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Narrator: It's called
America's Loch Ness monster...
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We were sitting in our boat,
having lunch.
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Narrator:
...a bizarre creature,
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said to inhabit
New England's Lake Champlain.
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Cohn:
And all of a sudden,
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one of the buoys literally
flies out of the water.
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At the time, it scared
the stuffing out of us.
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I turned my camera on
and started filming.
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McKinstry: You can
actually see the creature
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wiggling up and down
through the water.
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Narrator:
Locals call it Champ.
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It's such a sight
that you can't really comprehend
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what you're taking in.
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I just have to say
that I saw what I saw.
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I was a little skeptical
until I met people
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and talked to people that
had actually seen something.
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A lot of people are seeing it.
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There's no fake about it.
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Wilkins: Well, the first thought
that came to mind was,
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"Oh, my lord,
could this really be Champ?"
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I'm picking up something
at 10k, what is that?
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Narrator: With so many
reported sightings,
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the scientific search
for Champ continues.
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We actually looked at each other
in just wide-eyed amazement.
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Then the question is,
"Well, what is it?"
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If it's bigger than the boat,
we're gonna address it as "sir"
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or whatever else
it wants to be called.
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Narrator: A quest begins into
the dark waters of the lake
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and the unfathomable depths
of the imagination.
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Ripped By mstoll
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In the upstate New
York town of Westport,
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marina owner Jim Carroll
is known as a sober man,
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responsible,
not given to seeing things.
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Yet one day, while cruising
with friends on Lake Champlain,
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he saw something.
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Carroll:
We were out water-skiing,
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and as I look ahead
just to make sure
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that nobody
had crossed our paths,
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there was something
that was longer than out boat
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and about that wide that was
swimming right next to the boat.
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It was kind of a mottled gray,
browns, and it was smooth.
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It was pretty scary at the time.
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Narrator: The same strange
sight appeared one day
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to ferry Captain Jason Alvarez.
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Alvarez: As we were
coming out of the cove,
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I could see a wake coming down
the lake, which was unusual,
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because there was
nothing else out there...
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little bow wake,
like about six inches.
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And as we got closer,
I could see the humps behind it.
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So I rang up the deckhand,
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and I said,
"What the heck is that?"
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And we got out close to it,
I stopped the boat,
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and it swam
right across our stern.
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And we watched it going, "Hmm,
never saw one of those before."
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Narrator:
Captain Alvarez's sighting
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added even more credibility
to the legend of Champ...
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America's version of the
world-famous Loch Ness monster.
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I was skeptical.
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I didn't really think that there
would be any lake monsters here,
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much less Loch Ness.
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Just when you think
you've seen everything,
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something else comes along,
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and you realize that,
no, you haven't seen it all.
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Narrator: Hundreds of people
claim to have seen Champ.
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Several even claim
to have photographed it.
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Some of the strongest evidence
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was captured
by Elizabeth Wilkins
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early one Sunday morning,
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off the deck of her lakefront
home in Essex, New York.
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Wilkins: We were getting
ready to go to church.
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It was about 7:00.
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And the lake
was like a piece of glass.
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It was very still.
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But the seagulls out here
were carrying on terribly.
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And there were hundreds of them.
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And I looked out, and I saw this
long black thing in the lake.
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And I said, "Gee, what is that?"
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And Champ came to mind.
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So I got out the binoculars,
and sure enough,
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you could see the hump
in the back of it,
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and it was
like crocodile skin...
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dark and, you know,
crummy-looking.
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The first thought
that came to mind
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was, "Oh, my lord,
could this really be Champ?"
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And so, fortunately,
I had the binoculars
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and my camera right there.
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And it's just a piece of luck
that I happened to be
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at the right spot
at the right time.
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Narrator:
Those who see Champ
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do not always see
the same creature.
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The witness descriptions
vary greatly,
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from something that looks like
a rottweiler to a giant eel.
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The best description
that I found for these animals
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is a large snapping turtle
without a shell.
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Narrator: Some describe it
as an enormous sea monster,
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with several humps
along its back.
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Others say it looks like a
plesiosaur, a large aquatic
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reptile that lived more
than 100 million years ago,
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and whose fossilized skeletons
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are found throughout
North America.
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You get some funny looks,
but I saw what I saw,
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and there was
no logical explanation
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for what it could be.
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He's a big animal,
I'll tell you.
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He's a lot bigger
than people think.
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Anything that big
is gonna earn the name Champ.
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I'm sorry, but if it's
bigger than the boat,
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we're gonna address it as "sir"
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or whatever else
it wants to be called.
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Narrator: Hard as the legend
of Champ may be to believe,
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surprises from the
deep have revealed
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that its existence
is not impossible.
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Ever since men went to sea,
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they brought back frightening
tales of sea monsters,
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like the giant,
squid-like kraken.
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As the centuries passed,
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the kraken was
dismissed as myth,
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until the 19th century,
when one actually washed ashore.
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Today, deep-sea trollers net
giant squid up to 60 feet long.
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With appro ximately 70%/
of the planet covered by water,
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other sea monsters
have long remained hidden.
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Man:
A dead fish is news.
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Its name, coelacanth...
a link with the distant past.
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Narrator:
Zoologists were convinced
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the prehistoric coelacanth went
extinct 60 million years ago,
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until one washed up
off South Africa in 1938.
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In 1978, near the
Hawaiian Islands,
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fishermen snared a
creature never before seen:
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A giant shark dubbed Megamouth.
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To date, biologists have
identified 1.7 million species
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on planet Earth.
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Estimated number
of total species...
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between 10 million
and 100 million.
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That leaves a lot
of unknown animals.
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One could be living here.
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Five times bigger
than Loch Ness,
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Lake Champlain
is 110 miles long,
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587 miles around,
and up to 400 feet deep.
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Local journalist Lohr McKinstry
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has been writing
about Champ for 15 years.
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Lake Champlain is very deep,
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and there are underwater caves
in some parts of the lake.
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And the people
who investigate Champ
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think that Champ lives
in those underwater caves.
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Narrator:
One of those investigators
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is Elizabeth Von Muggenthaler.
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Brought up on these shores,
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she was raised
on Champ folklore.
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Growing up, we heard stories
from people saying,
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"Wow, I saw
this most amazing thing.
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It was really scary."
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I did have a friend,
and his father was a farmer...
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7 th- or 8th-generation
farmer here,
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and a very stoic individual
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who had seen it
and not told anyone
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and was actually quite
frightened of the lake
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after that.
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Narrator:
An expert in bioacoustics,
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Von Muggenthaler hopes
to capture audio recordings
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of the strange creature so many
people claim to have seen.
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Von Muggenthaler: We have to take
into consideration many things,
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make certain that we're not
wasting our time and money.
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The main thing
that a scientist does
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when investigating a phenomena
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is to take into consideration
historical precedence.
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We have hundreds
of sightings since 1609.
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Narrator:
Native American legend
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tells of great horned serpent
that lived in the lake.
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In 1609, Samuel de Champlain,
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the French explorer
who gave the lake his name,
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sighted a weird
serpentine creature
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in a river
just north of the lake.
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McKinstry: De Champlain
listed it in his diary.
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I think he really saw something.
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Whether he saw this creature
that we now call Champ,
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I don't know.
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At that time, of course,
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they believed in
all sorts of things
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that we don't believe in now,
including dragons.
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Narrator: As more people
settled in the region,
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documented sightings increased.
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In the late 1800s, passengers
on the steamship Curlew
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reported a sea serpent
in Horseshoe Bay, Vermont.
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Near the Canadian border,
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sheriff Nathan Mooney
saw a strange-looking animal
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with a long, curved neck
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surface 50 yards offshore.
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Lake resident Dennis Hall spends
a lot of driving time searching
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for Champ and knows
its history well.
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This sheriff was well-known,
well-liked and respected
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and when he said that he had
seen Champ, they believed him.
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People believed him
all of a sudden,
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and then the media
became involved.
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In 1873,
a bounty for Champ's capture
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was posted by the great
American showman P.T. Barnum,
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the inventor of the freak show.
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Barnum's reward...
$50,000 dead or alive.
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No one ever collected.
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00:10:01,200 --> 00:10:05,771
All kinds of Champ stories
have crossed McKinstry's desk.
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Over the years, I've had
hundreds of people
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call with Champ sightings.
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00:10:10,276 --> 00:10:13,112
In fact there are other people
who send people here if they've
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00:10:13,112 --> 00:10:16,482
seen Champ or if someone
is reporting seeing Champ.
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I've had two prison guards, I've
had housewives who saw Champ,
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tourists on a boat.
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We never go a year
without sightings.
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More than 600 eyewitness
accounts have been recorded,
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including video footage
and photographs.
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Eyewitness reports
continue to trickle in
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from the small towns
along the lake.
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00:10:43,776 --> 00:10:48,781
Port Henry, New York, can fairly
claim the title "Champ Central."
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00:10:48,781 --> 00:10:52,451
If people here
haven't seen Champ themselves,
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00:10:52,451 --> 00:10:55,955
they usually
know someone who has.
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00:10:55,955 --> 00:10:58,124
Earl Sprague is a woodcarver,
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00:10:58,124 --> 00:11:01,560
who has lived
by the lake all his life.
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00:11:01,560 --> 00:11:05,264
There was a guy up here
in Woodall's Point,
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00:11:05,264 --> 00:11:06,932
was camping there.
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He seen it several times.
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00:11:09,068 --> 00:11:13,005
And it's no hoax, no hoax.
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Narrator: Champ
has spawned a cottage industry,
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a miniature economy
that thrives on a creature
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that may not actually exist.
