1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:03,000 On this episode of Expedition X. 2 00:00:03,000 --> 00:00:06,000 Woo! 3 00:00:06,000 --> 00:00:07,000 All right, champ. 4 00:00:07,000 --> 00:00:08,000 Here's God. 5 00:00:08,000 --> 00:00:12,000 Phil and Jess investigate reports of a giant lake monster. 6 00:00:12,000 --> 00:00:14,000 The thing looked long as my vote. 7 00:00:14,000 --> 00:00:19,000 Said to inhabit the murky abyss of Vermont's Lake Champlain. 8 00:00:19,000 --> 00:00:22,000 It was unlike anything I had ever seen before. 9 00:00:22,000 --> 00:00:24,000 Is it a massive fish? 10 00:00:24,000 --> 00:00:28,000 Something's definitely trying to eat the light. 11 00:00:28,000 --> 00:00:32,000 A prehistoric beast lost to science. 12 00:00:32,000 --> 00:00:33,000 Look at this. 13 00:00:33,000 --> 00:00:36,000 I mean, this thing must have weighed a ton. 14 00:00:36,000 --> 00:00:38,000 Or something even more dangerous. 15 00:00:38,000 --> 00:00:40,000 I'm seeing something. 16 00:00:40,000 --> 00:00:41,000 Well, wait. 17 00:00:41,000 --> 00:00:43,000 There's something in there. 18 00:00:46,000 --> 00:00:49,000 The visibility is so bad. 19 00:00:51,000 --> 00:00:53,000 We have something down here. 20 00:00:53,000 --> 00:00:54,000 What was that? 21 00:00:54,000 --> 00:00:55,000 Phil! 22 00:00:55,000 --> 00:00:58,000 America's Lake Monster. 23 00:00:58,000 --> 00:01:00,000 My name is Josh Gates. 24 00:01:00,000 --> 00:01:05,000 In my travels, I've experienced strange things that defy logic 25 00:01:05,000 --> 00:01:07,000 and made me question everything. 26 00:01:07,000 --> 00:01:09,000 Oh my God. 27 00:01:09,000 --> 00:01:14,000 Now, I've put together a team to investigate the stranger side of the unknown. 28 00:01:14,000 --> 00:01:16,000 Let's go. 29 00:01:16,000 --> 00:01:20,000 Phil Torres is a scientist who hunts for rational explanations. 30 00:01:20,000 --> 00:01:24,000 The recorder can actually film two stones. 31 00:01:24,000 --> 00:01:28,000 Jessica Chobot's paranormal research has made her a true believer. 32 00:01:28,000 --> 00:01:30,000 Phil, do you see that? 33 00:01:30,000 --> 00:01:31,000 I just saw some papers across. 34 00:01:31,000 --> 00:01:34,000 Together, we're searching for answers 35 00:01:34,000 --> 00:01:35,000 What is that? 36 00:01:35,000 --> 00:01:38,000 to the world's most extraordinary mysteries. 37 00:01:38,000 --> 00:01:42,000 This is Expedition X. 38 00:01:46,000 --> 00:01:50,000 All right, Phil, Jess, I don't need to tell you how difficult it is 39 00:01:50,000 --> 00:01:53,000 to capture photographic evidence of some of these strange things 40 00:01:53,000 --> 00:01:55,000 that I send you to investigate. 41 00:01:55,000 --> 00:01:58,000 Well, Josh, it can be hard to photograph things that aren't there. 42 00:01:58,000 --> 00:02:00,000 That's not very nice. 43 00:02:00,000 --> 00:02:03,000 Just because something's elusive doesn't mean it doesn't exist. 44 00:02:03,000 --> 00:02:05,000 Look, Phil, I'm with you a lot of the time, right? 45 00:02:05,000 --> 00:02:08,000 But there is one very famous photo that I want to talk about today. 46 00:02:08,000 --> 00:02:13,000 It was taken by a woman named Sandra Mansy in Vermont in 1977. 47 00:02:13,000 --> 00:02:15,000 The Mansy photo! 48 00:02:15,000 --> 00:02:19,000 Here it is. It depicts what many people believe is the head and neck 49 00:02:19,000 --> 00:02:23,000 of some sort of very large creature protruding from the surface of Lake Champlain. 50 00:02:23,000 --> 00:02:25,000 This thing is legendary. 51 00:02:25,000 --> 00:02:26,000 Even I've seen this before. 52 00:02:26,000 --> 00:02:28,000 Now, well, I mean, it's famous for a good reason. 53 00:02:28,000 --> 00:02:32,000 This thing has held up to academic scrutiny for well over 40 years. 54 00:02:32,000 --> 00:02:38,000 And if I'm remembering correctly, the University of Arizona actually put it through a computer analysis 55 00:02:38,000 --> 00:02:41,000 and deemed that it was authentic. 56 00:02:41,000 --> 00:02:44,000 Well, they proved that the photo wasn't doctored. 57 00:02:44,000 --> 00:02:45,000 Right. 58 00:02:45,000 --> 00:02:49,000 Yes, it's not a forgery, but as to what's in the photo, that is still up for debate. 59 00:02:49,000 --> 00:02:51,000 Well, it's the Lake Monster, Josh. 60 00:02:51,000 --> 00:02:52,000 It's obvious. 61 00:02:52,000 --> 00:02:53,000 It's obvious. 62 00:02:53,000 --> 00:02:59,000 There's no question it's a compelling legend, but the story of the creature that people called Champlain 63 00:02:59,000 --> 00:03:01,000 started way before this photo was taken. 64 00:03:05,000 --> 00:03:09,000 The recorded history of Champlain sightings dates back to the 1700s, 65 00:03:09,000 --> 00:03:14,000 when the native Abonacchi tribe warns French explorers about a serpent-like creature, 66 00:03:14,000 --> 00:03:17,000 Gittyskog, that inhabits Lake Champlain. 