Throughout the Americas there have always been reports of creatures that suddenly appear from the deep reaches of large lakes, only to disappear once again leaving behind troubled witnesses and an unfortunately small body of evidence. The creatures reportedly do not fit into any understood category of creatures, and often are said to be completely unique. But there are some odd similarities between the lake monsters that beg further study. Champ, Tahoe Tessie, the Ogopogo, and Wallowa Lake’s Wally are just the tip of the ice berg on this interconnected mystery.
To discover the origins of lake monsters, we should consider how most lakes come to be populated in the first place. During intense ice ages where large bodies of ice accumulate and then melt, fish can migrate up from warmer climates into the freshly gouged landscape of melted ice bergs. Additionally, something as simple as a heavy storm can raise the water level, open up new streams, and Earthquakes can move existing streams – washing fish populations along with them.
And that’s not all there is. There are a number of other methods for lakes to gain and lose fish species. A heavy storm can also physically lift up fish and deposit them elsewhere along with gale force winds into a new location. While many of the fish wouldn’t survive the violent blowing of winds, a few would be able to.
None of these events are extremely likely, but during the incredibly lengthy periods of time involved in the formation of land, lakes, and other ecosystems it’s actually fairly likely that at one point or another two or more fish can be transplanted and create a growing population in a totally new environment.
So what does this have to do with monsters like Champ, Tahoe Tessie, and the Ogopogo? For one thing, the same rules would have to apply to these creatures if they didn’t have the ability to walk up on land – which many of them do. This suggests either the creatures could have come from the same place or they could be constantly migrating up and around from places unknown.
If the populations of lake monsters appear similar, it may be less of a coincidence than we generally think. Is it possible that Champ could be the same or a similar species to the Loch Ness Sea Monster?
It would be difficult to determine without actually being able to see one of the creatures. But by a similar note, what if the creatures are – as some skeptics suggest – nothing more than folklore plucked from our own consciousness? This too would make the similarities significant.
Different countries, areas, and towns all creating the same lake legend might give us some insight into humanity’s greater consciousness, allowing us a rare look into something we all share in common.
While we often attribute lake monsters to being a western and European phenomenon, there are similar creatures reported as far as New Zealand and Australia. These similar megafauna exist in climates and ecosystems completely different from one another, and yet each time they are seen as elusive snakelike creatures that live beneath the waves.