| Loch Ness monster mystery | | Print | |
| 10/04/07 | |
 The Loch Ness Monster has been a key tourism draw to the Scottish Highlands, bringing an estimated $14 million. But with only five sightings of the monster since 2006, compared to double figures a decade ago, locals are beginning to worry. "It's becoming a potential crisis," said Mikko Takala, 39, a founding member of the Loch Ness Monster Fan Club who runs four webcams on the lake's north shore. Loch Ness, the largest and deepest inland expanse of water in Britain, has been clouded in myth and mystery ever since a surgeon vacationing at the lake in the 1930s released a photo allegedly capturing the legendary monster on film. Since then, there have been more than 4,000 purported sightings of the creature, who is affectionately dubbed by locals as "Nessie". Supposed footage of the Loch Ness Monster was taken by British amateur scientist Gordon Holmes earlier this year, as it sped through the water. Fans of the mysterious creature have speculated whether Nessie is the last surviving dinosaur, or even a sturgeon, even though they have not been native to Scotland's waters for many years. But even in the age of digital cameras, webcams and video recorders, sightings have dropped, leaving fans disillusioned. "I think we live in a more pragmatic age, and that people are becoming more aware of the sort of illusions that can occur on water," said Adrian Shine, 58, a naturalist who has investigated the mystery of the monster for 20 years.
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