67 00:03:17,000 --> 00:03:24,000 But the legend really takes off in 1819, when a man known as Captain Crumb reports seeing 68 00:03:24,000 --> 00:03:28,000 a monstrous beast raising its massive head out of the water. 69 00:03:28,000 --> 00:03:34,000 Subsequent sightings in the 1800s include a railroad crew who see an enormous serpent 70 00:03:34,000 --> 00:03:39,000 with silvery scales, a local sheriff who swears he encounters a snake-like creature 71 00:03:39,000 --> 00:03:47,000 about 30 feet long, and the most intriguing report, a mass sighting on the steamship WB Eddy, 72 00:03:47,000 --> 00:03:53,000 when at least 100 passengers and crew watch as the craft supposedly runs into the animal 73 00:03:53,000 --> 00:03:55,000 and nearly capsizes. 74 00:03:55,000 --> 00:04:00,000 Then there's the famous Mansi photo taken in 1977. 75 00:04:00,000 --> 00:04:06,000 In 1999, an image analysis is conducted, and it's proclaimed that the Mansi photograph 76 00:04:06,000 --> 00:04:13,000 is genuine, one of the few pieces of compelling evidence for an unknown animal in any lake in the world. 77 00:04:13,000 --> 00:04:20,000 Champlain sightings have continued to this day with more than 300 alleged incidents and rising. 78 00:04:20,000 --> 00:04:25,000 The lake borders New York and Vermont, and both states have taken unprecedented acts 79 00:04:25,000 --> 00:04:29,000 to legally protect this mysterious animal. 80 00:04:29,000 --> 00:04:34,000 Whatever the truth is, Champe isn't going away anytime soon. 81 00:04:34,000 --> 00:04:39,000 Believers speculate that Champe could be anything from the descendant of an ancient whale 82 00:04:39,000 --> 00:04:48,000 to a relative of the prehistoric Plesiosaur, or even some other as yet unidentified creature of monstrous proportions. 83 00:04:51,000 --> 00:04:53,000 Alright, Jess, I take it you approve. 84 00:04:53,000 --> 00:04:55,000 I approve this message. 85 00:04:55,000 --> 00:05:00,000 I think it is super smart of the legislators to protect the thing before they lose it. 86 00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:03,000 And look, there is some precedent here for this, right? 87 00:05:03,000 --> 00:05:05,000 I mean, take the mega-mouth shark. 88 00:05:05,000 --> 00:05:09,000 Real animal, huge animal, wasn't discovered until the late 70s. 89 00:05:09,000 --> 00:05:12,000 Sure, and you also have these cases of what are known as Lazarus species. 90 00:05:12,000 --> 00:05:14,000 They're animals that were presumed to be extinct. 91 00:05:14,000 --> 00:05:17,000 They're in the fossil record, then they reappear modern times. 92 00:05:17,000 --> 00:05:20,000 One example is the rat squirrel, real thing. 93 00:05:20,000 --> 00:05:21,000 Really? 94 00:05:21,000 --> 00:05:28,000 And it was thought to be extinct for 11 million years before being rediscovered in Laos in 1996. 95 00:05:28,000 --> 00:05:31,000 I feel like Phil's making my point that this thing could be real. 96 00:05:31,000 --> 00:05:34,000 I'm not saying it's not possible. 97 00:05:34,000 --> 00:05:38,000 I'm just saying we have to go through the scientific process to really prove this. 98 00:05:38,000 --> 00:05:40,000 We've got to find a live specimen. 99 00:05:40,000 --> 00:05:42,000 Now may be the best time to do that. 100 00:05:42,000 --> 00:05:45,000 You know, with these recent sightings, credible sightings, 101 00:05:45,000 --> 00:05:48,000 I think you should go to Vermont, try to meet these eyewitnesses, 102 00:05:48,000 --> 00:05:52,000 figure out what they really saw, get out on Lake Champlain, get in Lake Champlain. 103 00:05:52,000 --> 00:05:55,000 You know, see if you can come face to face with whatever that is. 104 00:05:55,000 --> 00:05:56,000 Sounds good to me. 105 00:05:56,000 --> 00:05:57,000 Jess, what do you think? 106 00:05:57,000 --> 00:05:59,000 Let's catch a lake monster. 107 00:05:59,000 --> 00:06:04,000 It's just a five-hour drive north from New York City to Burlington, Vermont, 108 00:06:04,000 --> 00:06:07,000 and the rumored home of a Leviathan. 109 00:06:09,000 --> 00:06:12,000 There's been so many reports here of champs. 110 00:06:12,000 --> 00:06:14,000 So like, what's the thing that's living in the lake? 111 00:06:14,000 --> 00:06:19,000 Maybe it's just a known species of fish that gets particularly huge. 112 00:06:19,000 --> 00:06:24,000 Or is it actually an ancient dinosaur or something that kind of got lake-locked 113 00:06:24,000 --> 00:06:27,000 and has managed to adapt and live? 114 00:06:27,000 --> 00:06:29,000 Maybe there is still something in this lake waiting to be found. 115 00:06:29,000 --> 00:06:30,000 Waiting to be found? 116 00:06:30,000 --> 00:06:35,000 Or it's something that is known that just keeps getting misidentified over time. 117 00:06:35,000 --> 00:06:37,000 It just seems weird that we have a foot in each other's theories. 118 00:06:37,000 --> 00:06:41,000 Like, I feel like that actually gives us a chance to potentially solve this thing. 119 00:06:41,000 --> 00:06:42,000 Totally. 120 00:06:42,000 --> 00:06:45,000 Obviously something in the water. 