In my opinion, Nessie does exist. However, if cryptozoologists, like us, want to convince mainstream scientists that our field of inquiry is not a “pseudoscience”, then, we had obviously better try much harder, than this!

springheeledjack wrote “Yeah, there’s enough wave activity going on in the loch that seiche waves could create such things as well.”

But isn’t thermal stratification the first requirement for an internal seiche, and isn’t Loch Ness well mixed in April? And do seiches ever create visible effects on the surface? I would be interested in reading any evidence that they do.

I’m not sure gentlemen; on one hand, we have enthusiasm, which could potentially prevent “the search” from ending. But will that really become a problem? The Loch has already gained such a reputation, that I doubt it will ever be seen as anything besides a murky dwelling for ‘something’. With that, I’m sure we’ll have Nessie hunters for as long as it takes for something to be found.
On the other hand, it is, after all, confirmation bias on overdrive. It’s absolutely true, any other body of water wouldn’t warrant an after thought; ripples, waves and bubbles do, ‘just happen’. However, we can’t dismiss the possibility that there may be more to it, lest we lose an opportunity to discover something truly fascinating.
I personally lean more with Genus Unknown, in that hype over what is probably nothing adds to a negative stigma surrounding the field. However, ripples and enthusiasm keeps this stuff alive, and I feel there is a lot here that needs real attention (the field, not necessarily this case/sighting). Maybe if they looked further than just this, and brought attention to whatever it may have led to.

As for 2012 and water cryptids? I think we’ll have some sightings and incidents. Maybe we’ll get some other things caught on camera or in nets in the oceans now that the giant squid has been confirmed. More eyes in the water means more chances to find new species. I’ll hazard a guess and say there at least a half dozen new water species discovered with some size to them…I’ll leave one space open for a caddy or its kin…

It’s the hoaxing that does the most harm, not the over-enthusiastic masses calling every ripple a lake monster and every black bear a bigfoot.

If this were any other body of water on Earth, nobody would think twice about it. But since there’s an alleged monster there, every stray bubble and patch of foam is suddenly significant. This doesn’t even qualify as bad evidence.

I don’t know what Nessie is, or even if there is anything that large that lives in the loch, but I have spent many hours wondering what it would be like if Nessie really was down there.