Scientists and enthusiasts from around the world are gathering in the Scottish Highlands on Saturday to try to find the sea serpent, colloquially known as Nessie.

Drones equipped with temperature scanners, boats equipped with infrared cameras and a hydrophone to listen underwater are some of the equipment that will be used by the expedition which hopes to unravel the myth that has fascinated men for several generations.

– We have always aimed to record, study and analyze all kinds of behavior and natural phenomena that can be difficult to explain, explains Alan McKenna, who helps organize the hunt.

– The water was boiling like a simmering pot

Loch Ness, 36 kilometers long, reaches depths of up to 240 meters and is Britain’s largest lake by volume. Stories like that of the sea monster lurking in the depths date back to ancient times, with images of a mysterious creature with mittens carved into stone. The first text mentions the sea serpent in Loch Ness, dates from the year 565 and is a biography of the Irish monk Saint Columba.

A little closer to our times is the story of a married couple who, in 1933, were driving along a newly built road along the lake and saw “a huge disturbance” in the water.

– There the creature appeared, rolling and diving for a minute. The body resembled a whale and the water splashed and boiled like a simmering pot, a local newspaper wrote about the couple’s experience.

Fake leads and photos – and big money

Later that year, a South African hunter – cited by the Daily Mail newspaper as having found the sea serpent – claimed to have found large footprints of what he believed to be a powerful animal about six meters tall. tall, with soft legs. Zoologists later determined that the tracks were made using an umbrella stand or ashtray constructed from a hippopotamus bone.

In 1934, a famous photo was taken apparently showing the sea serpent’s head and neck, but this was also a hoax. The image nonetheless helped make the legendary monster world-famous.

Although no one has been able to prove the existence of a sea worm, Nessie attracts tourists each year who contribute millions of pounds to the Scottish economy. And this weekend, big arrivals from far and near.