What is the Ogopogo?

Ogopogo, unicorns and dragons: The mystery of the ogopogo

The mystery of the lake monster called Ogopogo, Naitaka (N'ha-a-itk) or the lake monster, originally sighted in Lake Okanagan, British Columbia (Canada) in 1860, still remains to be solved. (1)

While it appears that no one has been able to prove its reality, no one has been able to disprove this legend, either.

Ogopogo is classified with unicorns and dragons under the grouping of cryptid, coined by John E. Wall, in the year 1983. Both cryptozoologists and zoologists suggest that although there is some anecdotal evidence to suggest the reality of the lake monster, at this time, it is still insufficient to confirm, or prove this scientifically. (2)

"Where does this leave Ogopogo?" one must ask. "Is it real?"

Some also suggest that Ogopogo is a serpent-like-creature that has emerged from an underground channel of some kind, that is or was connected to the Pacific Ocean. The reason for the speculation has to do with the depth of Lake Okanagan (232 m) and its numerous shelves, with glacial and post-glacial sedimentary deposits.

It is not unrealistic to suggest that there might have been or still is, some kind of a water-filled, underground, passageway that connects Lake Okanagan to the Pacific Ocean. There is the possibility that the flow of water could have been blocked in some way, because of the movement of a glacier or numerous glaciers shifting over the centuries. There is no question that there are underground water channels, in various locations throughout the world. (3)

Lake Okanagan is now a fresh water lake, so the creature, however one might choose to refer to it, would 

now have to be able to live and breed in fresh water. The Pacific Ocean is salt water.

There is no evidence of any breeding, but in order for this to be perceived as a reality, the lake monster would have had to procreate. In other words, there would have to be more than one, now.

At some point in time, if the Ogopogo came to Lake Okanagan from the Pacific Ocean, it would have been a salt water creature, at that time. But, fresh water drains into the lake from glaciers, so a transition from salt water to fresh water might have been possible. Over the centuries, the sea monster could have undergone genetic modification of some kind, allowing it and its offspring to live and breed in fresh water. But, this is speculation, of course.

In 1926, Roy W. Brown, from the Vancouver Sun, suggested that "Too many reputable people have seen (the monster) to ignore the seriousness of actual facts." Archival records date back to the year 1872, but there have been recurrent sightings since that time. (4)

Some have suggested the possibility of a basilosaurus cetoides, which is a large serpentine-like sea creature that dates back to the end of the Eocene epoch of the Cenozoic era, around 34 to 35 million yeas ago. Fossils on the basilosaurus cetoides, suggest that this may be some kind of a whale. (5)

References by the Chinook, natives dwelling in the Okanagan area, suggest that this creature has been perceived in a negative light, as the wicked one, a great-beast-on-the-lake or a snake-in-the-lake that needed to be appeased, by being fed with animals. (6)

Numerous sightings give different descriptions of Ogopogo, but none of them seem to be consistent, other than the fact that the creature seen swimming in the water, was large and had a long neck and small head. (That is not totally unlike a description of some dinosaurs.) 

Some have suggested that this is merely the sighting of a log floating in the water. Others have suggested that there were footprints found in the area.

The styracosaurus shows a remarkable similarity in appearance to Ogopogo. Interestingly, it seems to have been regarded as serpent-like creature, as well. Some pictures of it suggest that it had a unicorn-like horn. (7)

The styracosaurus appears to have been related to the rhinoceros, which is a now water and land creature. 

The indricotherium had a long neck and ate leaves from trees. (8)

Dinosaur bones have been found as far inland as Alberta, in Canada, so it is not impossible that the lake creature is some kind of a descendant from a dinosaur. But, until fossils are found, it cannot be proven.

Meanwhile, the sightings appear to continue, but like unicorns and dragons, Ogopogo remains an unsolved mystery and a local tourist attraction.

(1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ogopogo

(2) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cryptid

(3) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Okanagan

(4) http://www.strangemag.com/ogopogo.html

(5) http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/face/Article.jsp?id=h-1386

(6) http://www.strangemag.com/ogopogo.html .

(7) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Styracosaurus

(8) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhinoceros