The Loch Ness monster has been the topic of discussion for a very long time; and although there have been theories as to its origins, a lot of them have already been disproved. As such, another theory regarding its origin, saying it was actually just a giant eel, has been disproved.
Loch Ness Monster Giant Eel Rumor
According to Mail Online, the Loch Ness monster lurking in a Scottish lake has been widely discussed, and a new theory suggests that it was actually just a giant eel. This theory was debunked by the Folk Zoology Society, explaining why this couldn't be the case.
Other theories in the past have said that the mysterious creature was actually just a crocodile or fish. However, the more popular tale is that it was an actual dinosaur that lived in the picturesque Scottish lake.
The eel hypothesis, however, has been debunked by a scientist, providing more clarity to one of the possible explanations. Data revealed that the Lock Ness monster, otherwise known as Nessie, was over one meter long.
Because of this, it was less likely that Nessie was an eel since analysis shows that there's only a one in 50,000 chance that an eel could reach this size. Floe Foxon, the author of the study, explains the findings.
Disproving the Eel Theory
Foxon noted that, unlike popular belief, scientific analysis was applied to data gathered from Loch Ness and other freshwater bodies in Europe. They decided to also investigate the sizes of 129 eels that were caught from 1970 and 1971, which was about 40 years after the sighting incident.
While not many people believed the photo to be true, even describing it as a "Surgeon's Photograph," the monster in the photo was believed to be about 0.6 to 2.4 meters in length. The Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute scientists said they spotted a 1.05-meter eel, but it was clarified that it would take almost 30 years for an eel to reach this length.
Mail Online also highlighted how in order to reach six meters in length, an eel would have to continue growing for 200 years old, which is close to the Greenland shark's age. The 2019 study by the University of Otago in New Zealand is among the studies that were disproved by the new findings.
Nessie's Size Remains Unconfirmed
Neil Gemmell, a geneticist, remains that the size of Nessie remains unverified, saying that the possibility of it being giant eel should still be entertained. He also added other theories like it being catfish or the Greenland shark.
Smithsonian Magazine also suggests that the phenomenon could've been caused by waves, which is a theory that the monster was actually a visual illusion. This research involved using a wave pool to test the hypothesis.
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