121 00:06:46,000 --> 00:06:48,000 Oh, pull over here, pull over here. 122 00:06:48,000 --> 00:06:53,000 As we pull into Champ Territory, I see the perfect spot to begin our search. 123 00:06:53,000 --> 00:06:54,000 Alright, come on. 124 00:06:54,000 --> 00:07:00,000 You can't investigate a legendary photo of a lake monster without taking a few of your own. 125 00:07:00,000 --> 00:07:01,000 What? 126 00:07:01,000 --> 00:07:02,000 Really what? 127 00:07:02,000 --> 00:07:03,000 Take a picture. 128 00:07:05,000 --> 00:07:06,000 Nice. 129 00:07:06,000 --> 00:07:07,000 You done? 130 00:07:07,000 --> 00:07:08,000 Not done. 131 00:07:08,000 --> 00:07:09,000 Okay. 132 00:07:10,000 --> 00:07:11,000 Ooh, the swim. 133 00:07:11,000 --> 00:07:12,000 Nice. 134 00:07:14,000 --> 00:07:15,000 Nailed it. 135 00:07:18,000 --> 00:07:20,000 Now that we're officially in Champ's domain, 136 00:07:20,000 --> 00:07:24,000 we continue north to Kerry Bay to meet with eyewitness Kyle Cortiana. 137 00:07:24,000 --> 00:07:26,000 I'm actually excited to meet Kyle. 138 00:07:26,000 --> 00:07:28,000 I mean, he's a pro fisherman. 139 00:07:28,000 --> 00:07:33,000 And if he thinks he's seen something, that's pretty good evidence, gotta say. 140 00:07:33,000 --> 00:07:34,000 Yeah. 141 00:07:38,000 --> 00:07:41,000 Kyle's been fishing since the age of three and has since gone pro, 142 00:07:41,000 --> 00:07:47,000 reeling in trophy bass on the fishing league worldwide pro circuit for the last four years. 143 00:07:47,000 --> 00:07:52,000 And just recently, Kyle spotted and filmed a massive object in Lake Champlain, 144 00:07:52,000 --> 00:07:57,000 something of incomprehensible size that he believes was the famous champ. 145 00:07:57,000 --> 00:07:58,000 Kyle. 146 00:07:58,000 --> 00:07:59,000 Hi, Kyle. 147 00:07:59,000 --> 00:08:00,000 How's it going? 148 00:08:00,000 --> 00:08:01,000 Good. How are you? 149 00:08:01,000 --> 00:08:02,000 Doing pretty good. 150 00:08:02,000 --> 00:08:05,000 And my understanding is you've got one heck of a champ story. 151 00:08:05,000 --> 00:08:06,000 I do. I have quite the story. 152 00:08:06,000 --> 00:08:08,000 I was here fishing for a professional bass tournament. 153 00:08:08,000 --> 00:08:10,000 I was coming back in and it was last life. 154 00:08:10,000 --> 00:08:12,000 And I was coming back through an area. 155 00:08:12,000 --> 00:08:14,000 There was no wind. It was dead calm. 156 00:08:14,000 --> 00:08:17,000 And I was actually on the phone with my father and told my dad, 157 00:08:17,000 --> 00:08:20,000 I was like, look, I'm seeing this monster. 158 00:08:21,000 --> 00:08:23,000 It kind of in disbelief. 159 00:08:23,000 --> 00:08:25,000 There were times where the thing looked long as my boat 160 00:08:25,000 --> 00:08:28,000 and it looked like a log, but the thing was moving. 161 00:08:29,000 --> 00:08:32,000 And I got off the phone and I started recording footage of it. 162 00:08:34,000 --> 00:08:36,000 And I actually went past the object. 163 00:08:36,000 --> 00:08:39,000 And when I circled back around, it actually allowed me to see it 164 00:08:39,000 --> 00:08:43,000 because before the water was flat, then when the waves hit it, 165 00:08:43,000 --> 00:08:46,000 the object started to show itself in between the waves. 166 00:08:46,000 --> 00:08:48,000 I was like, am I really seeing this? 167 00:08:48,000 --> 00:08:49,000 And at some point, did it go under? 168 00:08:49,000 --> 00:08:51,000 It did. It went under right in front of the camera. 169 00:08:54,000 --> 00:08:57,000 So you have like a video or tape of this thing? 170 00:08:57,000 --> 00:08:59,000 Yeah, I sure do. I have it on my phone. 171 00:08:59,000 --> 00:09:01,000 Here it is right here. I'll let you guys watch it. 172 00:09:01,000 --> 00:09:02,000 Thanks. 173 00:09:02,000 --> 00:09:03,000 Oh, wow. 174 00:09:03,000 --> 00:09:05,000 That does look long. 175 00:09:06,000 --> 00:09:08,000 I mean, that's something huge. 176 00:09:13,000 --> 00:09:16,000 Wow. That definitely is something big in the water. 177 00:09:17,000 --> 00:09:19,000 So I'm guessing as a professional fisherman, 178 00:09:19,000 --> 00:09:23,000 you've been to countless lakes, rivers, streams, ponds, everywhere. 179 00:09:23,000 --> 00:09:25,000 And you've never seen anything like this. 180 00:09:25,000 --> 00:09:26,000 Never seen anything like it. 181 00:09:26,000 --> 00:09:29,000 Are there any types of fish that could get that big 182 00:09:29,000 --> 00:09:31,000 that live in this lake in the deep parts? 183 00:09:31,000 --> 00:09:34,000 The biggest fish that I'm aware of that's in here is Sturgeon. 184 00:09:34,000 --> 00:09:37,000 There are more than 90 species of fish in Lake Champlain, 185 00:09:37,000 --> 00:09:41,000 but the Sturgeon is the undisputed heavyweight champion, 186 00:09:41,000 --> 00:09:44,000 growing to over eight feet long and 300 pounds. 187 00:09:45,000 --> 00:09:48,000 But Kyle's convinced that what he captured on camera 188 00:09:48,000 --> 00:09:50,000 could swallow a giant Sturgeon whole. 