On the other hand, I would be absolutely amazed if there was an unknown large animal/mammal swimming in that lake, the same goes for Loch Ness. It seems there is way more money made from the likes of this than the value of evidence given.

Catch one and then we’ll believe you, a crappy photo and a cartoon aquatic dinosaur drawing on a sonar is not enough proof, if even any. Back to the drawing boards guys, but hey, ye might still make some more money from the tourists.

The sonar equipment used – specifically a “PiranhaMAX 215″ – is not, by any means, a high-tech unit. In fact, according to the Humminbird website, it is one of their entry-level “fish finders” with a 4.0″ diagonal, 4-level Grayscale screen, featuring 160v x 132h pixel resolution and retailing for $130.00. Contrast that to their flagship 1100 Series which feature 10.4″ diagonal, 65,000-color displays with 600v x 800h pixels and side-scan capability, at a cost of $2,800.00!

Given the limitations of her low-res equipment, I find Dr. Emeliyanova’s statement that the “object was very dense (and) of homogeneous structure,” to be quite (unscientifically) unequivocal! First, the unit’s low power, coupled with the depth of the purported contact(50-55m), makes any conclusions regarding the object’s density/homogeneity open to interpretation. Secondly, Dr. E’s pronouncement that the contact was, “Surely not a fish nor shoal of fish…” is equally absurd. Why the large contact must be an unknown “monster” and not a large fish – the Sturgeon (max size: 24 feet & 3,400lbs) immediately comes to mind – makes me wonder if the good Doctor is not just simply trolling for additional funding! Finally, the aforementioned limitations of the PiranhaMAX 215 makes the purported “drawings” of the creature, featured in the article, downright ludicrous!

Further speculation (not directly attributed to Dr. Emeliyanova – or anyone else, for that matter!) that the creatures may be surviving ichthyosaurs, plesiosaurs or, even, “relic killer whales” simply show the ignorance of the individual proposing those candidates; all were/are air-breathing animals and their frequent surfacings to breathe would not allow them to remain “hidden” for long!

While there may be a large, unknown, aquatic species living in Lake Labynkyr, the knee-jerk conclusion that it must be some type of “Loch Ness Monster” (which, incidentally, has itself yet to be scientifically “proven” to exist) and not simply a large fish, such as a Sturgeon, escapes me.

Occam’s razor, people!
(To wit: All other things being equal, simpler explanations are generally better than more complex ones.)

The sonar reading is far more interesting, although the drawing made by an over-imaginative member of the research team questions the level of objectivity maintained in the study.

Having said all that, I’ve always been fascinated by tales of lake monsters coming from Russia, and I also found interesting how in that country it’s the scientists the ones supporting the case for these beings, in contrast with what happens in the West.

So, I’m open to be surprised by startling news of a new Cryptozoological discovery. I just hope they christen the beast with a better name