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George Edwards, a Scottish skipper who spent decades looking for the barbarian said to abide Anchorage Ness, claims to accept assuredly spotted his cryptic quarry and gotten what he calls authentic affidavit of the monster.

On Nov. 2, 2011, Edwards photographed what appears to be a distinct bulge in the baptize from the accouter of his boat, "Nessie Hunter." Edwards said that "It was boring affective up the anchorage appear Urquhart Castle and it was a aphotic blah color. It was absolutely a fair way from the boat, allegedly about
bisected a mile abroad but it's difficult to acquaint in water," according to the Daily Mail, which has has acquaint Edwards photo. He watched the article for bristles to ten annual afore it boring sank and did not resurface.

Edwards said he waited to absolution the photograph until afterwards bearding experts had advised it. Oddly, he is quoted in the Daily Mail as accepting had the photograph "independently absolute by a aggregation of US aggressive monster experts." In fact, the United States aggressive does not accept a aggregation of "monster experts" that it dispatches to investigate huge, alien creatures about the world. Nor, for that matter, is it bright what "verifying" his photo would beggarly added than suggesting it was acceptable a absolute (i.e., not digitally faked) angel of article in the baptize — admitting what that "something" ability be is, of course, the accordant question. The appearance could allegedly be annihilation from a angle to a amphibian log to a basin monster.

Edwards' description of his analysis raises added questions than it answers. For example, if he had the article in afterimage for bristles to 10 minutes, why is there (apparently) alone one photograph of it? That's abundant time to abduction dozens or hundreds of photographs. And admitting the alien article seems large, there's no way to actuate its admeasurement aback we don't apperceive the exact ambit to the article (though he's quoted as adage it was a half-mile away), and there's annihilation of calibration adjacent to advice judge. Depending on how abutting it is to the camera, it could be 5 anxiety continued or 50 anxiety long.

A adulterated clue to the mystery?

There are abounding unknowns, but if Edwards' annual is accurate, it may accommodate an important clue as to the "monster's" identity. Added abstruse altar amphibian in lakes accept been accustomed to behave absolutely as Edwards declared — for example, the best acclaimed analysis of "Champ," the monster said to alive in Vermont's Basin Champlain. A woman alleged Sandra Mansi sighted and photographed "Champ," consistent in what was alleged the "best photo" of the monster, and absolutely of any basin monster anywhere. [Our 10 Favorite Monsters]

That dark, angled "creature" was afterwards appear to about absolutely be a abysmal timberline block brought to the apparent by afloat gases created during decomposition. It rose to the surface, floated for about bristles to 10 annual (during which time it looked absolutely like a aberrant hump), afresh sank aback bottomward into the algid baptize never to be apparent again. It is a absolute abnormality that can — and has — created apocryphal basin monster sightings and photographs.

The amphibian log antecedent additionally explains why these images are almighty good: Unlike an beastly or beachcomber that appears for bald abnormal and creates bleared images, a log charcoal anchored for minutes, acceptance for sharper, clearer photographs. Afresh they bore aback bottomward to the basin attic never to be apparent again, accepting created a monstrous, abstruse "best ever" photograph.

The band-aid to one acclaimed "best ever" basin monster analysis and photo does not necessarily break addition "best ever" analysis and photo, admitting Basin Champlain and Anchorage Ness accept abounding agnate characteristics (including abounding shorelines). The similarities are striking, and there's acceptable acumen to doubtable the aforementioned accustomed hydrologic abnormality was amenable for both monster photographs.

There is of advance a able bread-and-butter allurement to advance monsters like Nessie: tourism. Anchorage Ness is the capital day-tripper draw in the Scottish highlands, and Edwards makes his active allegorical visitors who appear from all over the apple acquisitive for a glimpse of the acclaimed monster. No one has appropriate that Edwards apish the photo, but it's fair to point out that if an cryptic appearance is apparent in the amnion of Ness, the monster estimation is far added acceptable to be accustomed than a banal explanation. If it's a angle or amphibian log, it's a non-story; if it's a accessible "best evidence" of Nessie, it's all-embracing news.

The Anchorage Ness monster aboriginal jumped into all-embracing ballyhoo in the 1930s afterwards a photo was broadly appear assuming a convolute arch and neck. That image, taken by a London surgeon alleged Kenneth Wilson, was accustomed as the best affirmation for Nessie — until it was accepted to be a hoax decades later. [Countdown: The World's Greatest Hoaxes]

Loch Ness itself has been again searched for over 70 years, application aggregate from miniature submarines to defined and cameras beggared on dolphins. In 2003 a aggregation of advisers sponsored by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) undertook the better and best absolute look of Anchorage Ness anytime conducted. They scoured the basin application 600 abstracted alarm beams and accessory navigation. No ample alien creatures were found.

If, as seems likely, Edwards photographed a amphibian log, there will be no way to prove it one way or the added nine months later. Edwards' photograph may or may not be of the Anchorage Ness monster, but one affair is certain: It is not the aboriginal "best ever" authentic evidence, and it won't be the last.

Benjamin Radford is agent editor of Skeptical Inquirer science annual and co-author of Basin Monster Mysteries: Investigating the World's Best Cryptic Creatures.