189 00:09:52,000 --> 00:09:53,000 I'm an engineer by trade as well, 190 00:09:53,000 --> 00:09:56,000 so I've tried to scale the wave distances and get measurements. 191 00:09:56,000 --> 00:09:59,000 And it's questionable as long as my boat, which over 20 feet. 192 00:09:59,000 --> 00:10:01,000 I've watched my own video over and over, 193 00:10:01,000 --> 00:10:05,000 and I just can't come up with something that makes sense. 194 00:10:05,000 --> 00:10:08,000 It's clear as day that you ran into something weird out there. 195 00:10:08,000 --> 00:10:09,000 A million percent. 196 00:10:10,000 --> 00:10:13,000 If you wouldn't mind, I mean, we'd love to get out to the spot 197 00:10:13,000 --> 00:10:14,000 where you actually saw this. 198 00:10:14,000 --> 00:10:15,000 You bet. Yeah. 199 00:10:15,000 --> 00:10:16,000 I'll be happy to take you guys out there. 200 00:10:16,000 --> 00:10:18,000 I got another tournament, so I can't stick around long, 201 00:10:18,000 --> 00:10:20,000 but I'll be happy to show you where it happened. 202 00:10:20,000 --> 00:10:21,000 Okay. Perfect. 203 00:10:24,000 --> 00:10:27,000 Kyle leads us to where he had his sighting. 204 00:10:28,000 --> 00:10:30,000 We're in rough out here today. 205 00:10:30,000 --> 00:10:31,000 Oh, yeah. 206 00:10:31,000 --> 00:10:35,000 And we finally get a sense of how big this lake really is. 207 00:10:35,000 --> 00:10:40,000 Lake Champlain is 120 miles long, up to 400 feet deep, 208 00:10:40,000 --> 00:10:44,000 and was briefly considered to be the sixth great lake. 209 00:10:44,000 --> 00:10:48,000 If there ever was a place for an elusive lake monster to survive, 210 00:10:48,000 --> 00:10:49,000 this is it. 211 00:10:49,000 --> 00:10:50,000 Woo-hoo-hoo! 212 00:10:51,000 --> 00:10:53,000 All right, Cham. Seriously, guys. 213 00:11:01,000 --> 00:11:03,000 So this is the spot, huh? 214 00:11:05,000 --> 00:11:07,000 Yeah, this is the spot. It's the worst time. 215 00:11:07,000 --> 00:11:08,000 Perfect. 216 00:11:10,000 --> 00:11:12,000 I think we're going to try to spend a couple hours 217 00:11:12,000 --> 00:11:13,000 and see where we can find. 218 00:11:13,000 --> 00:11:15,000 Good luck. I'll be finding. 219 00:11:15,000 --> 00:11:17,000 Okay, thanks. We'll let you know. 220 00:11:17,000 --> 00:11:18,000 Please do. 221 00:11:19,000 --> 00:11:31,000 Kyle's recent sighting took place in this area. 222 00:11:31,000 --> 00:11:37,000 There's about 350 feet of murky water between us and the lake bed below. 223 00:11:37,000 --> 00:11:40,000 Easily enough habitat to hide a giant. 224 00:11:45,000 --> 00:11:48,000 Even though the sun starts to drift below the horizon, 225 00:11:48,000 --> 00:11:52,000 we came prepared for an all-night investigation. 226 00:11:53,000 --> 00:11:56,000 He might be nocturnal, so he might just not be out yet. 227 00:11:56,000 --> 00:11:58,000 You know, I'll take that theory. 228 00:11:58,000 --> 00:12:00,000 Like, there are animals like squid. 229 00:12:00,000 --> 00:12:02,000 We'll spend day in deep waters, 230 00:12:02,000 --> 00:12:04,000 and then at night they come up to feed. 231 00:12:04,000 --> 00:12:07,000 Yeah, I've always liked the idea that, you know, 232 00:12:07,000 --> 00:12:09,000 maybe it's an ancient plesiosaur 233 00:12:09,000 --> 00:12:12,000 that had to adapt to a new way of life. 234 00:12:12,000 --> 00:12:16,000 But that doesn't necessarily mean that there is a plesiosaur 235 00:12:16,000 --> 00:12:19,000 living in here because plesiosaurs went extinct 236 00:12:19,000 --> 00:12:22,000 like 60, 70 million years ago. 237 00:12:22,000 --> 00:12:24,000 You said it yourself before. 238 00:12:24,000 --> 00:12:26,000 What about all those stories about animals 239 00:12:26,000 --> 00:12:29,000 that people thought were extinct and then they find it? 240 00:12:29,000 --> 00:12:30,000 Yeah. 241 00:12:30,000 --> 00:12:32,000 So why couldn't they find a champ? 242 00:12:34,000 --> 00:12:38,000 While rediscovering a living, breathing prehistoric creature 243 00:12:38,000 --> 00:12:41,000 such as the plesiosaur sounds like a tall order, 244 00:12:41,000 --> 00:12:45,000 a number of long lost animals have actually risen from the dead. 245 00:12:45,000 --> 00:12:47,000 Well, kind of. 246 00:12:47,000 --> 00:12:50,000 Take the Silicanth, a large prehistoric fish 247 00:12:50,000 --> 00:12:54,000 that can grow to over 6.5 feet and weigh 200 pounds. 248 00:12:54,000 --> 00:12:58,000 It was believed that they went extinct 65 million years ago, 249 00:12:58,000 --> 00:13:01,000 until it was rediscovered again in 1938. 250 00:13:05,000 --> 00:13:08,000 As far as a place where ancient animals could be hiding, 251 00:13:08,000 --> 00:13:10,000 Lake Champlain is somewhat ideal. 252 00:13:10,000 --> 00:13:12,000 Scientists have discovered fossils here 253 00:13:12,000 --> 00:13:15,000 that date back over 400 million years. 254 00:13:15,000 --> 00:13:17,000 And the teams come equipped with gear 255 00:13:17,000 --> 00:13:19,000 to investigate the lake's mysteries. 