Comments on: Champ Video: First Weekend Update

By: CryptidHuntr

CryptidHuntr — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 17:24:11 +0000

it reminds me of a turtle in a way

By: KarmicGypsy

KarmicGypsy — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 23:54:43 +0000

My first and immediate thought was moose or deer but after reviewing it several times I’m not so sure. The long wake makes no sense to me. A wake yes, but not that long compared to what would be the animals body if it were a moose or deer (or large dog) unless it were moving unusually fast.

The creature certainly seems to have a camel or horse shaped head as is often reported with Champ.

Whatever it is, it’s very interesting.

By: darkshines

darkshines — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 07:55:40 +0000

My money is on a feline. The head and possible tail scream cat to me, as does the longer body. Why a cat would be swimming in the lake is beyond me, but cat is where I am placing my bet.

By: KristyBeast

KristyBeast — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 15:49:55 +0000

And for the record, my cell phones video capabilities are phenomenal. It’s got a zoom on it that puts my Kodak Z712 IS to shame. And actually when the video zooms, it does appear to do so in the same way that a cell phone video camera would zoom. Slightly jerky, as with most cell phones you have to continually click the zoom button until you’re satisfied.

By: KristyBeast

KristyBeast — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 15:32:58 +0000

After watching the enhanced videos, I’m forced to revise my earlier opinion. Definitely NOT a moose or deer. I agree that at several points in the video something does appear to break the surface of the water, and it could actually be a tail.
I also have to agree that the length of the body is much longer than what you’d expect that of a land mammal to be, especially if it were swimming because you’d expect it to be a little more scrunched up from the effort of paddling.

By: Erik Knatterud

Erik Knatterud — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 18:39:59 +0000

It would be easy to rig it in a way that a crooked log or model could be towed towards the shore, with the rope or whatever being concealed under the surface. Hauling it in at different speeds would create a life like popping up and down in the surface. It is a bit suspicious and terribly convenient that the footage stops before it actually reaches land. Like all the hoaxed sasquatch footages on Utube the hand of the man is remarkably steady. I am a sea serpent hunter myself, but I swear that getting one this close up would make me tremble, holding a puny light weight cell phone filming far less dramatic scenes.

I could be terribly wrong, may be it is a real creature. I wasn’t there, so I can not know for sure either way.

By: gavinf

gavinf — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 02:31:02 +0000

A lot of the questions and comments here were in fact answered by Eric Olsen when interviewed:

He stated that he was taking pictures on the lake when he noticed something out of the corner of his eye and turned to film it. That would allow for the sudden ‘jerk’ to the right. Also, the way the camera zooms, not smoothly, like a video camera, but in definite leaps upward, most certainly lends itself towards being a camera.

swnoel said:
‘I’m not aware of any cell phone that has any ability to take quality videos at such distance.’

That may be true. But just because someone is unaware of something does not make their statement factual beyond their own experience. I don’t know what the possible filming capabilities are of the many different cell phones on the market. That does not mean that Eric Olsen is lying.

The idea that this is a dog seems laughable. Nothing about a dog fits the mold. The animal in question is too long. Also, the fact that it sinks straight down, continues to move forward, and re-appears smoothly, doesn’t fit the deer theory either.

It would seem that any creature, tired or otherwise, in the water that was in distress, and went under, would move in some way more ‘distressed’? Why a continual, slow, no change in rhythm, if it is close to, if not in the process of, drowning? I know a four-legged animal doesn’t swim or sink like we do. Still, it’s too smooth.

If this is a hoax, I have to wonder, how? If it was pulled, it had to be from the opposite shore, (and if opposite shore, how does it sink? Inflating and re-inflating remotely seems like a lot o effort and/or ability) or an individual under the water. Whatever the ‘model’ would be, has to be quite bouyant. Yet, it sinks without any effort. I don’t think anyone believes we are looking at a tiny model boat made to appear large. Whatever is in the water is bigger than a small dog or even large cat. That would make it more difficult to swim underwater with scuba gear (or hold one’s breath in what I am assuming is cold water), and pull it, and manage to cause it to sink smoothly and re-appear, and continue to move forward. I imagine trying to either sink or pull down an average size beach ball in the water. That is not that easy, especially doing so without creating a disturbance in the water.

If it’s a hoax, how many are going to be in on it? At some point, hoax seems the least likely.

Unless new information comes to light, this may very well be a very special piece of video.

By: LordBalto

LordBalto — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 02:30:43 +0000

The “head” is rather catlike, don’t you think? And the head to body ratio reminds me of a leopard. Not that it IS a cat, but whatever it is, it doesn’t look like any serpent or ‘saurus I’ve ever seen. It definitely looks mammalian. One thing that does bother me is the length of the wake vs. the speed of the object. It’s either much longer than it looks or the wake is coming from something else.

By: jan09

jan09 — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 07:13:17 +0000

Also, in the “Lake Champlain Creature Enhanced Footage” video, at about the :06-:07 mark, another dark line appears below and parallel to the “elongated back” of the animal. At the :18-:19 mark, a black shape appears toward the bottom-right side of the frame that is similar to the “tail”. Some might construe these shapes as normal ripples/waves. However, if similar shapes appear closer to the animal, some might construe them as body parts. Interesting.

By: Ouroborus Jay

Ouroborus Jay — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 05:39:14 +0000

You know, a lot how this thing behaves does lend itself to being a rather larger snapping turtle. The only thing that’s throwing that idea for a loop is the way it’s head is being held out of the water. A snapping turtle is capable of doing it, but I don’t know why it would be.