People Are Seeing Something
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PEOPLE ARE SEEING SOMETHING A SURVEY OF LAKE MONSTERS IN THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA BY DENVER MICHAELS © 2016 DENVER MICHAELS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. www.denvermichaels.net Author’s Note This book is an updated version published in May 2016. This update addresses formatting issues and did not alter the content of the original in any way. Table of Contents Introduction ................................................................................... 1 Chapter One: The Northwestern Region .................................. 5 The Ogopogo: Canada’s Loch Ness Monster ..................................... 6 Okanagan Lake: Home of the Ogopogo ............................................. 6 Native Legends ................................................................................... 6 Ogopogo Sightings ............................................................................. 7 Mass Sightings .................................................................................... 8 Notable Sightings ............................................................................... 8 Tangible Visual Evidence .................................................................... 9 “A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words” .......................................... 10 Video Evidence ................................................................................. 11 What is the Ogopogo?...................................................................... 13 Shuswaggi .................................................................................... 15 Sightings ........................................................................................... 15 Conclusion ........................................................................................ 16 The Lake Iliamna Monster ............................................................. 18 Natural Wonders .............................................................................. 18 Freshwater Seals .............................................................................. 19 “Illie” Sightings ................................................................................. 20 Theories on the Identity of the Creature ......................................... 21 Conclusion ........................................................................................ 23 Cadborosaurus willsi ..................................................................... 24 Early Sightings of the Sea Monster .................................................. 24 Sightings Intensify ............................................................................ 25 Sightings into the Present Day ......................................................... 26 The Naden Harbour Carcass ............................................................. 27 Concluding Thoughts ........................................................................ 28 The Lake Chelan Monster .............................................................. 29 Lake Chelan ...................................................................................... 30 The Monster’s Tail ............................................................................ 30 A Dragon in the Lake ........................................................................ 30 Other Strange Legends ..................................................................... 31 Conclusion ........................................................................................ 32 Paddler ......................................................................................... 33 Naval Presence ................................................................................. 33 Rumors ............................................................................................. 34 A Brilliant Cover Story? .................................................................... 34 Sightings ........................................................................................... 35 Conclusion ........................................................................................ 35 Sharlie .......................................................................................... 37 Sightings ........................................................................................... 37 What is Sharlie? ................................................................................ 39 Chapter Two: Montana and Wyoming ...................................... 40 The Flathead Lake Monster ........................................................... 41 A Magnificent Lake ........................................................................... 41 The First Recorded Encounter .......................................................... 42 Unrelated Instances? ....................................................................... 42 Sightings Increase ............................................................................. 43 Identity of the Creature(s) ............................................................... 44 Final Thoughts .................................................................................. 45 Smetty ......................................................................................... 47 A Lake Rich in History and Folklore .................................................. 47 Father DeSmet ............................................................................. 47 Native Legends ............................................................................. 47 Locating the Iron Trail ...................................................................... 48 Conclusion ........................................................................................ 50 Chapter Three: The Great Basin ................................................ 51 Tahoe Tessie ................................................................................. 52 An Incredible Lake ............................................................................ 52 Rumors of Preserved Corpses on the Lake Bed ............................... 53 Underwater Tunnels? ....................................................................... 54 Sightings ........................................................................................... 54 What is Tessie? ................................................................................. 58 Pyramid Lake and its Ancient Mysteries ........................................ 60 Strangeness on the Lake .................................................................. 60 The Haunting Legend of the Water Babies ...................................... 61 The Paiute Version of the Legend .................................................... 61 Lake Monster Sightings .................................................................... 62 Closing Thoughts .............................................................................. 64 Cecil ............................................................................................. 65 Sea Serpent Bodies ........................................................................... 65 The 1890s–1930s ............................................................................. 66 Subterranean Passages .................................................................... 66 1950s–Present .................................................................................. 67 Conclusion ........................................................................................ 68 Isabella ......................................................................................... 70 The Caribbean of the Rockies ........................................................... 70 Early History of the Bear Lake Monster ........................................... 70 Sightings Continue............................................................................ 71 What Should We Think of the Monster? ......................................... 72 The Great Salt Lake ....................................................................... 74 Strange Sightings .............................................................................. 74 Whales in the Great Salt Lake .......................................................... 75 The Utah Lake Monster ................................................................. 76 Utah Lake ......................................................................................... 76 Reported Monster Sightings ............................................................ 76 Conclusion ........................................................................................ 77 Skin Fin ......................................................................................... 79 Lake Powell ....................................................................................... 79 Arizona’s Loch Ness Monster ........................................................... 79 Recent Sightings ............................................................................... 80 The Most Well-Known Encounter? .................................................. 80 Chapter Four: Southern California ............................................. 82 Elsie ............................................................................................. 83 Noteworthy Reports ......................................................................... 83 Closing Thoughts .............................................................................. 84 The Lake Hodges Monster ............................................................