Champ the "Nessie" of the New World

Lake Champlain is the border between Vermont and New York, and just a bit of the border between Vermont and Canada. Besides being a beautiful area, Lake Champlain is also said to be home for "Champ", a  "Nessie" from Loch Ness, Scotland, look-alike. The original inhabitants, before Europeans arrived on the scene, of what is now Vermont--the Iroquois nation--had stories of a "horned" serpent that lived in the waters. The earliest sighting by a European, is credited to Samual de Champlain, based on a chronicle he wrote in 1609. It is known that there are garfish living the lake, so it is possible that he, among others, saw large garfish. In 1873, railroad workers laying track in New York claimed to have seen a large head of a serpent come out of the water--they ran--and so did the serpent. They saw scales, a round and flat head with a hood spreading out from the lower part, much like that of a rubber cap worn by mariners. The same year, tourists on a steamship, struck something--and later it was said the creature was spotted by the ship. The fame of this "monster serpent" grew and eventually showman P.T. Barnum posted a reward for the hide of the serpent to add to his show.

Sightings happened on an off in the late 1880s, and even up to today, there are those who claim to have seen Champ. Some say he/she looks like a plesiousaur, but they have been extinct for over 65 million years. There have been investigations of the lake with sonar and a small robotic submarine, but to no avail. Sandra Mansi took a photo in 1977, which was later shown to the Department of Vertebrate Zoology at the Smithsonian Institution, their conclusion was that it did not resemble any known animals in the lake or anywhere else, for that matter. Most sightings agree that "Champ" has a long neck, flat head, a big humped body and is pretty darn big. For now, sightings come and go, and it certainly adds to the excitement of visiting Lake Chamberlain.

There are reports of similar lake and river monsters throughout North America. See if you can match the monster name on the right, to the lake or river he/she haunts, on the left. Just drag and connect! There is a time limit, but have fun!