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Lorraine Franklin
manages the general store.
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Franklin: What inspired
the name Champ for us
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was just
the Lake Champlain monster.
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It seems to be such a myth
that's alive in this area,
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we thought
it would be appropriate
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to name the store Champ.
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Narrator: Jack Woods manages
the town's department store.
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People became so interested,
we made up T-shirts,
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we made up caps like these.
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We have keychains.
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And people just very interested
in our little Loch Ness monster
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that we have here
in Lake Champlain.
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Narrator: Few townsfolk will
look their gift sea monster
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in the mouth.
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Historian Art Cohn
can see both sides.
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Cohn: I believe
that Champ is a phenomenon.
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00:12:05,524 --> 00:12:07,226
Absolutely, Champ is real.
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00:12:07,226 --> 00:12:09,095
You guys are here
because Champ is real.
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00:12:09,095 --> 00:12:11,430
Champ is on T-shirts
because Champ is real.
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If you're asking me,
"Does Champ exist
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00:12:13,666 --> 00:12:15,234
in a three-dimensional form
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00:12:15,234 --> 00:12:17,236
on the bottom
of Lake Champlain?"
245
00:12:17,236 --> 00:12:19,972
I would say at this point,
I'm probably skeptical.
246
00:12:19,972 --> 00:12:23,275
Narrator:
Even skeptics can be converted.
247
00:12:23,275 --> 00:12:25,911
While searching
for shipwrecks one summer day,
248
00:12:25,911 --> 00:12:29,181
the doubter
almost became a believer.
249
00:12:29,181 --> 00:12:31,751
We were sitting in our boat,
having lunch...
250
00:12:31,751 --> 00:12:35,755
bunch of the divers just
relaxing in our suits
251
00:12:35,755 --> 00:12:38,190
and chatting.
252
00:12:38,190 --> 00:12:39,658
And all of a sudden,
253
00:12:39,658 --> 00:12:45,030
one of the buoys
literally flies out of the water
254
00:12:45,030 --> 00:12:47,566
and then goes down
under the water!
255
00:12:47,566 --> 00:12:49,401
The buoy disappears
under the water,
256
00:12:49,401 --> 00:12:51,203
then flies up
out of the water again!
257
00:12:51,203 --> 00:12:52,438
And then disappears again!
258
00:12:52,438 --> 00:12:54,740
And all of a sudden,
we all look at each other
259
00:12:54,740 --> 00:12:58,043
and go, "My god, this is it!
This is Champ!"
260
00:12:58,043 --> 00:13:00,012
Narrator:
In this case,
261
00:13:00,012 --> 00:13:04,350
Champ turned out to be
one of Champlain's large fish.
262
00:13:04,350 --> 00:13:08,921
What others have been seeing
for 400 years, no one can say.
263
00:13:08,921 --> 00:13:12,691
We don't know if Champ
is a prehistoric reptile
264
00:13:12,691 --> 00:13:14,894
or whether it is
just a large sturgeon
265
00:13:14,894 --> 00:13:18,164
or whether this is just some
case of people, over the years,
266
00:13:18,164 --> 00:13:19,532
wanting to see something
267
00:13:19,532 --> 00:13:23,702
and knowing that there is
a creature in Lake Champlain.
268
00:13:23,702 --> 00:13:25,871
Narrator:
Like many adults,
269
00:13:25,871 --> 00:13:28,407
Jessica Maher
is a true believer.
270
00:13:28,407 --> 00:13:31,544
Maher: It will always be my
dream, I think, to discover Champ
271
00:13:31,544 --> 00:13:35,381
or at least advance
the investigation.
272
00:13:35,381 --> 00:13:37,183
A lot of people
don't understand it.
273
00:13:37,183 --> 00:13:39,018
They think
that it's totally fiction.
274
00:13:39,018 --> 00:13:41,153
They think that the whole thing
is imaginary,
275
00:13:41,153 --> 00:13:43,422
and they have no idea
about the sightings.
276
00:13:43,422 --> 00:13:46,592
I would just encourage people
to just look at all the evidence
277
00:13:46,592 --> 00:13:48,194
before they make up their mind.
278
00:13:48,194 --> 00:13:52,698
Narrator: Two skeptics
intend to follow her advice.
279
00:13:52,698 --> 00:13:55,434
Embarking on a scientific
field investigation,
280
00:13:55,434 --> 00:13:58,771
they'll brave the frigid waters
of Lake Champlain,
281
00:13:58,771 --> 00:14:06,011
in search of its elusive legend.
282
00:14:06,011 --> 00:14:08,547
In the summer of 1977,
283
00:14:08,547 --> 00:14:10,583
Sandra Mansi was vacationing
284
00:14:10,583 --> 00:14:12,818
with her family
on Lake Champlain.
285
00:14:12,818 --> 00:14:15,254
One day,
she noticed something strange
286
00:14:15,254 --> 00:14:17,456
moving through the water.
287
00:14:17,456 --> 00:14:20,526
She decided to snap a picture.
288
00:14:20,526 --> 00:14:23,128
That photograph
would become the first
289
00:14:23,128 --> 00:14:25,831
and most controversial
piece of evidence
290
00:14:25,831 --> 00:14:28,500
of a creature
said to inhabit the lake,
291
00:14:28,500 --> 00:14:31,604
a serpentlike animal
known as Champ.
292
00:14:31,604 --> 00:14:35,774
The Mansi photo
is probably the best photo
293
00:14:35,774 --> 00:14:37,543
ever taken of Champ.
294
00:14:37,543 --> 00:14:40,813
And they said they had already
thrown the negatives away,
295
00:14:40,813 --> 00:14:42,548
so absolutely nothing existed,
296
00:14:42,548 --> 00:14:44,884
except one little
print of Champ.
297
00:14:44,884 --> 00:14:47,253
Narrator: When the media
caught wind of it,
298
00:14:47,253 --> 00:14:50,656
the Mansi photo
made front page news.
299
00:14:50,656 --> 00:14:52,424
As the news spread,
300
00:14:52,424 --> 00:14:56,595
the photo drew attention
from around the country.
301
00:14:56,595 --> 00:14:59,365
A lot of people look at this
picture and think that
302
00:14:59,365 --> 00:15:01,066
she really did see something.
303
00:15:01,066 --> 00:15:03,702
That Champ is really out there.
304
00:15:03,702 --> 00:15:08,841
In 1981, scientists from
the Smithsonian Institution
305
00:15:08,841 --> 00:15:12,645
and the University of Arizona's
Optical Sciences Center
306
00:15:12,645 --> 00:15:15,447
analyzed Mansi's 3x5 photo.
307
00:15:15,447 --> 00:15:18,417
They reached two conclusions...
308
00:15:18,417 --> 00:15:22,087
the creature
resembled no known animal
309
00:15:22,087 --> 00:15:24,323
and the image was genuine.
310
00:15:24,323 --> 00:15:26,392
Well, when I first
saw the Mansi photo,
311
00:15:26,392 --> 00:15:29,261
I was surprised and puzzled
just like anyone else.
312
00:15:29,261 --> 00:15:32,331
If I don't think it's a fake,
a hoax, there's something there.
313
00:15:32,331 --> 00:15:34,667
But then the question is,
"Well, what is it?"
314
00:15:34,667 --> 00:15:37,803
Narrator: Benjamin Radford
and Joe Nickell
315
00:15:37,803 --> 00:15:40,239
work for
the "Skeptical Inquirer,"
316
00:15:40,239 --> 00:15:43,375
a publication dedicated
to challenging legends
317
00:15:43,375 --> 00:15:46,345
like UFOs, Bigfoot, and Champ.
318
00:15:46,345 --> 00:15:49,248
Dr. Nickell:
There's reason to be skeptical.
319
00:15:49,248 --> 00:15:53,118
Maybe we don't have quite as
much fun as the believers do,
320
00:15:53,118 --> 00:15:57,589
but it's an interesting
phenomenon to study.
321
00:15:57,589 --> 00:16:02,027
Narrator: In the summer of 2003,
Radford and Nickell decided
322
00:16:02,027 --> 00:16:05,531
to re-create Sandra Mansi's
sighting of Champ.
323
00:16:05,531 --> 00:16:08,667
Their goal...
to determine the true size
324
00:16:08,667 --> 00:16:10,636
of the object in the photo
325
00:16:10,636 --> 00:16:12,204
and, perhaps, its identify.
326
00:16:12,204 --> 00:16:15,074
Radford: In 25 years,
since this photo was taken,
327
00:16:15,074 --> 00:16:18,277
we're the first people to
actually go out onto the lake,
328
00:16:18,277 --> 00:16:21,013
do the field experiments and
try to duplicate the photograph.
329
00:16:21,013 --> 00:16:22,781
And so we're
sort of excited to see,
330
00:16:22,781 --> 00:16:25,384
well, what's going on here
and can we really pull this off
331
00:16:25,384 --> 00:16:27,219
and come up with
something that's valid?
332
00:16:27,219 --> 00:16:29,488
Narrator: In 1977,
333
00:16:29,488 --> 00:16:32,458
Mansi reported
the animal's head and neck
334
00:16:32,458 --> 00:16:34,526
rose six feet above the water,
335
00:16:34,526 --> 00:16:38,964
about 150 feet from where
she stood on the shore.
336
00:16:38,964 --> 00:16:41,266
Using those measurements,
337
00:16:41,266 --> 00:16:43,535
the University
of British Columbia
338
00:16:43,535 --> 00:16:51,810
estimated the creature was huge,
between 24 and 78 feet long.
