CRYPTOZOOLOGISTS RETURN FROM HUNTING MONSTER IN THE LAKE DISTRICT

A team of scientists from the Centre for Fortean Zoology [CFZ] has recently returned from a field trip to the Lake District with some very strange stories. The Centre, which investigates reports of strange creatures around the world, travelled to the Lakes to look into claims of ‘monster’ being sighted in Windermere.

Unlike many deep lakes in Scotland, Ireland, and indeed through the whole northern hemisphere the lakes of the Lake District had no history of monster sightings or that was what was thought until now. The CFZ was first alerted to the phenomena after university lecturer Steve Burnip saw and photographed a creature he reckoned to be in excess of 20 feet long off Watbarrow point in July.

“Three portions of the body were visible above the water. It was an eel like creature at least 20 feet long. It was moving very fast as it were shot from a rocket.”

After appealing for other witnesses in the local press the CFZ was amazed at the response. A number of other people had seen something strange in the waters of Windermere in July but others recalled seeing creatures in the lake as far back as 1959!

Richard Freeman and Lisa Dowley interviewed one witness, Mark Plant, who had seen the monster 47 years ago.

“I was sailing down the lake in a wooden dinghy with three friends. We were going at about two miles an hour when something drew along side us. I could not see the head or tail, only the central portion. This central part was about 12 inches thick and as long as my dinghy, about 15 feet. It was grey green in colour and lighter below. We watched it for a few minuets before it over took us and vanished.”

Mr Plant had no idea just how strange his sighting was until reading of Mr Burnip’s sighting in July of this year.

The team also spoke with a diver, Kevin Boyd, who had experience in many of the local lakes. Mr Boyd told us he had seen eels six feet long in Windermere and at least seven feet in Coniston Water. The common European eel is not supposed to exceed 4 feet. Using bait and an underwater camera Mr Boyd bravely undertook a night dive in Coniston Water to try and photograph outsized eels. Sadly none were forthcoming as they may have been in a torpid state at the oncoming of autumn.

The team intends to return in the spring for further diving and baiting experiments. Jon Downes, director of the Centre for Fortean Zoology says…

“This will be an ongoing project lasting for at least 12 months. This could be the most important work we have ever done in the UK. If we can catch an eel of 6 feet or more then will have proven eels can grow larger than the experts think. The ‘monster’ could be a really mammoth specimen.”

The CFZ are appealing for volunteers to help mount a large scale `lakewatch` next summer. Do you want to be part of the largest mystery animal hunt ever held in the UK?

Anyone interested in the Centre’s work both in the UK and abroad can visit their website on www.cfz.org.uk