256 00:13:19,000 --> 00:13:21,000 The fish camera, huh? 257 00:13:21,000 --> 00:13:22,000 Yeah. 258 00:13:22,000 --> 00:13:24,000 I mean, this thing's amazing. 259 00:13:24,000 --> 00:13:27,000 I mean, you could send this HD camera deep into the water to get... 260 00:13:27,000 --> 00:13:29,000 Get fish selfies. 261 00:13:29,000 --> 00:13:31,000 It's a very cool fish camera. 262 00:13:31,000 --> 00:13:33,000 It is cool. It is cool. 263 00:13:33,000 --> 00:13:36,000 Tonight, this high-definition camera will be our eyes underwater. 264 00:13:36,000 --> 00:13:39,000 And since bright lights are known to attract underwater animals 265 00:13:39,000 --> 00:13:43,000 like squid, maybe this will help bring more action our way. 266 00:13:43,000 --> 00:13:47,000 If Champlain is real and as big as eyewitnesses claim, 267 00:13:47,000 --> 00:13:51,000 it would need to consume potentially thousands of pounds of food 268 00:13:51,000 --> 00:13:53,000 to sustain itself. 269 00:13:58,000 --> 00:14:01,000 I'm thinking what I can do is toss in the bait, 270 00:14:01,000 --> 00:14:03,000 and maybe if it doesn't attract Champlain to eat it, 271 00:14:03,000 --> 00:14:06,000 it'll at least attract other fish that might attract Champlain. 272 00:14:06,000 --> 00:14:07,000 Yeah. 273 00:14:09,000 --> 00:14:12,000 All right, Jess, take a look at the camera. 274 00:14:12,000 --> 00:14:14,000 Oh, check that out. 275 00:14:14,000 --> 00:14:17,000 Getting a pretty good view of the bottom of the lake. 276 00:14:17,000 --> 00:14:18,000 Mm-hmm. 277 00:14:18,000 --> 00:14:22,000 Our camera has descended 350 feet down to the lake bed. 278 00:14:22,000 --> 00:14:25,000 From here, I'll move it around to get a 20-foot panoramic view 279 00:14:25,000 --> 00:14:30,000 of anything that's enticed by the light on the camera or the bait. 280 00:14:33,000 --> 00:14:35,000 Oh, did you see that little fish jump? 281 00:14:35,000 --> 00:14:36,000 Ooh. 282 00:14:36,000 --> 00:14:38,000 That was a good one right there. 283 00:14:38,000 --> 00:14:39,000 Yeah. 284 00:14:39,000 --> 00:14:42,000 Oh, we're getting some activity. 285 00:14:42,000 --> 00:14:44,000 Yeah, it was a huge fish. 286 00:14:48,000 --> 00:14:50,000 Whoa. 287 00:14:50,000 --> 00:14:53,000 Something's definitely trying to eat the light. 288 00:14:53,000 --> 00:14:55,000 Holy crap. 289 00:14:57,000 --> 00:14:58,000 Right there. 290 00:14:58,000 --> 00:14:59,000 It did it again. 291 00:14:59,000 --> 00:15:02,000 Something was definitely interested in our camera, 292 00:15:02,000 --> 00:15:04,000 but it's impossible to tell what it was. 293 00:15:04,000 --> 00:15:08,000 Is it just a large fish or something else? 294 00:15:10,000 --> 00:15:13,000 I start thumping the water to draw it in closer 295 00:15:13,000 --> 00:15:17,000 because vibrations at the surface make fish curious. 296 00:15:17,000 --> 00:15:21,000 I just make loud noises on the surface of the water. 297 00:15:21,000 --> 00:15:24,000 It's known to just draw things in. 298 00:15:34,000 --> 00:15:36,000 I think I got it. 299 00:15:41,000 --> 00:15:43,000 Something just did her bow. 300 00:15:47,000 --> 00:15:50,000 I'm going to go and turn on the lights. 301 00:15:58,000 --> 00:16:00,000 Wait, wait. Back left, back left. 302 00:16:00,000 --> 00:16:02,000 I'm seeing something. 303 00:16:02,000 --> 00:16:03,000 We got something. 304 00:16:03,000 --> 00:16:04,000 Do you remember? 305 00:16:04,000 --> 00:16:05,000 Down, down, down. 306 00:16:05,000 --> 00:16:06,000 Went too far. 307 00:16:06,000 --> 00:16:07,000 Down, down. 308 00:16:07,000 --> 00:16:09,000 One more. 309 00:16:10,000 --> 00:16:11,000 What do you see? 310 00:16:13,000 --> 00:16:15,000 There's something in there. 311 00:16:15,000 --> 00:16:17,000 It was big, whatever I saw. 312 00:16:20,000 --> 00:16:22,000 Where is it now? 313 00:16:23,000 --> 00:16:25,000 It just went under the boat. 314 00:16:26,000 --> 00:16:28,000 My team is on Lake Champlain, 315 00:16:28,000 --> 00:16:30,000 where the mysterious lake monster named Champ 316 00:16:30,000 --> 00:16:34,000 was reportedly seen by professional fisherman Kyle Cortiana. 317 00:16:34,000 --> 00:16:38,000 And the team's efforts to lure something seems to have worked. 318 00:16:38,000 --> 00:16:39,000 It just went under the boat. 319 00:16:39,000 --> 00:16:41,000 A little too well. 320 00:16:41,000 --> 00:16:43,000 There's something in there. 321 00:16:46,000 --> 00:16:47,000 Where is it? 322 00:16:47,000 --> 00:16:50,000 It was really hard to tell, but it was definitely big. 323 00:16:50,000 --> 00:16:51,000 Right there. 324 00:16:51,000 --> 00:16:53,000 I'm going to go and get it. 325 00:16:53,000 --> 00:16:54,000 I'm going to help. 326 00:16:54,000 --> 00:16:56,000 There's definitely a big right in this area. 327 00:16:56,000 --> 00:16:57,000 Okay, well, I'm going to move back. 328 00:16:57,000 --> 00:16:58,000 I'm going to light. Keep your eyes on the water. 329 00:16:58,000 --> 00:16:59,000 Alright. 