Hundreds have claimed to see the legendary Lake Champlain monster but no one has ever been able to prove a sea creature actually exists. FOX 44's Brittney Hibbs took to the waters to try and do what many say can't be done, show the creature isn't just a myth.
The legend of Champ has been around for hundreds of years and Champ's reputation is so strong, people around the world have heard of him. Searching for him wasn't an easy task but as I found out, the legend maybe just as important as proving he exists.
The video is dramatic, a serpentine shape gliding across Lake Champlain. It's one of dozens of sightings you can find of a legendary Lake Champlain monster known as ‘Champ'. A creature that no one to date has been able to "really" prove exists.
"Hundreds of people have said, they have spotted Champ on Lake Champlain so we wanted to go on the search for ourselves."
"The lake has got many treasures in it and this may be one more," said Linda Bowden, with Echo Lake Aquarium and Science Center.
The legend of a mythical sea creature living in Lake Champlain dates all the way back to 1609 when Samuel De Champlain wrote of seeing "A 20-foot serpent, thick as a barrel, with a head like a horse."
Flash forward 400 years, there have been more than 300 sightings and the hunt for champ continues to this day.
"We know we saw something, was it Champ? I don't know but we saw something that was definitely unusual," said Owner of the Spirit of Ethan Allen Cruise Ships, Michael Shea.
On July 28th, 1984, Shea was onboard when more than 70 people say they saw something unusual swimming next to the boat.
"We saw something that was sort of going parallel to the boat and sort of creating its own wake about 20-25 feet long," Shea says they knew it was some kind of creature when it suddenly swam away, "It turned 90 degrees, dove and then the wake disappeared."
Arguably the most famous champ sighting happened in 1977, when a picture taken by Vermonter Sandra Mansi, was discovered.
Bowden says the picture has been scientifically examined to determine if it was authentic, "It was an untouched photograph, so that confirmed it as far as that information goes."
You can see the creature has a long neck, and serpent-like head similar to what Bowden says is a Plesiosaurus.
"It's green, brown slimy looking anywhere from 30-40 feet long," said Bowden.
Champ is more than a mystery; the legend is part of the lake's identity.
"We get postcards from kids in other countries wanting to know more about Champ," said Shea.
If Champ is out there, he's managed to survive all these years without giving us more than a glimpse.
The hunt began. Our team was prepared for the frigid waters teetering around 40 degrees, hoping to catch a glimpse of Champ. We jumped not once but several times, at one point, I thought I saw something that resembled Champ. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a hefty wave or, a piece of debris floating on top of the water. At times even the ducks dipping their beaks into the lake were convincing and Shea agrees that the water itself can be deceiving.
"You do see things, I'm looking out right now and we have ripples from a boat, and they can take on an odd look to them. The water does create different phenomena's, with light and wind," said Shea.
While on this day we weren't able to prove that champ exists, remember no one to date has been able to prove that Champ does not exist. Michael Shea says the mystery and hype surrounding champ is just one more thing that makes Lake Champlain so unique.
"I believe something is going on, there have been too many sightings, long before television and hype and the Internet. Is it Champ? I don't know."
