cuts through the highlands. The top view of the lake is an ever-changing ballet of still, flat waters, a mirror-like surface where you can see images of castles and hillsides as clear in detail as the image itself! At times, though, the water changes and strange waves and wakes appear from out of nowhere.

The water is dark, murky and deep; under the waterline are depths reaching 850 ft in some places, with an average depth of 250 ft. The water is so dark, due to the peat moss and sediment, that it is very hard to see even a foot in front of you. There are a lot of fish living in the first 5 to 10 feet of the water and a large population of eels. There is one more resident here, one that has been around since at least 565ad. The Loch Ness Monster.

In 565ad, Saint Columba was traveling the Loch Ness area in hopes of converting heathens. The man who did his biography, St. Adamnan, told the story of the Saint chasing away this strange seahorse-like beast through prayer. He came across a group of people burying a man who had been killed by this monster, and, laying his staff across the dead man's chest, brought him back to life.

Another, and favorite, version of this story goes that, while he was on the banks of the loch, there was a disturbance in the water; when the Saint turned to look, he saw the monster chasing a swimming man through the water. St. Colomba went to the water's edge, picked up his cross, thrust it out before the beast and said "Thou shalt go no farther nor touch that man- return with all speed." The monster reportedly sank back into the loch and never attacked anyone again.

It was centuries after that that any sightings were reported and recorded. In 1933, the owners of a hotel that sits on the loch made the first documented recording. A lot of people suggest that it was a publicity stunt to lure foreigners to vacationing in Scotland. The sightings just poured in after that and have been pretty steady for the last 66 years. Many of the pictures that have been taken of her have been proven to be phony.

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