339
00:16:51,810 --> 00:16:54,313
Radford: If it really
is an enormous creature,
340
00:16:54,313 --> 00:16:57,049
as some people say,
then maybe it's a lake monster.
341
00:16:57,049 --> 00:17:00,386
If those estimates aren't true,
and it's, in fact, much smaller,
342
00:17:00,386 --> 00:17:02,488
then that broadens
the possibilities.
343
00:17:02,488 --> 00:17:06,291
Narrator: The possibilities
include a duck,
344
00:17:06,291 --> 00:17:10,250
a log, or a large fish.
345
00:17:11,964 --> 00:17:14,733
Narrator: For the first step
of their experiment,
346
00:17:14,733 --> 00:17:18,370
Radford and Nickell search
for a location at the lake
347
00:17:18,370 --> 00:17:22,508
that matches the far shore
in the Mansi photograph.
348
00:17:22,508 --> 00:17:29,148
So I'm thinking about...
maybe about here.
349
00:17:29,148 --> 00:17:30,783
Mm-hmm.
350
00:17:30,783 --> 00:17:37,122
And... something about here.
351
00:17:37,122 --> 00:17:38,690
Yeah, that might match.
352
00:17:38,690 --> 00:17:42,494
The first thing we used was a
transparency of her photograph,
353
00:17:42,494 --> 00:17:43,896
of the Mansi photograph.
354
00:17:43,896 --> 00:17:46,899
What we were trying to do there
was to superimpose it
355
00:17:46,899 --> 00:17:48,500
on the far shore
356
00:17:48,500 --> 00:17:51,336
to see if we could find out
where the photograph was taken,
357
00:17:51,336 --> 00:17:54,973
because that would help to
determine the creature's size.
358
00:17:54,973 --> 00:18:00,746
Narrator: After 25 years of
growth, this is no easy task.
359
00:18:00,746 --> 00:18:02,281
- No.
- Too close, isn't it?
360
00:18:02,281 --> 00:18:03,873
Yeah, that's not gonna do.
361
00:18:07,119 --> 00:18:09,655
Narrator:
This phase of the experiment
362
00:18:09,655 --> 00:18:12,991
will determine the height
and length of the creature,
363
00:18:12,991 --> 00:18:15,527
based on its position
from both shores.
364
00:18:15,527 --> 00:18:18,630
Dr. Nickell: Well, we're on the
spot on Lake Champlain
365
00:18:18,630 --> 00:18:23,202
where Sandra Mansi...
somewhere in the general area,
366
00:18:23,202 --> 00:18:25,537
she can't remember
exactly where...
367
00:18:25,537 --> 00:18:29,408
in 1977, made a famous
photograph of "Champ"
368
00:18:29,408 --> 00:18:32,578
that some consider
the Holy Grail
369
00:18:32,578 --> 00:18:35,614
in terms of evidence
for the Lake Champlain monster.
370
00:18:35,614 --> 00:18:39,118
I think what we need here
371
00:18:39,118 --> 00:18:45,390
is one of those
and one of these.
372
00:18:45,390 --> 00:18:48,127
Close the trunk.
373
00:18:48,127 --> 00:18:49,161
All right.
374
00:18:49,161 --> 00:18:51,463
Narrator: Next,
Radford and Nickell
375
00:18:51,463 --> 00:18:53,332
precisely mark off the distance
376
00:18:53,332 --> 00:18:56,034
from where Sandra
spotted the object
377
00:18:56,034 --> 00:18:57,169
to where she stood.
378
00:18:57,169 --> 00:18:59,204
Dr. Nickell:
We're using synthetic string
379
00:18:59,204 --> 00:19:02,674
in order to make sure that
doesn't stretch in the water.
380
00:19:02,674 --> 00:19:07,045
Narrator: They measure out rope
in 50-foot increments
381
00:19:07,045 --> 00:19:09,348
until they reach 150 feet...
382
00:19:09,348 --> 00:19:12,351
the distance from Sandra
to the creature.
383
00:19:12,351 --> 00:19:15,154
If that photograph was taken
at that distance at that size,
384
00:19:15,154 --> 00:19:18,590
we can compare that to the Mansi
photograph and determine
385
00:19:18,590 --> 00:19:23,262
that either the photograph
is accurate or it's not.
386
00:19:23,262 --> 00:19:28,233
Narrator: Though the water temperature
averages 50 degrees Fahrenheit,
387
00:19:28,233 --> 00:19:30,102
Radford foregoes a wet suit.
388
00:19:30,102 --> 00:19:33,639
He has about 15 minutes
to complete his measurements
389
00:19:33,639 --> 00:19:36,742
before hypothermia sets in.
390
00:19:36,742 --> 00:19:38,243
Okay, here's 50 feet.
391
00:19:38,243 --> 00:19:39,478
50 feet.
392
00:19:39,478 --> 00:19:40,979
Okay, hold on.
393
00:19:40,979 --> 00:19:45,684
I'm treading water,
but I'm good at it.
394
00:19:45,684 --> 00:19:49,221
The next thing we did
was to use a scale marker
395
00:19:49,221 --> 00:19:51,924
and so we took a 3
foot scale marker
396
00:19:51,924 --> 00:19:53,792
and we went out at
the different lengths,
397
00:19:53,792 --> 00:19:57,763
at the 50 foot intervals,
away from the shore.
398
00:19:57,763 --> 00:19:59,364
I feel your pain, Ben.
399
00:19:59,364 --> 00:20:00,999
Yeah, the hell you do.
400
00:20:00,999 --> 00:20:02,201
Trust me!
401
00:20:02,201 --> 00:20:03,769
Yeah, come on out then.
402
00:20:03,769 --> 00:20:06,203
Smile! One more.
403
00:20:07,439 --> 00:20:09,775
One more increment, we got it.
404
00:20:09,775 --> 00:20:11,343
Okay.
405
00:20:11,343 --> 00:20:13,979
Whew!
406
00:20:13,979 --> 00:20:16,682
For the final step
of the experiment,
407
00:20:16,682 --> 00:20:19,651
Radford and Nickell have created
a six-foot mock-up
408
00:20:19,651 --> 00:20:23,822
of the creature's head and neck,
matching Sandra's description.
409
00:20:23,822 --> 00:20:26,959
Radford: What that then
should do is to tell us
410
00:20:26,959 --> 00:20:29,127
whether the height
out of the water
411
00:20:29,127 --> 00:20:31,296
is the same
as in the Mansi photograph.
412
00:20:31,296 --> 00:20:33,532
Narrator: Radford must
go back in the water
413
00:20:33,532 --> 00:20:35,796
for one more round
of photographs.
414
00:20:40,205 --> 00:20:42,605
Let me back up a little bit.
415
00:20:45,077 --> 00:20:46,245
Okay.
416
00:20:46,245 --> 00:20:51,016
Narrator:
Mission accomplished.
417
00:20:51,016 --> 00:20:52,951
All right.
We got it.
418
00:20:52,951 --> 00:20:54,186
We got it.
419
00:20:54,186 --> 00:20:57,256
- Good job. Well done.
- All right.
420
00:20:57,256 --> 00:21:00,025
Narrator:
Now, for the results.
421
00:21:00,025 --> 00:21:04,229
After analyzing all the data,
the two skeptics agree
422
00:21:04,229 --> 00:21:08,934
on the size of the creature
in Mansi's photograph.
423
00:21:08,934 --> 00:21:11,036
Radford: Well,
after the field experiment,
424
00:21:11,036 --> 00:21:13,839
we determined that, in fact,
the object wasn't nearly as big
425
00:21:13,839 --> 00:21:15,974
as Sandra Mansi
and others had said it was.
426
00:21:15,974 --> 00:21:17,442
We concluded that, in fact,
427
00:21:17,442 --> 00:21:20,479
the neck segment is just over
three feet out of the water,
428
00:21:20,479 --> 00:21:22,547
and it's only
about seven feet long.
429
00:21:22,547 --> 00:21:25,284
I want to point out
that just because it's smaller
430
00:21:25,284 --> 00:21:27,986
doesn't necessarily mean
it's not a lake monster.
431
00:21:27,986 --> 00:21:31,189
But then the question is, well,
is it a loon, is it a sturgeon?
432
00:21:31,189 --> 00:21:34,793
You know, there's lots
of large fish in the lake.
433
00:21:34,793 --> 00:21:36,461
So there are
any number of things
434
00:21:36,461 --> 00:21:37,996
that could be mistaken
for Champ.
435
00:21:37,996 --> 00:21:42,067
Narrator: Digital effects expert
John Roulafson
436
00:21:42,067 --> 00:21:45,537
was so fascinated
by the Champ mystery,
437
00:21:45,537 --> 00:21:47,873
he made his own investigation.
438
00:21:47,873 --> 00:21:51,977
Using computer graphics,
he compared the Mansi monster
439
00:21:51,977 --> 00:21:55,047
to animals and objects
common to the lake,
440
00:21:55,047 --> 00:21:58,650
including more than
80 species of fish.
441
00:21:58,650 --> 00:22:01,486
This is a sturgeon,
kind of a fatter body
442
00:22:01,486 --> 00:22:04,256
than what you would see
in that profile.
443
00:22:04,256 --> 00:22:07,259
It would have to be
jumping out of the water
444
00:22:07,259 --> 00:22:11,663
to have this much of its body
out of the water.
445
00:22:11,663 --> 00:22:14,933
This is a picture of a loon.
446
00:22:14,933 --> 00:22:16,234
As you can see,
447
00:22:16,234 --> 00:22:20,005
the head is a little fatter
than what we see.
