Loch Ness Researcher Adrian Shine
A
reference site for general scientific information
concerning the research, exploration and investigationof
Loch Ness and its famous monster controversy.
Archives also include work of : "The Loch
Ness Investigation", and "Loch Morar
Survey".
Disclaimer - I don't subscribe to 'the eel theory' as shown in Fantastic Beasts, the meaning was lost in the edit. |
Explore Loch Ness Guide
Fully Illustrated Guide to places and events,
latest exploration: Operation Groundtruth Explore
places and events, a guided tour around the
Loch and beneath the surface, an exploration
of the underwater world, and some of the results
of our ongoing search in the deep water with
"Operation Groundtruth".
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Loch
Ness Research and The Archive Room
Alphabetical Author List
Simply a list and the quickest way to
find a publication or study where the
author is known. Links are provided where possible.
University course dissertations are included,
though links are currently to abstracts only.
Copies are generally held by the Loch Ness Project
Library at Loch Ness 2000. Research.and
exploration of Loch Ness - authors and scientific
papers. An historical list of contemporary documents
and investigation of the Loch Ness Monster.
The Timeline
Mainly the investigations
of the Loch Ness Monster controversy and as its name suggests, is a chronological
history with the source references inserted and
linked where possible. Because it is designed
to show the evolution of method and thought, departures
are made from the historical chronology where
it seems relevant.
The
archive is restricted to expeditions or other
studies where authoritative reports or published
papers have been produced. Thus, newspaper
material is only used where it is authored by
the investigators themselves and in one case where
a newspaper reporter was himself a principal investigator.
Sometimes
it has not been possible, for copyright or other
reasons, to include an important item. Books,
for example, or some journal publications have
simply been referenced. For the same reason most
items are reproduced in a PDF secure (read only)
form. Where possible the material retains its
original appearance but some is rearranged for
screen viewing. If necessary, documents have been
digitally retouched for legibility. The kind assistance
given by the copyright holders is gratefully acknowledged.
Editorial
bias: The inclusion of items mostly reflects
whether material is considered "diligent" and
it is hoped that no injustice has been done. The
remaining scope for bias lies within those passages
which attempt to link the pages of the archive
and to demonstrate interaction or debate within
them. These passages may reflect the author's
personal opinions.
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Nessie
Dead or Alive - Reflections
It
was recently announced that Scottish Natural Heritage
(SNH) was forming a Loch Ness Environment Panel........ with a view to developing a code
of practice for visiting Loch Ness monster hunters
who might inadvertently cause damage to the loch's
habitats, or individual creatures within it. This
move was prompted by the proposal of a Swedish
monster hunter and ufologist Jan Sundberg, to
place a 6m long creel trap in Loch Ness. The SNH
area manager Jonathan Stacey, made it clear that
they had no
policy on Nessie as such and the prime aim was
to "protect the known from those pursuing the
unknown".
Hoax
On the 2nd July 2003 a Mr. Gerald
McSorley came to Loch Ness 2000 and reported finding
some bones on the shore of Loch Ness below the
most northerly lay-by on the A82 road. The material
was examined by Adrian Shine and found to consist
of four fossil vertebrae embedded in a limestone
material not found at the loch. It was felt most
likely that the fossil had been exposed in a marine
environment and had been placed at the lay-by
in order to be found. Shine then referred Mr.
Mc Sorley to the National Museum of Scotland in
Edinburgh and briefed the palaeontology department.
Here, Dr. Lyall Anderson determined that the vertebrae
were from a plesiosaur and were about 150 million
years old. He confirmed however, that the matrix
was foreign to Loch Ness and contained evidence
of marine borers. Plesiosaur fossils have occasionally
been collected on the Black Isle.
John
Cobb and Crusader
On September
29 1952 John Cobb,
the famous Brooklands racing hero, holder of many
speed records, died after his boat Crusader disintegrated
after hitting a boat-wake during a world water
speed record attempt on Loch Ness. He became the
fastest man on water (206.89mph) though did not
achieve the record since the accident occurred
before he could complete a second run over the
measured mile.
At the end of the measured mile Crusader nose-dived
into the deep dark waters of Loch Ness. John Cobb's
body was swiftly pulled from the water by his
support team and the wreckage from crusader sank
to depths of over 200m.
The search for
Crusader 2002
Skipper, John Minshull and Adrian Shine spent many long nights sweeping the plotted line
with sonar and mapping the site.
By June the Loch Ness Project was satisfied they had found the debris field. At this
point the American Academy of Applied Science,
on expedition at the loch, announced an interest
in finding the Cobb wreck during the last 2 days
of their visit and were to be assisted by Gordon
Menzies, a resident, owner of Temple Pier and
as a child witness of the record attempt.
FOUND !
Latest .... 2019 Kongsberg and Loch Ness Project find the wreck of Crusader. More info to come ....
A
Key to Loch Ness Monster Sightings
It
is fair to say that no visitor to Loch Ness passes
by without some sense of expectation and
many would hold that a predisposition to see monsters
is, in itself, a sufficient explanation for the
controversy surrounding this enigmatic expanse
of water. Indeed, it was the subject's first author, Rupert Gould (1934) who discussed what
he called "expectant attention". However, it was
to be thirty years before a proper investigation
of the monster sightings phenomena was undertaken.
In some ways this research was to provide verification
for some quite bizarre experiences and to confirm
that there was indeed something special about
Loch Ness.
Definition
Bearing the foregoing in mind, perhaps the
broadest definition of a monster "sighting" may be, "anything seen at Loch Ness which the observer does
not recognise". Some may seek explanation;
others find revelation within the experience.
For some, a sighting may be a life-altering event.
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