Animal X: Monsters of the Deep

Many believe that huge unidentified monsters lurk in the world's oceans and waterways. Do remnants of the dinosaur age still exist, and is this what people are seeing off the coast of Wales in Britain and in San Francisco Bay in the USA?

The Animal X - Natural Mystery Unit is on the hunt for Monsters of the Deep. Daniel and Natalie talk with eyewitnesses who have videotaped a pod of huge sea serpents. We have the videotape analyzed by an expert who says the tape is not a fake and the monsters are real.

So much of the ocean is still unexplored. Could there be large species we are yet to discover? Scientists answer 'yes - it's most likely', and they've even recorded sounds from the depths of the ocean that they can't explain. Have you heard of the Bloop? It's the sound of a huge underwater creature and is the biggest mystery in the ocean today. Could it be the sea monster people have been talking about?

They meet the scientists from NOAA a US government agency. Scientists here say the biggest threat to any species in the ocean is over fishing.

It's time for Daniel and Natalie to slip on their wetsuits and scuba gear and go exploring the big blue. Join them as they dive to 'Aquarius', the only inner-space station in the depths of the Atlantic Ocean, searching for answers.

Scottish Wildcats sent to England to halt decline of ‘Highland tiger’

Rare Scottish wildcats will be sent to England as part of a conservation programme to save the species, it was revealed yesterday.

They will be removed from the Scottish countryside as part of a national wildcat action plan that aims to reverse the decline of the “Highland tiger” by 2019.

The six-year plan sets out a package of measures that offer the “best prospect” for the species, which conservationists fear may number fewer than 150 breeding pairs in the wild — fewer than the Bengal tiger.

via:http://www.thetimes.co.uk/

Loch Ness Monster Allegedly Spotted Off Australia's Magnetic Island

The eyes of the world turned to Magnetic Island, Australia because of reports of a strange object in the seas that some suggest is the Loch Ness Monster -- or a relative.

Beachgoers first sighted what looked like "a distinctive long, curved neck bobbing up and down off the coast" on October 25, International Business Times reported.

Some of the eyewitnesses immediately noticed a resemblance to Scotland's most famous cryptid, Nessie.

Others believe the object is not necessarily the mythical monster and more likely the half-sunken hull of a boat.

A man named David “Crusty” Herron photographed what he is calling "Lost Nessie" from nearly 600 feet away.

“It was bobbing up and down in the water and at first I thought, what’s that? Someone yelled out, ‘It looks like a Loch Ness monster,’" Herron said, according to The Australian. “I've never seen anything like it - it could be anything. We are all wanting to know what it is.

Australian cryptozoologist Rex Gilroy said that "Lost Nessie" is most likely a dragon boat which sunk off the nearby city of Townsville earlier this month.

via:http://www.huffingtonpost.com

Beast of Trowbridge Spotted In England

 

Herbert and Doreen Smith were walking in Murhill Woods, near the village of Winsley, at around 10.30am on Saturday morning when they spotted the creature.

Mr Smith, 71, said he struggled to believe the sight when he first came across the large black animal.

He told the Wiltshire Times: “Our first impression was sheer astonishment, we really could not believe our eyes at what we were seeing. The animal was eating what we believe it had just caught.

“There was a lot of rabbits about so I expect it was having breakfast. I was about 20ft away from it whilst it was eating, it looked up at me for a couple of seconds then resumed eating.

 Over the years, the panther-like creature has been spotted in Trowbridge, Staverton and Westbury Leigh, and was the subject of numerous sightings in 2009.

via:http://www.telegraph.co.uk/

*UPDATE  However, it has since emerged the photograph was taken in Lapeer County, Michigan - and first published in 2007.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/beast-trowbridge-big-cat-picture-2174828

The Loch Ness Monster: It's Scotland's Fault

The infamous Loch Ness monster often appears, according to legend, accompanied by earth tremors and swirling bubbles from the Scottish lake of the same name.

However, at least one researcher believes the shaking ground and bubbles aren't signs of a monster but rather an active fault underlying Loch Ness and other nearby lakes.

Scientific American reports that Italian geologist Luigi Piccardi credits the Great Glen fault system for reported sightings of the legendary beast.

 "There are various effects on the surface of the water that can be related to the activity of the fault," Piccardi said in an interview published in the Italian newspaper La Repubblica.

Read more here: http://www.livescience.com

Loch Ness Monster Insurance

The legendary Loch Ness Monster might have turned 80 this week, but one overly cautious cruise company isn’t convinced that she’s any less of a threat. While “Nessie” hasn’t reportedly harmed a soul—or ship—to date (or actually been proved to exist, for that matter), Scottish cruise line Jacobite Cruises isn’t taking any chances.

Should the octogenarian lake-lurker turn up crotchety while any of their fleet is in operation, it’ll be smooth financial sailing for them all the same, thanks to their recently purchased $1.5 million insurance policy against any potential damages incurred by Scotland’s storied monster.

read the rest of the article here