Nessie sighted

Although this photo failed to replicate the media sensation that surrounded the “Surgeon’s photographs“, it is nonetheless one of the clearest photos of the  elusive Loch Ness monster ever taken.  Taken on May 21, 1977 on Anthony ‘Doc’ Shiels, the picture was so clear and so fake (no ripples around the neck) that the experts immediately referred to as “the Loch Ness Muppet.”

Shiels was a self-styled psychic, showman and ‘wizard’ entertainer who pursued the career as a professional monster hunter. Despite apparently faking the photo, Shiels himself commented that he didn’t believe in the lake monsters. Although he failed to rekindle the public interest over Loch Ness, he (and his family) did gain national publicity.