#pleiosaur

The Loch Ness Monster:

Modern interest in the monster was sparked by the 22 July 1933 sighting, when George Spicer and his wife saw 'a most extraordinary form of animal' cross the road in front of their car. They described the creature as having a large body (about 4 feet (1.2 m) high and 25 feet (7.6 m) long), and long, narrow neck, slightly thicker than an elephant's trunk and as long as the 10–12-foot (3–4 m) width of the road; the neck had a number of undulations in it. They saw no limbs, possibly because of a dip in the road obscuring the animal's lower portion. It lurched across the road towards the loch 20 yards (20 m) away, leaving only a trail of broken undergrowth in its wake.

So, if you want to know where my fascination with cryptids began, here you are. For reasons I can't recall, when I was in grade school I was utterly fascinated with the Loch Ness Monster. I read every book I could get my hands on and was unnecessarily well-versed in Nessie lore, as well as passably educated on Champ, Ogopogo, and other lake monsters.

I guess the fascination never quite went away.