Re: Lake Monsters: MonsterQuest

Just a short remark on so called "Lake Monsters". Lake Okanagan, in British Columbia, Canada is supposedly the home of Ogopogo, one of the many "lake monsters" to exist in this world's deep lakes.

During the show, a very sophisticated version of FLIR was used to look for trails left in the waters by even reptilian type creatures. And actually, some "trails" were found. What bothers me, is the description of the currents in such a deep lake, reported as over 200 meters deep, is the layering of different tempuratures of water. The lake is long and narrow, like Loch Ness and has deep drop offs like Loch Ness as well, sheer cliffs carved out by the Ice Age glaciers some 10,000+ years ago.

This same Ice Age also affected Scotland and carved out Loch Ness as well, leaving me to wonder why some people attribute these monsters to be reptilian. Sure, it has been claimed by some that dinosaurs were warm blooded, I doubt very much they could survive at that latitude during an Ice Age. But back to the currents, with such deep lakes different layers of water at different tempuratures tend to form. As like in our atmosphere, this layering is subject to rising and falling of water causing the currents, such as clouds are made. In lakes, however, it would seem that the layers are more stable, if left undisturbed. In the show, the expert on water dynamics showed how the strange wave patterns could be formed if currents passed over lower depths of the lake, back into the deeper depths. If these currents exist, there's the possibility that along the sheer sides of the islands they were inspecting from the air, seeing these trails, could be warmer or colder water rising along the sheer cliffs causing a several degree temperature change.

Now I don't claim to be an expert at water dynamics, but in the ocean, animals often gather at edges of sharp declines in water depths to take advantage of the nutrients brought up which attract smaller bait fish all the way to large predators.

The idea that the creature is an ancient form of prehistoric whale seems silly as well, I've heard this theory. Again, the species of ancient whale existed well before the latest Ice Age and after everything melted, why would it leave the nutrient rich oceans to go up the Columbia River then follow another river up to lake Okanagan and become land locked? They would have to go up in sufficient breeding populations, we do know that Lake Okanagan does have a better food supply than Loch Ness, the main failing of the possibility of Nessie. But reading the descriptions of the Lake Okanagan monster, it does remind me of at least a for sure Columbia River inhabitant, the giant White Sturgeon. It has been known to grow these lengths quoted as well as the diameter. It's a very prehistoric fish, with cartilage instead of bone, like the sharks. They are actually probably older than the shark as they are a jawless fish. And if some of you have seen these fishing shows where they have went White Sturgeon fishing in the Columbia, you could see how this could be mistaken for a monster.

The specimen they found on a dive turned out to be a decaying common salmon species, which in it's form of decay, did look quite strange. But it goes to show that we can see things in normal things because we want to believe so much. There were also holes in the bottom silt, one of the species named in the list of fish in Lake Okanagan was the burbot, or ling cod, as well eelpout in some areas. This is a strange looking fish that looks like it's fish at the front, eel at the back. They dwell in deep, cold water, they are known as sluggish swimmers but voracious predators. They are also slow growing, taking about 7 years to mature, I don't know if they make hiding holes, not much is known about them as they avoid warm water, spawn under the ice in shallower water, but as summer comes along, retreat to the depths. Canada does hold the record for the largest burbot caught at 42+ inches, 3 1/2 feet. Do they make depressions in the silt and ambush prey? I don't know, but they are active nocturnal feeders even coming to the surface if the water is cold. I can't really explain the depressions in the silt. But something sure took off when the low frequency noise was played. Something hiding in one of the holes annoyed at the sound and appearance of the diver? I really don't know. These would be good questions for an icthyologist, boy I hope I spelled that right, or fish expert.

Is there something different in Lake Okanagan? Time will tell I guess. There is adequate food for a small population. I don't remember the guide mentioning sturgeon in the lake, but smaller species of sturgeon are likely, not sure about the White Sturgeon, it may need a different type of ecosystem like the flowing Columbia River to survive.

If Ogopogo does indeed exist, it will be a coup for the cryptozoologists, that's for sure! There are many places man hasn't explored, most of it under water. I do know that Ogopogo is a geniune tourist attraction, and that loss of it's potential existance would hurt the community. But sometimes it's strange, there's an unidentified possible creature, people want it proven that it DOESN'T exist, rather that proving that it DOES. Kind of the reverse of a court of law. "Until it's proven NOT real, It's real." Hmn. Not exactly the scientific process.

Well, as I go over this, it's a bit rambling...I do tend to do that. I will try to do an outline first next time. One other thing I've always though while on the topic of cryptozoology... I've read that we dream we are falling, to prevent us from falling out of primitive nests, like gorillas. If we have a collective subconscience, could bigfoot be distant memories of interaction with Giganthropithicus, hopefully spelled right, the large, walking primate of Asia? The legend did go into the Pacific Northwest as well as the Himalayas...bringing up the Pacific Northwest as that's the (or one) of the routes taken into the North American continent. Just a thought.