Loch Ness Trench Discovery

The Loch Ness monster’s existence is a lake mystery that, though thoroughly researched and nearly ruled out entirely, will probably always have the support of some people. If not for scientific fact, the draw to believe in the creature will likely continue on through its mystic folklore and the long history of reported sightings.

But along with people who claim to have seen the monstrous nessie, there are others who point to discoveries on the lake that appear to add credence and raise some speculation that such a big, dinosaur-like creature could exist.

One of those folks is Keith Stewart, a retired fisherman who makes a living running boat tours of Loch Ness that use the rumors of a lake monster for promotion. On a recent trip around the lake, Stewart was using the electronics on his boat to navigate. In a spot a few hundred yards from shore, he came across an unusually deep trench.

A view of Loch Ness from the shore near Inverness. (Credit: Wikimedia Commons User Vcarceler via Creative Commons 3.0)

The deep crevice, located 9 miles east of Inverness in the Scottish Highlands, showed to be 889 feet deep on his sonar. This far outpaces the lake’s maximum confirmed depth of 754 feet, and ostensibly reveals a new hiding place for nessie that could have concealed her presence from past searches.

The Loch Ness Project, a research organization, may follow up on the find to verify the deep-water canyon is there. But there is a suspicion that Stewart’s sonar readings may not have been accurate because he was so close to the shore.

There is a misreading that commonly occurs with sonar devices called “lobe echoes” bouncing off of walls or slopes nearby. These could very easily have occurred during Stewart’s readings, experts say. And since no follow-up scientific survey has been done yet to vet the images taken, a cautious view of them is necessary.

Sonar image depicting the newly discovered trench, believed to by 889 feet deep. (Credit: Keith Stewart)

Some possibilities floated for the existence of this new Loch Ness canyon include underwater earthquakes. The imaged area sits along a prominent fault line after all. Others hold that it could be an opening to a network of underwater caves linking lakes in the area. But that one is just a theory.

Do you believe in the Loch Ness monster? What implications does the newly discovered canyon have? Please consider leaving a comment to share your thoughts!