An Unlikely, but Fascinating Possibility.

Greetings. Lake monsters. Sea serpents. The tales and legends are, dare I say it, legendary. Let's take a look at some scientific issues that are at play, which don't necessarily eliminate the admittedly remote possibility. 

The Loch Ness Monster, or Nessie, is the most well-known example of an alleged lake monster, with the legend going back to at least the sixth century, with the alleged encounter of an Irish monk by the name of Saint Colomba. The story goes that he had heard about the monster, and sent a companion to test out the nearby River Ness, where the monster had been sighted. When he saw the monster with his own eyes, he banished the creature to Loch Ness, and off we go. August of 1933 saw the first modern story, which described a sighting in Loch Ness by a water bailiff, a story which was carried in the Inverness Courier. 

As the decades have passed, reports of the creature have continued unabated, but without a trace of physical evidence that would validate the claims, and by extension, confirm the reality of the monster, whatever it might be. Putting aside the stories and legends surrounding Nessie, a scientific look at the possibilities may offer some insight, and perhaps, some indirect confirmation. Has physical evidence been recovered that confirms the creature's existence? Unfortunately, no, and that is quite revealing. Loch Ness is an interconnected lake, somewhat attached to other bodies of water, namely Loch Oich to the south, and Loch Dochfour to the north. The connection between Loch Ness and Loch Oich is completed by the River Oich, whereas the connection to Loch Dochfour is made by Bona Narrows, a relatively small waterway. As a result, Loch Ness, and its underwater ecosystem, is not completely isolated from other bodies of water in the vicinity. 

As a result of this environmental situation, the possibility that small, unidentified organisms are able to move from Loch to Loch cannot be discounted out of hand. However, and it's a big however, what has been allegedly sighted by people in and around Loch Ness is not a small animal, but a far more substantial beast, which would make such discreet underwater movements far more difficult to accomplish beyond the prying eyes of the local population. In addition, if a creature does in fact exist within Loch Ness, where are all the other representatives of its species? A large breeding population would have to exist to maintain a healthy genetic diversity within the population; one single animal, in fact, several hundred animals would not be enough to keep the species viable, genetically diverse, and sustainable. Additionally, when a large animal, or animals, occupy a particular habitat, their presence influences the entire ecosystem as a result of feeding, be it on local flora, or on local fauna. No sign of such an environmental impact has been detected as of yet.

So it seems that the possibilities of an unidentified animal, or animals, living within Scotland's iconic Loch Ness is not a likelihood, but what about the open oceans of the planet? Now we are talking! It goes without saying that the ecosystems of the planet's oceans are far more complex and diverse than the more self-contained environments of lakes and rivers, so the possibilities open up to a point. The oceans offer far more expansive opportunities for evolution, and for the existence of creatures that have escaped detection. The coelacanth comes to mind immediately, a species of fish thought to have gone extinct 66 million years ago, during the Cretaceous/Paleogene extinction event. The coelacanth was rediscovered off the coast of South Africa in 1938. So it has happened before. Could it happen again? Could an ancient species of animal have survived into modern times? An ancient species that fits the descriptions of witnesses? The Mesozoic pliosaurs and plesiosaurs fit the bill, but could they have survived to the present day? 

The Cretaceous/Paleogene extinction event destroyed ecosystems on the land masses and in the oceans of the planet. The food sources for herbivorous animals were decimated, so the herbivores followed suit into oblivion. Logically, the predatory species that fed on the herbivores would be directly affected, and they perished too. However, did all the animals die, or more correctly, did all the representatives of every single species die? We don't know, but it is logical to assume that the vast majority of populations crashed to a point of no return. Despite this likelihood, we don't know if pockets of populations survived, enough to push through the harshest times, and into the environmental recovery during the subsequent Paleogene. Perhaps some aquatic reptiles did just that, and have survived in limited numbers to the present day.

Do we have any physical evidence to confirm that fascinating, albeit unlikely possibility? No, but we know more about the surface and composition of the Moon, than we know about the oceans of the planet we reside on, so the possibility cannot be thrown out with the prehistoric bathwater. 

Thank you for your time and consideration.