Thursday, June 04, 2009

Champ sighting?


Those familiar with the Lake Champlain region have certainly heard of "Champ," the mysterious sea monster many believe lives in the lake. It's New York/Vermont's version of the Loch Ness Monster.

There have been hundreds of Champ sightings over the years, perhaps going all the way back to 1609 when French explorer Samuel de Champlain reportedly spotted a "strange monster" in the lake that would bear his name.

The best photograph of champ was snapped by a woman vacationing in the region in 1977. Experts said the photo appeared to be legitimate and it was later published in the New York Times and Time Magazine.

Now there is a new wrinkle to the champ mystery. Early Sunday morning Eric Olsen of Burlington says he was shooting video of the sunrise with his cell phone when he noticed something strange moving in the water. He posted the video on YouTube, where he was reluctant to claim it was Champ. Instead, he titled the video "Strange Sighting on Lake Champlain."

The Burlington Free Press talked to some cryptozoologists -- people who make a living studying mythical creatures -- who are very interested in studying the video.

However, the newspaper also heard from a biology professor at the University of Vermont who says it could be a young moose in the water.

After hearing that, I can sort of see how it could be a moose when I watch the video. What do you think? Check out the video (embedding has been disabled) and then come back here to share your thoughts.
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