Stories about a shadowy creature living in Loch Ness have existed for centuries. But the legend really took off in 1933. That’s when a woman named Aldie Mackay said she spotted a whale-like monster thrashing around in the lake.
Many people didn’t believe her story. But others were fascinated. And they flocked to the lake to see for themselves.
Over the years, hundreds of people claimed to have seen the Loch Ness monster, nicknamed Nessie. Some of those claims were proved to be false. Take the most famous photo of the creature, for example. Many people believed the 1934 image was proof of Nessie’s existence. But it turned out to be a hoax.
Still, others swear they’ve seen the real thing. And they say their blurry photos prove it. This keeps the myth alive, explains Loch Ness expert Adrian Shine.
“The more fuzzy or distant a photograph is, the more you can speculate,” Shine says.