The Loch Ness Monster, or "Nessie" as she is known in the tabloids,
is believed to be something akin to a pleisiosaurus, a large, long-necked, four-flippered
aquatic creature of the air-breathing variety. While those who believe she is an actual pleisiosaurus
are in the minority, most would say she is something similar. She is also, one should note, one
of the few cryptids assumed to female by default. The primary question regarding the Loch Ness Monster
is how it could have survived in the isolation of a single body of water without a mate. To hide one
monster of the reported size in the depth and breadth of Loch Ness is easily possible. However, keeping
enough members of a species to reproduce across millions of years is not. The presents us with two
prime theories:
One: There is an unknown-to-humans connection between Loch Ness and waterways that feature other, similar
creatures, such as Champy in Lake Champlain.
Or two: As has recently found some popularity on the internet, the idea that Nessie is not a live creature,
but, in fact, the ghost of a pleisiosaurus.
Both present interesting avenues in need of exploration.
If there is an underwater link where these large aquatic creatures can meet and mate, where does it traverse,
and why do they favor returning to these particular lakes?
If Nessie is a ghost, what other creatures might have achieved spectral existence and how might this assist
in paleontological studies?