448
00:22:20,005 --> 00:22:23,175
And it would be difficult
for a duck
449
00:22:23,175 --> 00:22:26,178
to present
that kind of a profile.
450
00:22:26,178 --> 00:22:27,846
And also, given the scale,
451
00:22:27,846 --> 00:22:30,406
that would have to be
a really large duck.
452
00:22:31,683 --> 00:22:34,386
Say it was a piece
of driftwood sticking up.
453
00:22:34,386 --> 00:22:36,621
You would have
to consider the fact
454
00:22:36,621 --> 00:22:39,224
that there would be
kind of the iceberg effect.
455
00:22:39,224 --> 00:22:41,960
For that much of the wood
to be protruding from the water,
456
00:22:41,960 --> 00:22:44,096
there would have to be
a large amount of it
457
00:22:44,096 --> 00:22:50,402
that's actually submerged
beneath the water, like so.
458
00:22:50,402 --> 00:22:54,473
I mean, we're talking
a large tree at that point.
459
00:22:54,473 --> 00:22:58,744
But without being able
to look at the negatives,
460
00:22:58,744 --> 00:23:01,680
it's very difficult to tell.
461
00:23:01,680 --> 00:23:03,382
Narrator:
To this day,
462
00:23:03,382 --> 00:23:06,585
the object in the Mansi photo
remains in dispute.
463
00:23:06,585 --> 00:23:10,288
But in the 30 years
since the photo was taken,
464
00:23:10,288 --> 00:23:14,159
a new tool emerged for
recording strange sightings...
465
00:23:14,159 --> 00:23:15,460
the video camera.
466
00:23:15,460 --> 00:23:17,396
McKinstry:
With Dennis, the thing is,
467
00:23:17,396 --> 00:23:20,999
he actually goes out there all
the time and looks for Champ.
468
00:23:20,999 --> 00:23:25,971
And someone who spends that much
time looking for something,
469
00:23:25,971 --> 00:23:29,775
if there's something there,
you're probably going to see it.
470
00:23:29,775 --> 00:23:32,110
Narrator: A sea monster
inhabits Lake Champlain,
471
00:23:32,110 --> 00:23:34,679
or so they say.
472
00:23:34,679 --> 00:23:39,418
The search for the creature
known as Champ goes on,
473
00:23:39,418 --> 00:23:41,319
but beneath the surface,
474
00:23:41,319 --> 00:23:43,955
other astonishing
sights emerge...
475
00:23:43,955 --> 00:23:45,390
ghosts.
476
00:23:45,390 --> 00:23:49,094
Connecting the St. Lawrence
and Hudson Rivers,
477
00:23:49,094 --> 00:23:52,397
Lake Champlain
served as an important route
478
00:23:52,397 --> 00:23:56,368
for trade and enemy invasions.
479
00:23:56,368 --> 00:24:00,539
Throughout the French and Indian
War, the Revolutionary War,
480
00:24:00,539 --> 00:24:05,510
and the War of 1812, great
battles roiled these waters.
481
00:24:05,510 --> 00:24:11,283
Today, nearly 300 ships are
thought to lie on the lake bed.
482
00:24:11,283 --> 00:24:16,521
We found, in the early 1980s,
3 War of 1812 warships
483
00:24:16,521 --> 00:24:18,723
in the southern part
of Lake Champlain.
484
00:24:18,723 --> 00:24:21,726
And so we had a team
of archeologists there
485
00:24:21,726 --> 00:24:25,497
for weeks and weeks and weeks,
working in shallow water,
486
00:24:25,497 --> 00:24:31,436
measuring and documenting every
piece of shipwreck we could.
487
00:24:31,436 --> 00:24:33,905
In fact,
we've systematically examined
488
00:24:33,905 --> 00:24:36,608
almost the entire bottom
of Lake Champlain
489
00:24:36,608 --> 00:24:38,109
in the last eight years.
490
00:24:38,109 --> 00:24:43,415
We found 90 new shipwrecks.
491
00:24:43,415 --> 00:24:48,520
Narrator: Art Cohn is an expert
on Champlain's historic wrecks,
492
00:24:48,520 --> 00:24:52,057
and yet the question
he is asked the most
493
00:24:52,057 --> 00:24:53,959
has nothing to do with ships.
494
00:24:53,959 --> 00:24:57,963
I get asked about Champ
every day of my life
495
00:24:57,963 --> 00:25:01,833
in every school I ever go to
and every lecture I ever give.
496
00:25:01,833 --> 00:25:05,303
Narrator: Cohn has never
come across Champ,
497
00:25:05,303 --> 00:25:07,939
but Dennis Hall has.
498
00:25:07,939 --> 00:25:11,510
Does anybody look at the picture
and not see Champ?
499
00:25:11,510 --> 00:25:13,712
Narrator:
A local historian,
500
00:25:13,712 --> 00:25:16,882
amateur archeologist,
and carpenter,
501
00:25:16,882 --> 00:25:21,486
Hall was hiking along Otter
Creek on the spring of 1977,
502
00:25:21,486 --> 00:25:23,989
when something stopped
him in his tracks.
503
00:25:23,989 --> 00:25:26,725
Hall: I heard an animal
crashing in the marsh.
504
00:25:26,725 --> 00:25:29,261
When I went to investigate
it, I could see
505
00:25:29,261 --> 00:25:33,098
that it was a very long-necked,
reptile-looking animal.
506
00:25:33,098 --> 00:25:35,200
And it was walking
along the edge of the march.
507
00:25:35,200 --> 00:25:36,268
It smelled like a snake.
508
00:25:36,268 --> 00:25:37,502
When you pick up a snake...
509
00:25:37,502 --> 00:25:39,404
I don't know if anybody's ever
done that...
510
00:25:39,404 --> 00:25:40,672
but it's a very strong smell,
511
00:25:40,672 --> 00:25:42,140
almost as strong as a skunk.
512
00:25:42,140 --> 00:25:45,043
Just walking through the marsh,
and it turned its head...
513
00:25:45,043 --> 00:25:46,645
slowly turned its head
and looked.
514
00:25:46,645 --> 00:25:48,914
And every time it did that,
its eyes reflected red.
515
00:25:48,914 --> 00:25:51,883
I followed it for 45 minutes.
516
00:25:51,883 --> 00:25:56,922
There's the first Dennis Hall
sighting in Button Bay,
517
00:25:56,922 --> 00:26:00,792
which turned Dennis Hall
from a normal individual
518
00:26:00,792 --> 00:26:02,594
into a believer in Champ.
519
00:26:02,594 --> 00:26:05,397
He then joined
the group Champ Quest,
520
00:26:05,397 --> 00:26:06,831
which he now heads.
521
00:26:06,831 --> 00:26:09,868
And Champ sort of
became part of his life.
522
00:26:09,868 --> 00:26:12,037
I hope Dennis Hall doesn't mind
523
00:26:12,037 --> 00:26:15,707
that I said he was a
normal person once.
524
00:26:15,707 --> 00:26:17,742
Narrator:
Eight years later,
525
00:26:17,742 --> 00:26:21,713
towards sundown
one June evening in 1985,
526
00:26:21,713 --> 00:26:26,985
Hall was out searching for Champ
north of Button Bay.
527
00:26:26,985 --> 00:26:31,489
This one is a still shot
from my 1985 video.
528
00:26:31,489 --> 00:26:32,824
This is Champ here.
529
00:26:32,824 --> 00:26:34,392
His neck is looped
out of the water.
530
00:26:34,392 --> 00:26:36,595
There's foam and spray,
which you can't see.
531
00:26:36,595 --> 00:26:37,829
It was white.
532
00:26:37,829 --> 00:26:39,598
And that's just like
the tail end of him here.
533
00:26:39,598 --> 00:26:41,199
But his neck is under the water,
534
00:26:41,199 --> 00:26:44,002
and he's kind of searching
for stuff under the water.
535
00:26:44,002 --> 00:26:46,104
Narrator:
As director of Champ Quest,
536
00:26:46,104 --> 00:26:50,508
Hall investigates sightings
of the Lake Champlain monster.
537
00:26:50,508 --> 00:26:53,778
In March 2000,
he published a field guide
538
00:26:53,778 --> 00:26:56,781
for avid hunters
of the elusive creature.
539
00:26:56,781 --> 00:26:58,116
Hall:
When you see it move,
540
00:26:58,116 --> 00:27:00,151
the first movement
that you see it make,
541
00:27:00,151 --> 00:27:02,887
you realize it's a movement
you've never seen before.
542
00:27:02,887 --> 00:27:05,757
It's such a sight
that you can't really comprehend
543
00:27:05,757 --> 00:27:08,360
what you're taking in
until after it's all over.
544
00:27:08,360 --> 00:27:10,996
Then you realize
what you had just seen.
545
00:27:10,996 --> 00:27:12,931
Narrator:
By his own account,
546
00:27:12,931 --> 00:27:16,434
Hall has seen Champ
more than 25 times.
547
00:27:16,434 --> 00:27:20,772
His latest sighting,
on May 31 st, 2003,
548
00:27:20,772 --> 00:27:22,407
could be his greatest.
549
00:27:22,407 --> 00:27:24,943
According to Hall,
that's the day
550
00:27:24,943 --> 00:27:29,014
he captured a clear shot
of Champ on film.
551
00:27:29,014 --> 00:27:30,548
Hall:
It was a workday for me.
552
00:27:30,548 --> 00:27:33,151
And I got the idea, after lunch,
I'd go down to Button Bay
553
00:27:33,151 --> 00:27:35,520
and sit for a couple of minutes
and watch for Champ.
