Unsolved:Igopogo
In Canadian folklore, the Igopogo is a legendary creature said to dwell in Lake Simcoe, Ontario.[1] The creature's name is ostensibly based on the Ogopogo of Lake Okanagan, British Columbia, and also the title of the 1952 book I Go Pogo, a slogan often mentioned in the comic.[2] Other nicknames for the Igopogo include Beaverton Bessie, after Beaverton, Ontario, and "Kempenfelt Kelly", after the bay that extends from the lake into the city of Barrie, Ontario.[3] The city of Barrie erected The Sea Serpent sculpture, representing the legendary Igopogo, at the waterfront.[4]
Alleged sightings
David Soules, an early settler, is credited with the first alleged Igopogo sighting in 1823. While tending sheep, Soules reportedly saw a long creature leaving a wake in the water and a trail in the mud. Another major sighting took place in 1952 that involved four witnesses, including chief of the Georgina Island First Nation Wellington Charles.[1] In 1983, sonar operator William W. Skrypetz reported spotting a large animal with a long neck,[1] although some have disputed this account, claiming the reading could have instead been a school of fish.[3] The Globe and Mail also told of Charles, a local fishing guide,[5] who described seeing a marine animal with "a neck like a stovepipe" that possessed a face resembling a boxer dog.[5]
Other alleged sightings include reports in 1903 and 1906, and a 1991 video recording of "a large, seal-like animal".[3] In 1952, David Luu reported to the Globe and Mail that he witnessed a "huge gray thing" that "leaped" while he was boating on the lake.[5] In 2016, John Kirk of the British Columbia Scientific Cryptozoology Club claimed on The Shirley Show to have a tape of the creature, though he did not show it.[2] E. J. Delaney described it as a creature with two long antennae, four octopus-like arms, three pairs of legs, and six gill-like appendages with feathers.[1]
Appearance
Descriptions of the Igopogo vary. Writer George M. Eberhart describes the Igopogo as a gray, seal-like animal stretching 12–70 feet (3.7–21.3 m) in length with a dog- or horse-like face, prominent eyes, a gaping mouth, dorsal fins, and a fishlike tail; most alleged sightings describe creatures with phenotypic characteristics resembling these.[6]
Proposed explanations
Some writers have speculated based on this appearance that the sightings were actually of pinnipeds, such as seals, or mustelids, such as otters.[1][3]
See also
- Ogopogo, reported to live in Okanagan Lake, in British Columbia, Canada
- Manipogo, said to live in Lake Manitoba, Manitoba
- Memphre, said to live in Lake Memphremagog, Quebec
- Seelkee, said to live in the swamps of what is now Chilliwack, in British Columbia
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedfee - ↑ 2.0 2.1 Urquhart, Rod. "Lake Simcoe's Own Monster". https://www.lakesimcoeliving.com/news/lake-simcoe-s-own-monster.html.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Nickell, Joe (14 October 2005). "Investigators Search for Canadian Lake Monster". Live Science. https://www.livescience.com/410-investigators-search-canadian-lake-monster.html.
- ↑ Sgambati, Sue (2016-06-29). "Enchanting Sea Serpent lands at Barrie waterfront" (in en). https://www.barrietoday.com/local-news/enchanting-sea-serpent-lands-at-barrie-waterfront-327178.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 "Igopogo, Simcoe Monster, Reported Sighted Again". 1963-07-01. https://www.newspapers.com/image/1223676084/?match=1&terms=Igopogo%20simcoe.
- ↑ Eberhart, George M. (2002). Mysterious Creatures: A Guide to Cryptozoology (Volume 2 ed.). United Kingdom: ABC-CLIO. p. 244. ISBN 9781909488250. https://www.google.com/books/edition/Mysterious_Creatures/z9gMsCUtCZUC?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=igopogo. Retrieved 27 September 2021.
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