330 00:17:11,000 --> 00:17:12,000 What do you see? 331 00:17:13,000 --> 00:17:16,000 So, I don't know, I'm kind of thinking whatever 332 00:17:16,000 --> 00:17:18,000 I just saw up here, I think it's gone. 333 00:17:18,000 --> 00:17:19,000 Seriously? 334 00:17:19,000 --> 00:17:20,000 Yeah. 335 00:17:20,000 --> 00:17:23,640 something definitely caused a big thud against the boat. 336 00:17:23,640 --> 00:17:25,480 This whole boat shifted. 337 00:17:25,480 --> 00:17:27,240 So something big hit us. 338 00:17:28,180 --> 00:17:30,440 We had light in the water. 339 00:17:30,440 --> 00:17:33,220 And I was something, 340 00:17:33,220 --> 00:17:35,840 kind of sending those vibrations throughout this area. 341 00:17:35,840 --> 00:17:38,880 So something about the combination 342 00:17:38,880 --> 00:17:43,520 or one of those factors seem to have caused some reaction. 343 00:17:43,520 --> 00:17:45,840 I still would stay out here and try a few more times 344 00:17:45,840 --> 00:17:46,720 and see what happens. 345 00:17:46,720 --> 00:17:47,560 Yeah. 346 00:17:47,560 --> 00:17:48,400 Give it a couple more thuds. 347 00:17:48,400 --> 00:17:49,440 See if it comes back. 348 00:17:49,440 --> 00:17:50,280 Okay. 349 00:17:53,600 --> 00:17:55,160 We continue to chum the water 350 00:17:55,160 --> 00:17:57,160 and try to lure back the creature 351 00:17:57,160 --> 00:18:00,480 with light and vibrations into the early morning. 352 00:18:00,480 --> 00:18:03,000 But the waters of Lake Champlain have calmed. 353 00:18:03,000 --> 00:18:05,580 So as dawn breaks, we head back to shore. 354 00:18:09,440 --> 00:18:11,320 We'll need help to track down Champ 355 00:18:11,320 --> 00:18:13,120 in such a massive lake. 356 00:18:13,120 --> 00:18:15,920 So we've traveled south to meet with local champ expert, 357 00:18:15,920 --> 00:18:16,880 Katie Elizabeth. 358 00:18:18,040 --> 00:18:18,960 Hi, Katie. 359 00:18:18,960 --> 00:18:19,800 Nice to meet you guys. 360 00:18:19,800 --> 00:18:21,200 Nice to meet you too. 361 00:18:21,200 --> 00:18:23,040 Katie is an author, investigator 362 00:18:23,040 --> 00:18:25,200 and the founder of Champ Search. 363 00:18:25,200 --> 00:18:27,560 For eight years, she's been actively combing 364 00:18:27,560 --> 00:18:29,440 every inch of Lake Champlain, 365 00:18:29,440 --> 00:18:31,360 gathering evidence of the monster 366 00:18:31,360 --> 00:18:33,620 and cataloging reported sightings. 367 00:18:33,620 --> 00:18:37,320 And she believes the Lake Monster frequents this marsh. 368 00:18:37,320 --> 00:18:39,520 What got you interested in Champlain the first place? 369 00:18:39,520 --> 00:18:42,640 In 2012, I took a trip to Lake Champlain. 370 00:18:42,640 --> 00:18:46,040 I saw this object pop up to the surface of the water. 371 00:18:46,040 --> 00:18:48,760 I would estimate it was around 15 feet in length, 372 00:18:49,120 --> 00:18:50,520 blackish brown in color. 373 00:18:50,520 --> 00:18:51,520 Were you out on a boat? 374 00:18:51,520 --> 00:18:52,520 Were you walking on the shore? 375 00:18:52,520 --> 00:18:55,760 No, I was actually sitting on a bench eating my breakfast. 376 00:18:55,760 --> 00:18:56,840 I'm looking at it and I'm like, 377 00:18:56,840 --> 00:18:58,920 well, maybe I'm trying to be logical, you know? 378 00:18:58,920 --> 00:19:02,320 I'm like, maybe it's an otter, maybe it's a big snake. 379 00:19:02,320 --> 00:19:03,840 I didn't know what to think, 380 00:19:03,840 --> 00:19:06,400 but it was unlike anything I had ever seen before. 381 00:19:06,400 --> 00:19:07,440 Wow. 382 00:19:07,440 --> 00:19:09,200 Okay, interesting. 383 00:19:09,200 --> 00:19:12,240 What's your theory on what champ might be? 384 00:19:12,240 --> 00:19:16,280 I believe that these animals are an ancient species. 385 00:19:16,280 --> 00:19:19,960 My idea is that these animals are either reptile or amphibian 386 00:19:19,960 --> 00:19:22,880 or perhaps a very strange hybrid of both. 387 00:19:22,880 --> 00:19:25,800 In the wintertime, the lake can freeze completely over. 388 00:19:25,800 --> 00:19:28,000 So these animals need to be breathing somehow 389 00:19:28,000 --> 00:19:29,480 to stay alive. 390 00:19:29,480 --> 00:19:31,240 They could be breathing through their skin 391 00:19:31,240 --> 00:19:33,040 or like the common snapping turtle 392 00:19:33,040 --> 00:19:35,280 that's here in the Lake Champlain region, 393 00:19:35,280 --> 00:19:38,040 they actually breathe through specialized skin cells 394 00:19:38,040 --> 00:19:39,120 beneath their tail. 395 00:19:40,400 --> 00:19:43,120 Katie's theory is actually based in science. 396 00:19:43,120 --> 00:19:44,760 Both reptiles and amphibians 397 00:19:44,760 --> 00:19:47,200 can stay underwater for extended amounts of time 398 00:19:47,200 --> 00:19:49,040 due to their unique anatomy. 399 00:19:49,040 --> 00:19:50,920 Amphibians are able to absorb oxygen 400 00:19:50,920 --> 00:19:52,720 through their permeable skin 401 00:19:52,720 --> 00:19:56,000 while reptiles have an extremely efficient lung capacity. 