2026-01-12 15:30:41

A man who has spent more than half a century searching for the Loch Ness Monster now believes the world’s most famous lake lurker may never have existed at all.

Naturalist Adrian Shine, 76, has investigated reports of Nessie since 1973 and even led a major sonar sweep of the Scottish loch in 1987 using equipment worth more than £1 million.

Despite decades of effort, he says not a single piece of hard evidence has ever surfaced.

In a twist worthy of the legend itself, Shine admits the moment his faith wavered came after what he thought was a breakthrough sighting. He recalls spotting what looked like one of the monster’s humps—only to realise it was a rock.

Since then, Shine has become convinced that most alleged encounters have far more ordinary explanations.

He told The Sun: “The sightings are caused by ship wakes. Here, they develop this multi-humped form and that’s what people often see.”

Shine believes passing boats and traffic along the Caledonian Canal create ripples that can appear eerily creature-like, especially in poor light. Other classic Nessie features, including the famous “long neck”, also have mundane causes.

According to Shine, what many witnesses describe as a neck rising from the water is often an optical illusion. Calm conditions can cause birds gathering on the loch’s surface to line up in ways that resemble a single, moving shape.

The biology, he adds, never quite stacked up either. The loch’s cold temperatures and limited fish stocks would make it difficult for a large, unknown animal to survive undetected for centuries.

Yet despite dismantling many of the monster’s mysteries, Shine insists he has no regrets. He says the hunt itself has been hugely enjoyable – and he isn’t ruling out the existence of Nessie entirely.

He said: “I’ve had enormous fun. And any new proof would be wonderful.”

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