A count of Loch Ness monster sightings in 2019 finds that the famous cryptid has been seen 18 times, which is the highest number in almost 40 years.
The count comes from the Loch Ness Monster Sighting Record, maintained by longtime researcher Steve Campbell. According to the Nessie hunter, who collects reports throughout the year and judges the credibility of the cases, the considerable number of notable sightings is the best ever recorded since 1983, when it is said that 20 different encounters occurred.
This would be continuing a trend that has been unfolding in recent years, in which Nessie’s sightings are constantly increasing at a remarkable pace. To that end, for those who maintained a score, 2018 had 15 sightings, 2016 had 12 and the three years prior to each presented seven reports. These numbers contrast sharply with much of this century, as it was not uncommon for many years between 2015 and 2000 to have only one or two cases.
Campbell credited two key factors to this meteoric increase in sightings in recent years: webcams observing the waters of the famous sight, which allow anyone in the world to detect the creature, and an increase in tourism in the legendary landmark. He too reflected to a local newspaper that modern technology has helped a lot, because “in the connected digital world we live in now, people are taking pictures and sending them to us”, which is considerably easier than in the “old days” where a witness would need to have his possible photo of Nessie physically revealed in a laboratory and then mailed.
It is somewhat ironic that 2019 ended with a considerable number of sightings, since it was also a year in which the legend of the monster that lurks in Loch Ness was even more publicized thanks to an environmental DNA study which suggested that the creature was a giant eel. For his part, Campbell disagreed with the findings, arguing that “Loch Ness is an open waterway. It is not a closed ecosystem ”. Leaving this debate aside, as it is likely to continue for some time, the question for 2020 may be whether or not we will see another increase in sightings, or whether last year will end up being seen as the peak of Nessie sightings.