554
00:27:35,520 --> 00:27:37,622
And as I'm
pulling into Button Bay,
555
00:27:37,622 --> 00:27:39,591
I had noticed a swell
in the water.
556
00:27:39,591 --> 00:27:41,826
The boat was coming
from the broad lake,
557
00:27:41,826 --> 00:27:44,763
and their paths were gonna
intersect in the shallow water.
558
00:27:44,763 --> 00:27:47,165
So I turned my camera on
and started filming.
559
00:27:47,165 --> 00:27:48,466
And it wasn't a fish.
560
00:27:48,466 --> 00:27:52,804
In fact, it was two
champtanystropheus in the bay.
561
00:27:52,804 --> 00:27:56,641
The video footage
occurred right over here...
562
00:27:56,641 --> 00:27:58,143
is where Champ surfaced,
563
00:27:58,143 --> 00:28:00,979
between this island
and this point right here.
564
00:28:00,979 --> 00:28:03,148
And I was
in this exact location,
565
00:28:03,148 --> 00:28:05,650
only I was not set up
like I am right now.
566
00:28:05,650 --> 00:28:12,290
I just had time to lean out of
my truck and take the footage.
567
00:28:12,290 --> 00:28:13,792
Narrator:
Since that sighting,
568
00:28:13,792 --> 00:28:17,228
Hall has analyzed his footage
over and over
569
00:28:17,228 --> 00:28:19,964
for clues
to the creature's identify.
570
00:28:19,964 --> 00:28:23,301
And the animal
makes its appearance right here.
571
00:28:23,301 --> 00:28:26,071
As you can see,
a head pops up out of the water,
572
00:28:26,071 --> 00:28:28,373
and there's
a serpentlike body behind.
573
00:28:28,373 --> 00:28:31,476
It's moving slowly, because it's
walking on the bottom.
574
00:28:31,476 --> 00:28:33,745
They're a very
low-to-the-ground animal.
575
00:28:33,745 --> 00:28:35,714
And what you see
when it's walking
576
00:28:35,714 --> 00:28:37,348
is the rear end of the animal
577
00:28:37,348 --> 00:28:39,551
is actually lifting up
a little bit.
578
00:28:39,551 --> 00:28:43,254
And they actually kind of propel
their bodies like a caterpillar.
579
00:28:43,254 --> 00:28:47,625
It's one of the strongest videos
of Champ that I've ever seen.
580
00:28:47,625 --> 00:28:49,027
You can actually
see the creature
581
00:28:49,027 --> 00:28:50,662
wiggling up and down
through the water.
582
00:28:50,662 --> 00:28:54,432
Narrator: After analyzing
the creature's movements,
583
00:28:54,432 --> 00:28:58,636
some experts speculate Champ
could be a prehistoric whale,
584
00:28:58,636 --> 00:29:00,071
called a zeuglodon.
585
00:29:00,071 --> 00:29:03,808
Others say Champ is descended
from the plesiosaur,
586
00:29:03,808 --> 00:29:05,710
a prehistoric marine reptile
587
00:29:05,710 --> 00:29:10,882
that some say also describes
the Loch Ness monster.
588
00:29:10,882 --> 00:29:14,486
I have an idea if there is a
large creature in this lake,
589
00:29:14,486 --> 00:29:16,788
it's along the lines of
something probably like a
590
00:29:16,788 --> 00:29:20,859
plesiosaur with a very long
neck, which would correlate with
591
00:29:20,859 --> 00:29:23,995
the Mansi photograph and
some of the other witnesses.
592
00:29:23,995 --> 00:29:25,764
The only problem that I
have with that
593
00:29:25,764 --> 00:29:29,100
is that's an air breather.
594
00:29:29,100 --> 00:29:32,036
Now you would think that an
air breather would be seen more
595
00:29:32,036 --> 00:29:34,372
often because they would have
to come up for air.
596
00:29:34,372 --> 00:29:36,508
But then again maybe not,
they're maybe nocturnal.
597
00:29:36,508 --> 00:29:39,611
The major flaw of the plesiosaur
was that it had flippers,
598
00:29:39,611 --> 00:29:42,213
and the animal that I'd seen
did not have flippers.
599
00:29:42,213 --> 00:29:46,351
Plesiosaur's neck vertebras
were very short,
600
00:29:46,351 --> 00:29:48,553
leaving it
with a very soft neck.
601
00:29:48,553 --> 00:29:51,055
It would have been hard
for this animal
602
00:29:51,055 --> 00:29:53,324
to lift its neck
out of the water.
603
00:29:53,324 --> 00:29:57,896
Narrator: Another reason
the theory may not hold water...
604
00:29:57,896 --> 00:30:02,400
such a creature never
inhabited Lake Champlain.
605
00:30:02,400 --> 00:30:06,404
The lake was formed by the
retreat of the Wisconsin glacier
606
00:30:06,404 --> 00:30:09,407
during the last ice age,
millions of years
607
00:30:09,407 --> 00:30:12,377
after these prehistoric
reptiles went extinct.
608
00:30:12,377 --> 00:30:15,914
Carroll: The lake is only
12,000, 14,000 years old.
609
00:30:15,914 --> 00:30:19,184
Prior to that, this was
part of the Atlantic Ocean.
610
00:30:19,184 --> 00:30:20,752
And as the earth rose up
611
00:30:20,752 --> 00:30:23,688
and things resettled
after the ice age ended,
612
00:30:23,688 --> 00:30:26,558
this lake became isolated
from the ocean
613
00:30:26,558 --> 00:30:29,160
and evolved
into a freshwater lake.
614
00:30:29,160 --> 00:30:32,864
So whatever Champ might be
was some kind of a sea creature
615
00:30:32,864 --> 00:30:35,600
that successfully evolved
from saltwater
616
00:30:35,600 --> 00:30:42,006
over to the freshwater
that we have today.
617
00:30:42,006 --> 00:30:46,444
Narrator: Who knows what creatures
have made their home here?
618
00:30:46,444 --> 00:30:50,281
Hall believes Champ
resembles a tanystropheus,
619
00:30:50,281 --> 00:30:53,218
a marine reptile
with a long neck
620
00:30:53,218 --> 00:30:55,920
that lived more than
200 million years ago.
621
00:30:55,920 --> 00:30:58,823
Hall: The most bizarre reptile
that ever lived
622
00:30:58,823 --> 00:31:00,325
was the tanystropheus...
623
00:31:00,325 --> 00:31:03,094
its looks, its behavior,
and where it lived.
624
00:31:03,094 --> 00:31:05,997
They have four feet
that are not flippers,
625
00:31:05,997 --> 00:31:08,700
but they're actually
webbed, clawed feet.
626
00:31:08,700 --> 00:31:11,836
Narrator:
Hall has even coined a named
627
00:31:11,836 --> 00:31:14,205
for Champlain's
mysterious creature...
628
00:31:14,205 --> 00:31:18,109
champtanystropheus.
629
00:31:18,109 --> 00:31:21,379
And he has a theory
on how it has endured.
630
00:31:21,379 --> 00:31:23,815
These animals lived at the front
of a glacier so that they could
631
00:31:23,815 --> 00:31:27,118
hibernate six months out of the
year and then remain active
632
00:31:27,118 --> 00:31:28,753
six months out of the year.
633
00:31:28,753 --> 00:31:31,456
So as the glaciers retreated and
advanced, they stayed just far
634
00:31:31,456 --> 00:31:34,058
enough ahead of them so that the
temperature variation was never
635
00:31:34,058 --> 00:31:38,396
more than what was perfect
for their life conditions.
636
00:31:38,396 --> 00:31:44,168
Hall says his champtanystropheus
shares the habits of any fish...
637
00:31:44,168 --> 00:31:47,505
swimming, eating, and mating.
638
00:31:47,505 --> 00:31:50,975
There's no way to have 400 years
of recorded sightings
639
00:31:50,975 --> 00:31:53,811
without having a colony
living in this lake
640
00:31:53,811 --> 00:31:55,313
it has to be reproducing.
641
00:31:55,313 --> 00:31:58,950
Hall: Every major river system
that enters into Lake Champlain
642
00:31:58,950 --> 00:32:01,653
probably has at least
three of these animals
643
00:32:01,653 --> 00:32:03,354
living near the mouth of it.
644
00:32:03,354 --> 00:32:05,723
These animals
are making a comeback,
645
00:32:05,723 --> 00:32:08,693
and they're gonna be seen
more and more frequently.
646
00:32:08,693 --> 00:32:11,296
Narrator: That theory
is about to be tested
647
00:32:11,296 --> 00:32:13,865
by a team of researchers
648
00:32:13,865 --> 00:32:18,870
armed with the equipment
to find Champ.
649
00:32:18,870 --> 00:32:20,972
Narrator:
On Lake Champlain,
650
00:32:20,972 --> 00:32:23,608
an unprecedented
experiment begins...
651
00:32:23,608 --> 00:32:26,511
a quest for evidence
652
00:32:26,511 --> 00:32:31,683
of the elusive creature
known as Champ.
653
00:32:31,683 --> 00:32:34,919
Elizabeth Von Muggenthaler
and Joseph Gregory
654
00:32:34,919 --> 00:32:38,656
are bioacousticians,
experts in animal communication.
655
00:32:38,656 --> 00:32:40,825
Von Muggenthaler:
With an acoustic study,
656
00:32:40,825 --> 00:32:44,195
what you do is you take
the ambient sounds in the lake.
