It’s finally happened: the Loch Ness monster has been found. Sort of.
Using underwater sonar and camera equipment, an expedition by Kongsberg Maritime Ltd. discovered the remains of the Loch Ness monster, but not the flesh and blood kind. Instead, what they found was a movie prop of the legendary monster used in the 1970 film The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes.”
READ MORE: WATCH—Bizarre creature or whale? What was spotted in the River Thames?
The legend of the Loch Ness monster first made the rounds in 1934 when that ubiquitous photo of old “Nessie” as the creature came to be known was published in a local newspaper. Though the photographer, surgeon Kenneth Wilson, later revealed it to be a hoax. Ever since the first report, people have talked about the mysterious creature that lurks in the dark loch. No one has definitively found evidence of a creature living in the water, but it hasn’t quelled the reports of people seeing Nessie for themselves.
It’s believed that the movie prop sank after its humps were removed. The movie was directed by Billy Wilder and starred Christopher Lee, known recently for his role in the Lord of the Rings trilogy and Star Wars.
The discovery was supported by The Loch Ness Project and VisitScotland, for Operation Groundtruth. The survey uses something called the MUNIN AUV (Autonomous Underwater Vehicle) that carries the high-tech equipment, surveying the loch at a depth of 1,500 metres.
WATCH: Hunting the Loch Ness Monster: Fact vs. Fiction