402 00:19:56,000 --> 00:19:57,720 If Katie's theory is correct, 403 00:19:57,720 --> 00:20:00,160 this could explain how they survive in the lake 404 00:20:00,160 --> 00:20:02,200 and why they aren't seen often. 405 00:20:02,200 --> 00:20:03,960 But I'm not necessarily buying, 406 00:20:03,960 --> 00:20:06,400 there's a giant hybrid frog reptile thing 407 00:20:06,400 --> 00:20:08,320 the size of a dinosaur. 408 00:20:08,320 --> 00:20:11,200 There's been many reports in the marsh systems, 409 00:20:11,200 --> 00:20:13,160 particularly at night. 410 00:20:13,160 --> 00:20:15,120 So you think there's a possibility 411 00:20:15,120 --> 00:20:17,880 that champ actually comes onto land? 412 00:20:17,880 --> 00:20:18,880 Yes, matter of fact, 413 00:20:18,880 --> 00:20:21,800 that's why I had you guys meet me here in this location. 414 00:20:21,800 --> 00:20:25,240 There's been prints and tracks found here, drag marks. 415 00:20:25,240 --> 00:20:26,080 Right here. 416 00:20:26,080 --> 00:20:26,920 Yes, right here. 417 00:20:26,920 --> 00:20:28,280 Why would they favor this area? 418 00:20:28,280 --> 00:20:29,360 It's a great place to feed 419 00:20:29,360 --> 00:20:33,160 because you have snakes, turtles, frogs, little fish. 420 00:20:33,160 --> 00:20:35,360 They could be opportunistic feeders 421 00:20:35,360 --> 00:20:37,200 because there has been reports of them 422 00:20:37,200 --> 00:20:39,840 snatching seagulls off the surface of the water. 423 00:20:39,840 --> 00:20:40,720 Interesting. 424 00:20:40,720 --> 00:20:42,120 I witnessed statements are one thing, 425 00:20:42,360 --> 00:20:44,520 have you ever managed to actually get some evidence 426 00:20:44,520 --> 00:20:48,040 of there potentially being a giant lake monster living here? 427 00:20:48,040 --> 00:20:48,880 Yes, I have. 428 00:20:51,120 --> 00:20:55,440 These are sonar images that I obtained on August 5th, 2019. 429 00:20:55,440 --> 00:20:57,760 My research partners and I were in the boat 430 00:20:57,760 --> 00:21:00,640 and we noticed these strange anomalies 431 00:21:00,640 --> 00:21:02,040 on the bottom of the lake. 432 00:21:02,040 --> 00:21:03,120 And once I enlarged it, 433 00:21:03,120 --> 00:21:04,520 I saw that horse-like head 434 00:21:04,520 --> 00:21:07,320 with the horn-like patrupenses on top. 435 00:21:07,320 --> 00:21:09,760 Katie's sonar captured an image of what could be 436 00:21:09,760 --> 00:21:12,000 an unidentified animal underwater 437 00:21:12,000 --> 00:21:13,840 resting on the lake bottom. 438 00:21:13,840 --> 00:21:16,720 The shape matches previous eyewitness descriptions 439 00:21:16,720 --> 00:21:18,840 of a long-necked creature. 440 00:21:18,840 --> 00:21:22,960 Further north, I saw strange anomalies at the surface. 441 00:21:24,360 --> 00:21:25,760 Oh my gosh, you're right. 442 00:21:25,760 --> 00:21:28,680 There's the animal and then there is its wake. 443 00:21:28,680 --> 00:21:30,040 Yes. 444 00:21:30,040 --> 00:21:31,920 I have to admit, that does look similar 445 00:21:31,920 --> 00:21:34,000 to what we saw in Kyle's video. 446 00:21:34,000 --> 00:21:35,240 There's definitely something in here 447 00:21:35,240 --> 00:21:37,160 that people are calling champ. 448 00:21:37,160 --> 00:21:38,000 Absolutely. 449 00:21:40,320 --> 00:21:43,880 If Katie's right, champ comes to this marsh to feed. 450 00:21:43,880 --> 00:21:46,520 And for me, the discovery of strange tracks 451 00:21:46,520 --> 00:21:48,680 or drag marks coming out of the lake 452 00:21:48,680 --> 00:21:50,400 strengthens her theory. 453 00:21:50,400 --> 00:21:52,800 If this lake monster is a night predator, 454 00:21:52,800 --> 00:21:56,520 then our best chance of an encounter is right now. 455 00:21:58,640 --> 00:21:59,800 See a lot of frogs. 456 00:21:59,800 --> 00:22:01,760 Yeah, a lot of frogs out here. 457 00:22:01,760 --> 00:22:02,600 Katie was right. 458 00:22:02,600 --> 00:22:05,360 Definitely a lot of food here for champ. 459 00:22:05,360 --> 00:22:06,760 And in the dead of night, 460 00:22:06,760 --> 00:22:10,200 this place is looking like a monster buffet. 461 00:22:10,200 --> 00:22:11,040 Got one. 462 00:22:11,040 --> 00:22:12,800 Got that leopard frog. 463 00:22:12,800 --> 00:22:15,000 So this is the classic amphibian. 464 00:22:15,000 --> 00:22:17,280 And you know, Katie was thinking that champ 465 00:22:17,280 --> 00:22:18,640 could be an amphibian, 466 00:22:18,640 --> 00:22:20,920 because this thing can breathe through its mouth 467 00:22:20,920 --> 00:22:22,720 also through its skin, 468 00:22:22,720 --> 00:22:25,120 which would be why champ doesn't come up 469 00:22:25,120 --> 00:22:26,160 to the surface very much 470 00:22:26,160 --> 00:22:28,160 because essentially it doesn't need to. 471 00:22:28,160 --> 00:22:29,000 Yeah. 472 00:22:29,000 --> 00:22:30,800 This is dusk spot where multiple people 473 00:22:30,800 --> 00:22:32,360 have claimed to see champ, 474 00:22:32,360 --> 00:22:35,160 not only in the water, but on shore. 