657
00:32:44,195 --> 00:32:47,665
Ambient sounds are the fish
and other animals
658
00:32:47,665 --> 00:32:49,634
that we know to exist
in the lake,
659
00:32:49,634 --> 00:32:51,936
including zebra mussels,
which make noise,
660
00:32:51,936 --> 00:32:55,073
shrimp, fish, eels, turtles,
whatever have you.
661
00:32:55,073 --> 00:32:57,141
What we do is, if we get a sound
662
00:32:57,141 --> 00:32:59,877
that does not match
any of those others,
663
00:32:59,877 --> 00:33:01,713
we consider that an anomaly.
664
00:33:01,713 --> 00:33:05,283
Narrator: Using underwater
listening devices,
665
00:33:05,283 --> 00:33:09,754
the scientists hope to capture
these audio anomalies.
666
00:33:09,754 --> 00:33:12,757
We can actually look at the
signal in any way we want to.
667
00:33:12,757 --> 00:33:19,364
We can filter out sounds, we
can do frequency acquisition
668
00:33:19,364 --> 00:33:22,333
which means that we're just
looking at the frequency or
669
00:33:22,333 --> 00:33:25,536
the pitch of the signal or we
can look at the amplitude.
670
00:33:25,536 --> 00:33:27,939
We can plot all the
different sounds.
671
00:33:27,939 --> 00:33:29,974
Yet, on the first day,
672
00:33:29,974 --> 00:33:31,909
mechanical problems
with the boat
673
00:33:31,909 --> 00:33:34,245
stop the investigation
dead in the water.
674
00:33:34,245 --> 00:33:35,913
You're gonna put a meter on it,
675
00:33:35,913 --> 00:33:38,249
see which one of those
terminals is doing what.
676
00:33:38,249 --> 00:33:40,118
Early the next morning,
677
00:33:40,118 --> 00:33:44,355
the team resumes their search
for Champ in a new boat.
678
00:33:44,355 --> 00:33:48,326
We actually have
some excellent sites to go to.
679
00:33:48,326 --> 00:33:51,629
Outside of Port Henry
in Bulwagga Bay,
680
00:33:51,629 --> 00:33:53,464
there have been sightings,
681
00:33:53,464 --> 00:33:56,334
so we're pretty excited
about that area.
682
00:33:56,334 --> 00:34:00,171
And then,
a little bit further north,
683
00:34:00,171 --> 00:34:05,109
quite an active area
in the 2,000s of Button Bay,
684
00:34:05,109 --> 00:34:07,745
outside of the state park.
685
00:34:07,745 --> 00:34:13,117
Narrator: For five days,
they crisscross the lake,
686
00:34:13,117 --> 00:34:14,986
investigating areas
687
00:34:14,986 --> 00:34:17,655
where eyewitnesses
report seeing Champ.
688
00:34:17,655 --> 00:34:20,892
They constantly monitor
their underwater devices,
689
00:34:20,892 --> 00:34:24,225
hoping to detect
audio anomalies.
690
00:34:26,264 --> 00:34:29,000
Then, off Button Bay,
691
00:34:29,000 --> 00:34:33,337
something odd
catches their attention.
692
00:34:33,337 --> 00:34:35,907
Hurry, it goes away quick. Joe!
693
00:34:35,907 --> 00:34:38,943
It's recording?
694
00:34:38,943 --> 00:34:41,045
Oh, did you see that one?
695
00:34:41,045 --> 00:34:42,647
That was amazing.
696
00:34:42,647 --> 00:34:48,820
They record the sound
and later, try to identify it.
697
00:34:48,820 --> 00:34:51,656
Whoa, Joe, look at this.
698
00:34:51,656 --> 00:34:52,824
That's a dolphin.
699
00:34:52,824 --> 00:34:55,359
That's exactly what
dolphins look like.
700
00:34:55,359 --> 00:34:56,461
Yeah?
701
00:34:56,461 --> 00:34:59,697
That's up to 100... 100k.
702
00:34:59,697 --> 00:35:04,235
Von Muggenthaler:
We actually looked at each other
703
00:35:04,235 --> 00:35:10,274
and just...
with wide-eyed amazement.
704
00:35:10,274 --> 00:35:13,811
It's like being a kid again
and finding a treasure box.
705
00:35:13,811 --> 00:35:18,883
Narrator: At times, the signal
reached 140 kilohertz,
706
00:35:18,883 --> 00:35:21,719
seven times higher
than the human range of hearing.
707
00:35:21,719 --> 00:35:24,856
Von Muggenthaler: This is
the anomaly we picked up.
708
00:35:24,856 --> 00:35:26,691
[Clicking]
709
00:35:26,691 --> 00:35:29,193
And these speakers
710
00:35:29,193 --> 00:35:31,362
don't actually do justice
to the signal,
711
00:35:31,362 --> 00:35:34,832
because it's much, much higher
in frequency than that.
712
00:35:34,832 --> 00:35:37,969
And it sounds
only like clicking on here,
713
00:35:37,969 --> 00:35:42,039
but in all actuality,
it's very, very high frequency,
714
00:35:42,039 --> 00:35:44,575
which means it's...
[squeaks]
715
00:35:44,575 --> 00:35:49,347
Narrator:
Gregory and Von Muggenthaler
716
00:35:49,347 --> 00:35:51,716
believe they've captured
a high-frequency,
717
00:35:51,716 --> 00:35:56,921
animal-produced sonar signal,
known as echolocation.
718
00:35:56,921 --> 00:35:58,723
They're a series of clicks.
719
00:35:58,723 --> 00:36:00,658
And the frequency is such that
720
00:36:00,658 --> 00:36:05,062
only an animal
that's using sonar,
721
00:36:05,062 --> 00:36:07,165
like a dolphin or marine mammal,
722
00:36:07,165 --> 00:36:09,667
would be capable
of producing these.
723
00:36:09,667 --> 00:36:12,203
Narrator: Von Muggenthaler
thinks the signal
724
00:36:12,203 --> 00:36:15,366
closely resembles
a beluga whale.
725
00:36:20,077 --> 00:36:22,780
Von Muggenthaler: You have a
whale carcass that was found...
726
00:36:22,780 --> 00:36:24,448
the Charlotte whale
that was found
727
00:36:24,448 --> 00:36:26,083
less than a mile
from the lake...
728
00:36:26,083 --> 00:36:27,552
that's 11,000 years old.
729
00:36:27,552 --> 00:36:30,788
The lake, geologically,
was once connected to the ocean
730
00:36:30,788 --> 00:36:32,790
and was an inland sea.
731
00:36:32,790 --> 00:36:34,892
Narrator:
Today, beluga whales
732
00:36:34,892 --> 00:36:38,029
make their home
in the St. Lawrence Seaway,
733
00:36:38,029 --> 00:36:41,432
linked to Lake Champlain
by the Richelieu River.
734
00:36:41,432 --> 00:36:45,570
Yet no belugas have been sighted
in the lake itself.
735
00:36:45,570 --> 00:36:50,007
Despite its resemblance to whale
or dolphin echolocation,
736
00:36:50,007 --> 00:36:52,043
the audio anomaly differs
737
00:36:52,043 --> 00:36:56,147
from anything Von Muggenthaler
has ever recorded.
738
00:36:56,147 --> 00:37:00,418
What creature made that sound,
the team cannot say.
739
00:37:00,418 --> 00:37:02,320
Okay, we're clear.
740
00:37:02,320 --> 00:37:05,423
Narrator: After probing
other sites around the lake,
741
00:37:05,423 --> 00:37:08,259
the team heads back
to Button Bay.
742
00:37:08,259 --> 00:37:11,996
Here, in May 2003,
743
00:37:11,996 --> 00:37:14,732
local resident Dennis Hall
captured footage
744
00:37:14,732 --> 00:37:17,702
of the creature
thought to be Champ.
745
00:37:17,702 --> 00:37:21,539
Over the years, more than 35
documented sightings
746
00:37:21,539 --> 00:37:24,442
have been reported on this spot.
747
00:37:24,442 --> 00:37:26,467
Get my paraphernalia in here.
748
00:37:30,948 --> 00:37:32,583
At the Point Bay Marina,
749
00:37:32,583 --> 00:37:35,620
the investigators
take on two veteran divers,
750
00:37:35,620 --> 00:37:38,889
Pierre Larocque and James Hall.
751
00:37:38,889 --> 00:37:41,792
Using an underwater camera,
752
00:37:41,792 --> 00:37:45,229
the divers will try to capture
visual evidence of Champ.
753
00:37:45,229 --> 00:37:48,499
We're gonna get this thing
ready to go, fired up, on,
754
00:37:48,499 --> 00:37:50,134
and in the standby position
755
00:37:50,134 --> 00:37:52,003
so that, when we hit the water,
756
00:37:52,003 --> 00:37:54,939
this can just be handed down
to us, ready to go.
757
00:37:54,939 --> 00:37:57,408
Narrator: The divers
wait for the scientists
758
00:37:57,408 --> 00:37:59,277
to detect an audio anomaly.
759
00:37:59,277 --> 00:38:02,246
Larocque:
As soon as they hear something,
760
00:38:02,246 --> 00:38:04,949
we'll deploy
and see if we can see anything,
761
00:38:04,949 --> 00:38:07,985
in the area that they're gonna
give us to look in.
762
00:38:07,985 --> 00:38:10,454
And if we get no joy
here in this area,
763
00:38:10,454 --> 00:38:13,257
then we'll pull anchor
and try something else.
764
00:38:13,257 --> 00:38:15,826
Marilyn, can you go
drop the sensor, please?
