Beware of LNM: Lake Norman Monster
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| Jan
Sundberg, Cryptozoologist and Expedition Leader
of GUST: Global Underwater Search Team. Most recognizable
in the US from The Learning Channel special Loch
Ness: The Search for The Truth. |
Jan
Sundberg, Expedition Leader
GUST: Global Underwater Search Team
In
1964 the Catawba River in North Carolina turned into
Lake Norman and 39 years later LakeNormanMonster.com
is on the web claiming there's a monster in it.
The
owner of LakeNormanMonster.com seems a reasonable enough
person but I haven't seen or met him in the flesh of
course, and speculates on his web site that the Lake
Norman Monster (LNM) is nothing but a catfish even though
the initials are the same as the Loch Ness Monster (the
Scot's are not going to like this!).
Catfish
are monstrous enough to pose for their more unknown
relatives which GUST are searching all over Europe and
so far in vain.
Last
summer I was myself in catfish country in the south
of Sweden trying to pick up their mating sounds. They
were several times right under our boat, probably with
the underwater microphone dangling right under their
nose, but do you think they felt like moaning a bit?
Not in the least!
They probably wondered what the fuss
was all about and swam off with their dear one, fins
in fins to find a more remote lovers nest.
Catfish
are big, ugly and mind their own business but they will
surface when you least expect it and if you don't know
much about them they will certainly look like a monster
instead of a known fish species.
I can well imagine how most people, Swede's included,
who normally are coach potatoes and more knowledgeable
about rear blinkers on various car models than what's
in their nearest lake, can get startled by these creatures
and need someone to report their sightings to.
Now
the good people in the Lake Norman area have LakeNormanMonster.com
to turn to when reality becomes to real and with a little
luck they may contribute to science with behaviors in
catfish never seen before. I'm not holding my breath
over this, however, but I guess the subjects themselves
are.
Motala,
Sweden, August 2002
Jan Sundberg, Expedition Leader
GUST: Global Underwater Search Team
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