First Loch Ness monster sighting in 2025 reported. Could mystery finally be solved?
A man on the shores of Scotland's Dores Beach said he saw the elusive Loch Ness monster emerging from the depths of the loch, the first potential Nessie sighting reported to The Loch Ness Centre in 2025, the organization says.
Winter often brings bad weather and the loch's surface can be choppy and shrouded in mist, leading to fewer reported sightings, Aimee Todd, the center's marketing manager, told Paste BN on Thursday. But on Jan. 29, when the latest purported photo of the mythical creature was taken, the waters were calm and the conditions ideal for spotting unusual activity, according to Todd.
Todd said she was thrilled to learn of the latest sighting.
"I just thought it was brilliant because it really shows like the wave," Todd said. "And it looks like there is like some kind of dark mass under the water pushing up that wave."
Todd said the center has reached out to experts including Alan Mackenna of Loch Ness Exploration to verify that image is not a case of mistaken identity. She said often seals, birds or even boat wakes can be mistaken for Nessie and she is waiting to get more information from the man who took the photo on his cellphone and has not been publicly identified.
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Will the Loch Ness monster mystery ever be solved?
The Loch Ness Centre has worked with Mackenna's organization and the University of Aberdeen to use cutting-edge technology to probe the depths of the loch and has invited hundreds of people around the world to participate in surface watching events, Todd said. During a massive search in 2023, Mackenna's team used drones and other technology to surveil the lake.
"Every observation adds to our understanding, whether it’s potential evidence of Nessie or new insights into the loch’s unique ecosystem," Mackenna said in a statement about the latest sighting.
The center will be holding the search for Nessie dubbed "The Quest" again in May, Todd said, and volunteers will monitor the surface of the lake at 13 different locations for over six hours. Searchers will also venture out on the center's boat and use a hydrophone to detect acoustic signals under the water, she said.
What is the Loch Ness Monster?
There have been nearly 1,160 reported sightings of the creature over the years since it was first reportedly spotted in 564, according to the official Loch Ness Monster Sightings Register. Still, no definitive proof of the monster's existence has ever been found and it's widely considered a myth.
Some have theorized Nessie might be a Jurassic-era reptile like a Plesiosaur, a giant fish or even an eel. Researchers who analyzed DNA samples from the icy waters of the Scottish lake identified about 3,000 different species, but the results ruled out the presence of large animals such as dinosaurs.
Still, Todd said she believes in the possibility.
"I don't think there's a been a definitive answer for yes or no yet...There's just too many sightings and too many descriptions from like photos, from films, and just like witness statements as well that are all too similar," she said.
Nagina Ishaq, general manager of the center called the latest sighting "particularly captivating" and said the organization remains "committed to solving the mystery of Nessie once and for all."
"Our previous collaborations with the University of Aberdeen and Loch Ness Exploration allowed us to advance our research efforts significantly, and this potential sighting is a reminder that the mystery of Loch Ness is far from solved," Ishaq said in a statement. "We continue to explore every possibility, and are committed to uncovering the truth.”
Contributing: Emily DeLetter, Paste BN; Reuters