"Heard Some Noise" Loud Search for the Loch Ness Monster... Result Is Empty-Handed

"Flood of Tips... Unable to Record Due to Equipment Issues"
Even Without Concrete Evidence... Fans "Certain of Existence"

The search for the legendary monster 'Nessie' in Scotland, UK, involving the largest scale operation in 50 years, ended empty-handed.

In 1934, a photo showing a black object with a long neck protruding out of the lake, presumed to be Nessie, the Loch Ness Monster, became famous under the name "The Surgeon’s Photograph," but it was eventually proven to be a hoax.
[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

According to major foreign media including the Daily Telegraph on the 27th (local time), hundreds of volunteers from around the world and advanced equipment were deployed along the shores of Loch Ness in Inverness, Scotland, UK, over the weekend of the 26th and 27th to search for the legendary monster 'Nessie.' However, the media reported that no decisive evidence of Nessie's existence was found.

Volunteers were stationed at various points around Loch Ness, which stretches 36 km in length, watching over the lake, while some boarded boats to enter the lake, which has a maximum depth of 240 meters.

The expedition team also deployed advanced equipment such as drones equipped with thermal scanners, infrared cameras, and underwater hydrophones. However, due to continuous rain and poor weather conditions, they reportedly faced difficulties in flying the drones.

Additionally, the expedition team claimed to have detected mysterious sounds underwater.

Alan Mackay, leader of the 'Loch Ness Expedition' that led the search, said, "We heard unusual sounds four times," adding, "Everyone was so excited that they ran to check if the recording devices were on, but they were off."

Mackay also added that they received numerous reports from people who watched the live footage of the search operation. However, it is reported that no material evidence remains with them either.

On the 27th (local time), the research vessel 'Deep Scan,' equipped with a sonar detector, is searching Loch Ness. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Earlier, the 'Loch Ness Centre' that planned the search and the autonomous research organization 'Loch Ness Expedition' regarded this search as the largest scale operation in 51 years since the 'Loch Ness Phenomenon Investigation Office,' which involved various sectors of British society, conducted a large-scale search in 1972.

The media reported that despite the bad weather, volunteers from countries around the world including Spain, France, Germany, Finland, Japan, and the United States participated in the search.

The legend of the Loch Ness monster, Nessie, has been recorded since the 6th century. A chronicle written at that time contains a story that the Irish monk Saint Columba banished a 'water beast' to the depths of Loch Ness.

Then, in 1933, a local newspaper, the Inverness Courier, reported eyewitness accounts such as hotel manager Aldie Mackay claiming to have seen a 'whale-like creature,' which brought worldwide attention to Nessie.

In 1934, a photo showing a black object with a long neck protruding out of the lake became famous as the 'Surgeon's Photograph,' but it was eventually proven to be a hoax.

However, people continued to claim sightings of the Loch Ness monster. According to the Loch Ness Centre, there are over 1,100 officially recorded Nessie sightings.

Children are playing at the Nesi sculpture.
Photo by Yonhap News

The legend of the Loch Ness monster has been used as material for numerous books, TV programs, and movies, generating millions of pounds in annual tourism revenue for the Scotland region.