765
00:38:15,826 --> 00:38:17,862
Sure.
766
00:38:17,862 --> 00:38:21,465
Let's try and get it
at about 15 feet down.
767
00:38:21,465 --> 00:38:24,969
Narrator: The sensor
is so sophisticated,
768
00:38:24,969 --> 00:38:31,676
it can detect fishing lures
hitting the water 500 feet away.
769
00:38:31,676 --> 00:38:36,180
The hours pass
with nothing unusual,
770
00:38:36,180 --> 00:38:38,375
just the chatter of fish.
771
00:38:40,384 --> 00:38:45,122
Sound like someone snapping
their fingers under water.
772
00:38:45,122 --> 00:38:48,793
It's a pretty common
fish vocalization.
773
00:38:48,793 --> 00:38:51,595
Generally,
that's the female fish
774
00:38:51,595 --> 00:38:59,670
telling the male fish
to go mow the lawn.
775
00:38:59,670 --> 00:39:03,708
Yeah, take out the garbage.
776
00:39:03,708 --> 00:39:05,810
Narrator: Von
Muggenthaler and Gregory
777
00:39:05,810 --> 00:39:07,411
are about to call it a day
778
00:39:07,411 --> 00:39:10,715
when they detect
a high-frequency pitch.
779
00:39:10,715 --> 00:39:13,851
I'm picking up something at 10k.
What is that?
780
00:39:13,851 --> 00:39:15,186
Let's take a look.
781
00:39:15,186 --> 00:39:19,423
Now the investigation
is in the hands of the divers.
782
00:39:19,423 --> 00:39:23,361
Von Muggenthaler:
Okay, since we're passive,
783
00:39:23,361 --> 00:39:26,664
we're going by ear alone,
directionality,
784
00:39:26,664 --> 00:39:29,967
but I would suggest
this area right here,
785
00:39:29,967 --> 00:39:32,026
off the starboard bow.
786
00:39:51,422 --> 00:39:55,459
Narrator: After an hour's
search, the divers surface.
787
00:39:55,459 --> 00:39:59,293
They're seen nothing strange,
just the usual fish.
788
00:40:03,000 --> 00:40:04,668
This quest for Champ
789
00:40:04,668 --> 00:40:08,005
is the 20th such
investigation in 30 years.
790
00:40:08,005 --> 00:40:11,308
Each time,
the investigators have returned
791
00:40:11,308 --> 00:40:14,111
without proof
of the elusive creature.
792
00:40:14,111 --> 00:40:18,449
Yet this time, they haven't
returned empty-handed.
793
00:40:18,449 --> 00:40:21,252
They've detected
strange signs of life.
794
00:40:21,252 --> 00:40:24,989
Von Muggenthaler: I don't know
whether this is a mammal,
795
00:40:24,989 --> 00:40:28,526
I don't know
whether it's an amphibian.
796
00:40:28,526 --> 00:40:32,730
But it appears that
this signal is echolocation,
797
00:40:32,730 --> 00:40:37,134
which is indicative that
there is something in this lake
798
00:40:37,134 --> 00:40:40,237
that we were previously
not aware of.
799
00:40:40,237 --> 00:40:44,975
Narrator: On a body of water
once fought over by navies,
800
00:40:44,975 --> 00:40:50,014
a new battle rages,
between science and faith.
801
00:40:50,014 --> 00:40:55,219
So far, the winners
are Champ's true believers,
802
00:40:55,219 --> 00:40:58,552
some as fascinating
as Champ itself.
803
00:41:02,293 --> 00:41:03,461
Narrator: For decades,
804
00:41:03,461 --> 00:41:05,529
hundreds of people
have journeyed
805
00:41:05,529 --> 00:41:07,331
to the shores of Lake Champlain
806
00:41:07,331 --> 00:41:10,134
in search of the creature
that many have sighted
807
00:41:10,134 --> 00:41:13,537
but no one has caught... Champ.
808
00:41:13,537 --> 00:41:15,039
Hi, Champ!
809
00:41:15,039 --> 00:41:17,708
Some sightseers are
an attraction themselves.
810
00:41:17,708 --> 00:41:20,344
Lucille: We have a guy
that comes up from...
811
00:41:20,344 --> 00:41:21,946
I think it's Massachusetts.
812
00:41:21,946 --> 00:41:25,349
He comes up for every year,
just to look for Champ.
813
00:41:25,349 --> 00:41:27,618
Narrator:
Earl and Lucille Sprague
814
00:41:27,618 --> 00:41:29,887
live on the lake in Port Henry.
815
00:41:29,887 --> 00:41:34,191
I had a couple little old ladies
driving in a few years ago,
816
00:41:34,191 --> 00:41:35,726
and she jumped out of the car.
817
00:41:35,726 --> 00:41:37,761
She said, "Where is he?
Where is he?"
818
00:41:37,761 --> 00:41:40,331
And I said, "Where's who?"
And she said, "Champ."
819
00:41:40,331 --> 00:41:42,233
I said, "He's probably
in the lake."
820
00:41:42,233 --> 00:41:44,635
She said, "Oh, I thought
you had him in a cage."
821
00:41:44,635 --> 00:41:48,706
Narrator: In 1952,
the town hired Earl Sprague
822
00:41:48,706 --> 00:41:51,242
to carve the giant
wooden statue of Champ
823
00:41:51,242 --> 00:41:53,878
that now greets visitors.
824
00:41:53,878 --> 00:41:55,546
Earl:
We built it on a boat.
825
00:41:55,546 --> 00:41:57,848
Yeah.
826
00:41:57,848 --> 00:41:59,517
That's that one right there.
827
00:41:59,517 --> 00:42:03,254
It's pretty well rotted.
I got to rebuild it.
828
00:42:03,254 --> 00:42:08,092
Narrator: Sprague claims he and
his wife saw Champ years ago,
829
00:42:08,092 --> 00:42:10,628
as teenage sweethearts.
830
00:42:10,628 --> 00:42:12,463
Looked like a log.
831
00:42:12,463 --> 00:42:14,632
It would go up
and down and come back.
832
00:42:14,632 --> 00:42:16,433
A lot of people were seeing it.
833
00:42:16,433 --> 00:42:17,935
There's no fake about it.
834
00:42:17,935 --> 00:42:19,537
There's a lot have seen it.
835
00:42:19,537 --> 00:42:21,105
Yep.
836
00:42:21,105 --> 00:42:27,344
Too bad he wouldn't come out
so we could get ahold of him.
837
00:42:27,344 --> 00:42:29,980
Well, I see him one time,
838
00:42:29,980 --> 00:42:32,950
I was going down
through the rock cuts.
839
00:42:32,950 --> 00:42:34,852
And I see this huge thing,
840
00:42:34,852 --> 00:42:37,655
and it was more or less
in the water,
841
00:42:37,655 --> 00:42:39,456
but up on the shore edge.
842
00:42:39,456 --> 00:42:42,192
And it was
just amazing to see that.
843
00:42:42,192 --> 00:42:44,061
It'd give you goose bumps.
844
00:42:44,061 --> 00:42:46,931
Narrator: Lucille Sprague
has compiled a history
845
00:42:46,931 --> 00:42:52,736
of all things Champ,
a scrapbook that spans decades.
846
00:42:52,736 --> 00:42:53,771
Here's Champ.
847
00:42:53,771 --> 00:42:56,273
They were
taking him off the boat,
848
00:42:56,273 --> 00:42:58,342
putting him into the water.
849
00:42:58,342 --> 00:43:01,111
And there's Champ
floating on the boat.
850
00:43:01,111 --> 00:43:04,114
And these are the two guys
that stole Champ.
851
00:43:04,114 --> 00:43:05,583
They were drinking,
852
00:43:05,583 --> 00:43:09,019
and they hooked it
onto the back of their truck.
853
00:43:09,019 --> 00:43:10,821
And no wheels or nothing,
854
00:43:10,821 --> 00:43:13,591
but they dragged it
all the way over,
855
00:43:13,591 --> 00:43:16,260
across the bridge to Vermont.
856
00:43:16,260 --> 00:43:19,163
The locals take Champ seriously.
857
00:43:19,163 --> 00:43:21,932
Though its existence
has yet to proved,
858
00:43:21,932 --> 00:43:23,968
hunting it is against the law.
859
00:43:23,968 --> 00:43:26,937
Both Vermont and New York
have passed laws
860
00:43:26,937 --> 00:43:28,505
protecting these animals.
861
00:43:28,505 --> 00:43:31,175
It's illegal to harass them,
to shoot them,
862
00:43:31,175 --> 00:43:34,678
to hurt them or harm
them in any way.
863
00:43:34,678 --> 00:43:38,349
Narrator: Esther Waldron was a
town clerk in Moriah, New York,
864
00:43:38,349 --> 00:43:39,883
when the law passed.
865
00:43:39,883 --> 00:43:43,287
I was working at the town hall,
which is almost on the lake.
866
00:43:43,287 --> 00:43:46,423
And we heard a lot of different
things, different ideas.
867
00:43:46,423 --> 00:43:47,925
I was a little skeptical,
868
00:43:47,925 --> 00:43:50,294
until I met people
and talked to people
869
00:43:50,294 --> 00:43:52,696
that had actually
seen something.
870
00:43:52,696 --> 00:43:55,833
Narrator: Champ is so popular
around here,
871
00:43:55,833 --> 00:43:58,135
locals hold an annual Champ Day.
872
00:43:58,135 --> 00:44:00,904
Champ sightings
are publicly posted,
873
00:44:00,904 --> 00:44:04,308
and Champ headlines sell papers.
874
00:44:04,308 --> 00:44:06,310
McKinstry:
We did a Champ extravaganza.
875
00:44:06,310 --> 00:44:09,013
It was probably
our biggest Champ issue so far.
876
00:44:09,013 --> 00:44:13,050
We sold out.
People asked for reprints.
877
00:44:13,050 --> 00:44:16,687
Whether they believe or not,
people living around the lake
878
00:44:16,687 --> 00:44:21,492
have something to say about
Champlain's mysterious creature.
879
00:44:21,492 --> 00:44:24,495
Interesting local fable.
880
00:44:24,495 --> 00:44:27,464
I don't particularly
believe in Champ, myself.
881
00:44:27,464 --> 00:44:30,968
The Champ is the legend from
the lake, like a monster.
882
00:44:30,968 --> 00:44:33,370
People talking about
it all the time.
883
00:44:33,370 --> 00:44:35,439
Anything is possible. I
think Loch Ness is possible,
884
00:44:35,439 --> 00:44:38,208
and I think it's
possible here. Why not?
885
00:44:38,208 --> 00:44:42,112
He's got a point, but I'm
sure it's just a large fish.
886
00:44:42,112 --> 00:44:44,281
I don't know anybody
who's actually seen him,
887
00:44:44,281 --> 00:44:45,783
but the stories are always good.
888
00:44:45,783 --> 00:44:48,118
You can run into someone every
now and then who says they know
889
00:44:48,118 --> 00:44:50,120
someone who knows
someone who saw him.
890
00:44:50,120 --> 00:44:52,256
As to whether Champ is really
swimming around in the lake
891
00:44:52,256 --> 00:44:55,259
at this moment, it's
hard in some ways
892
00:44:55,259 --> 00:44:56,994
to believe that that
might be the case,
893
00:44:56,994 --> 00:44:59,296
but I think Champ's still
an important part of life,
894
00:44:59,296 --> 00:45:01,465
you know, around the lake.
895
00:45:01,465 --> 00:45:05,002
I don't know what it is, really.
I mean, who really knows?
896
00:45:05,002 --> 00:45:06,937
It's nice to have a
myth locally, though.
897
00:45:06,937 --> 00:45:09,673
It keeps things
going a little bit.
898
00:45:09,673 --> 00:45:13,844
Even postman Daniel Sweatt
from Willsboro, New York
899
00:45:13,844 --> 00:45:16,146
has a lake monster story.
900
00:45:16,146 --> 00:45:18,382
When I was a kid, I've always
fished the lake all my life.
901
00:45:18,382 --> 00:45:19,750
A friend of mine and
I, we had an old boat
902
00:45:19,750 --> 00:45:22,019
with a motor that
would never run
903
00:45:22,019 --> 00:45:24,121
and one time, we don't know
whether it was a log or what,
904
00:45:24,121 --> 00:45:26,557
but something kind of
drifted under the boat.
905
00:45:26,557 --> 00:45:28,559
And when we were kids, I mean
people had heard about it
906
00:45:28,559 --> 00:45:33,063
even then, or, you know, talked
about the lake monster.
907
00:45:33,063 --> 00:45:36,100
Narrator: With the Champ legend
so deeply entrenched,
908
00:45:36,100 --> 00:45:39,136
finding the creature itself
may be moot.
909
00:45:39,136 --> 00:45:43,006
I think the local people
actually believe in Champ
910
00:45:43,006 --> 00:45:45,809
because there's such a culture
around here of people believing
911
00:45:45,809 --> 00:45:48,512
that Champ exists.
912
00:45:48,512 --> 00:45:49,179
Franklin:
Do I believe in Champ?
913
00:45:49,179 --> 00:45:51,048
I believe there's
something in the lake.
914
00:45:51,048 --> 00:45:52,616
That lake is deep,
and it's cold.
915
00:45:52,616 --> 00:45:55,552
And I've seen
some strange things in the lake,
916
00:45:55,552 --> 00:45:57,421
some ripples
that may be large sturgeon,
917
00:45:57,421 --> 00:45:58,889
may be large schools of fish.
918
00:45:58,889 --> 00:46:00,157
Who knows?
919
00:46:00,157 --> 00:46:02,226
It's just nice
to think that maybe there is.
920
00:46:02,226 --> 00:46:05,763
It's like Santa Claus.
921
00:46:05,763 --> 00:46:08,966
I think anyone who spent
any time on Lake Champlain
922
00:46:08,966 --> 00:46:11,702
knows that there's just
something special about the lake
923
00:46:11,702 --> 00:46:13,971
and you can't really
put your finger on it.
924
00:46:13,971 --> 00:46:17,908
And they just have to look at
all the evidence for Champ
925
00:46:17,908 --> 00:46:21,211
and not just automatically
assume that it's false
926
00:46:21,211 --> 00:46:24,548
and just think people are
crazy for believing in it.
927
00:46:24,548 --> 00:46:28,118
No one knows for
sure what Champ is.
928
00:46:28,118 --> 00:46:30,187
I really wish that I could be
the one that would have
929
00:46:30,187 --> 00:46:32,256
the definitive answer.
930
00:46:32,256 --> 00:46:34,658
Von Muggenthaler:
I think our greatest surprise
931
00:46:34,658 --> 00:46:38,695
was finding one anomaly
that we can't explain.
932
00:46:38,695 --> 00:46:42,299
But really,
on the timeline that we had,
933
00:46:42,299 --> 00:46:44,768
that's quite truthfully amazing.
934
00:46:44,768 --> 00:46:48,605
McKinstry: There's really
no way to debunk something.
935
00:46:48,605 --> 00:46:51,008
You'd have to prove
that Champ doesn't exist,
936
00:46:51,008 --> 00:46:53,610
and there's no way to prove
that it doesn't exist.
937
00:46:53,610 --> 00:46:55,212
There's always the possibility.
938
00:46:55,212 --> 00:46:57,014
Unless you drained
Lake Champlain,
939
00:46:57,014 --> 00:46:58,549
there's no way to prove it.
940
00:46:58,549 --> 00:47:01,985
It could always be
hiding out there somewhere.
941
00:47:01,985 --> 00:47:04,721
Hall: That there's
no scientific evidence
942
00:47:04,721 --> 00:47:06,490
that these animals exist
943
00:47:06,490 --> 00:47:09,393
is saying that
there's no scientific evidence
944
00:47:09,393 --> 00:47:12,930
to prove any of the images
the Hubble Telescope has shot,
945
00:47:12,930 --> 00:47:16,600
'cause all of those are just
faint, distant, blurry objects
946
00:47:16,600 --> 00:47:20,137
that have been enhanced by
the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
947
00:47:20,137 --> 00:47:22,940
They are telling us
that there are new planets
948
00:47:22,940 --> 00:47:24,308
out in the galaxy,
949
00:47:24,308 --> 00:47:27,311
but they're only basing that
on photographic evidence.
950
00:47:27,311 --> 00:47:28,512
It's the same with Champ.
951
00:47:28,512 --> 00:47:30,013
There's no solid body for Champ,
952
00:47:30,013 --> 00:47:32,049
but there is
enough photographic evidence
953
00:47:32,049 --> 00:47:34,051
to prove that large,
unidentified animals
954
00:47:34,051 --> 00:47:36,186
do live in Lake Champlain.
955
00:47:36,186 --> 00:47:39,590
Dr. Nickell:
Lake monsters have been with us
956
00:47:39,590 --> 00:47:42,459
ever since
there have been lakes.
957
00:47:42,459 --> 00:47:45,929
And before that, there were
ocean monsters, sea serpents.
958
00:47:45,929 --> 00:47:47,798
And there's been a carry-over.
959
00:47:47,798 --> 00:47:49,733
In fact, the early lake monsters
960
00:47:49,733 --> 00:47:53,437
were often called
sea serpents in the lake.
961
00:47:53,437 --> 00:47:56,707
But these
are just popular archetypes
962
00:47:56,707 --> 00:47:58,442
of the human imagination.
963
00:47:58,442 --> 00:48:01,778
And as long as there are
unknown bodies of water,
964
00:48:01,778 --> 00:48:03,180
people will imagine
965
00:48:03,180 --> 00:48:07,451
that there are wondrous
and fearful things underneath.
966
00:48:07,451 --> 00:48:10,654
Narrator: In the days
before Columbus,
967
00:48:10,654 --> 00:48:13,390
mariners who ventured
far from land
968
00:48:13,390 --> 00:48:16,793
brought back terrifying tales
of sea monsters.
969
00:48:16,793 --> 00:48:19,663
Map makers drew
the fearsome creatures
970
00:48:19,663 --> 00:48:23,400
on the edge of their charts
and penned a warning...
971
00:48:23,400 --> 00:48:26,036
"Here be dragons."
972
00:48:26,036 --> 00:48:31,141
In time, an entire menagerie
of sea monsters evolved,
973
00:48:31,141 --> 00:48:35,913
crossbreed of real sightings
and drunken hallucinations.
974
00:48:35,913 --> 00:48:38,048
Like the dragons of old,
975
00:48:38,048 --> 00:48:40,450
Champ remains
a hybrid creature...
976
00:48:40,450 --> 00:48:44,855
half fact, half fiction.
977
00:48:44,855 --> 00:48:49,459
Despite the best efforts
of science to kill the legend,
978
00:48:49,459 --> 00:48:55,032
Champ survives...
unexplainable, yet irrefutable.
979
00:48:55,032 --> 00:48:58,991
Such is the power
of imagination.
980
00:49:02,500 --> 00:49:10,500
Ripped By mstoll