475 00:22:35,160 --> 00:22:36,000 Yeah. 476 00:22:36,000 --> 00:22:37,960 So I have the camera traps in my bag. 477 00:22:37,960 --> 00:22:38,800 OK. 478 00:22:38,800 --> 00:22:40,520 I think we should find a good place in the mud 479 00:22:40,520 --> 00:22:42,680 where we can really dig these posts in. 480 00:22:42,680 --> 00:22:44,680 I just want to make sure if we're not going to lose these cameras. 481 00:22:44,680 --> 00:22:45,680 OK, works for me. 482 00:22:47,600 --> 00:22:50,280 We've brought a dozen infrared waterproof cameras 483 00:22:50,280 --> 00:22:51,960 to spread throughout the area. 484 00:22:51,960 --> 00:22:54,160 If this is a potential champ hotspot, 485 00:22:54,160 --> 00:22:55,720 we need to keep the cameras rolling 486 00:22:55,720 --> 00:22:58,520 in case something decides to emerge from the water. 487 00:23:06,800 --> 00:23:07,720 Oh. 488 00:23:07,720 --> 00:23:08,560 What was that? 489 00:23:08,560 --> 00:23:10,480 What the hell was that? 490 00:23:10,480 --> 00:23:12,560 That sounded like something big. 491 00:23:12,560 --> 00:23:13,720 Oh, I see the ripples. 492 00:23:13,720 --> 00:23:14,880 Oh, f***. 493 00:23:14,880 --> 00:23:16,280 Let's go check that out. 494 00:23:26,360 --> 00:23:27,400 Look at this. 495 00:23:27,400 --> 00:23:28,360 That's a drag mark. 496 00:23:28,360 --> 00:23:29,240 Oh, my God. 497 00:23:29,240 --> 00:23:30,640 That's huge. 498 00:23:36,000 --> 00:23:37,840 There's some marks on this side. 499 00:23:37,840 --> 00:23:40,040 Oh, yeah, look at that. 500 00:23:40,040 --> 00:23:41,560 So bizarre. 501 00:23:41,560 --> 00:23:44,320 Are you thinking that whatever just made that splash, 502 00:23:44,320 --> 00:23:45,360 the same thing as this? 503 00:23:45,360 --> 00:23:47,920 It's in the same exact area. 504 00:23:47,920 --> 00:23:49,720 I think that splash could accommodate 505 00:23:49,720 --> 00:23:51,160 something that is this big. 506 00:23:51,160 --> 00:23:53,040 I don't know, but it stays shallow. 507 00:23:53,040 --> 00:23:54,360 It's a big splash. 508 00:23:54,360 --> 00:23:55,280 I don't know. 509 00:23:55,280 --> 00:23:56,240 I don't know. 510 00:23:56,240 --> 00:23:57,240 I don't know. 511 00:23:57,240 --> 00:23:58,040 I don't know. 512 00:23:58,040 --> 00:23:59,040 I don't know. 513 00:23:59,040 --> 00:24:00,040 I don't know. 514 00:24:00,040 --> 00:24:01,040 I don't know. 515 00:24:01,040 --> 00:24:02,040 I don't know. 516 00:24:02,040 --> 00:24:03,040 I don't know. 517 00:24:03,040 --> 00:24:04,040 I don't know. 518 00:24:04,040 --> 00:24:05,040 I don't know. 519 00:24:05,080 --> 00:24:06,080 But it stays shallow. 520 00:24:06,080 --> 00:24:08,440 Like, we would have seen something in the water. 521 00:24:08,440 --> 00:24:09,440 We would have seen a wave. 522 00:24:09,440 --> 00:24:10,440 Where did that thing go? 523 00:24:10,440 --> 00:24:11,440 I don't know. 524 00:24:11,440 --> 00:24:12,440 I'm checking for an eye shine. 525 00:24:17,120 --> 00:24:18,440 No, I've not seen any eye shine. 526 00:24:18,440 --> 00:24:20,520 OK, I've got the flare camera, so let's take that out. 527 00:24:20,520 --> 00:24:21,520 OK. 528 00:24:24,520 --> 00:24:25,720 Give it a good scan. 529 00:24:29,360 --> 00:24:30,840 I don't see anything over there. 530 00:24:33,640 --> 00:24:34,640 Nothing there? 531 00:24:35,240 --> 00:24:36,240 The rain's starting. 532 00:24:36,240 --> 00:24:37,240 Yeah. 533 00:24:37,240 --> 00:24:38,240 I don't want to lose the tracks. 534 00:24:38,240 --> 00:24:41,240 I think we've got to take photos of that before it gets washed away. 535 00:24:41,240 --> 00:24:42,240 Oh, that's a good idea. 536 00:24:44,240 --> 00:24:47,240 There's no sign of whatever made that splash or these stress tracks, 537 00:24:47,240 --> 00:24:51,240 but we need to move fast if we're going to collect any evidence. 538 00:24:53,240 --> 00:24:57,040 I mean, this thing must have weighed a ton and been super strong 539 00:24:57,040 --> 00:25:00,240 because it took you quite a while to pound those stakes into the ground. 540 00:25:00,240 --> 00:25:02,840 The mud is way more dense than I thought it was going to be. 541 00:25:02,840 --> 00:25:06,440 I've seen sea turtle tracks that look like this on ocean shores, 542 00:25:06,440 --> 00:25:10,440 but it is a lake and I don't think the snapping turtles get quite this big. 543 00:25:10,440 --> 00:25:12,440 The largest ones grow to just over a foot. 544 00:25:12,440 --> 00:25:15,440 All right, well, let's go put out the cameras and see if it'll come back. 545 00:25:16,440 --> 00:25:21,440 If a large creature does frequent this marsh to feed, we need to know. 546 00:25:21,440 --> 00:25:24,440 So we're going to keep our infrared cameras rolling here 547 00:25:24,440 --> 00:25:28,440 in case the animal that just fled the area makes another appearance. 548 00:25:29,440 --> 00:25:30,440 That looks good. 549 00:25:30,440 --> 00:25:31,440 Come take a selfie. 550 00:25:32,040 --> 00:25:33,040 Come take a selfie, champ. 551 00:25:38,040 --> 00:25:42,040 It's day three of our investigation and while we've met some compelling 552 00:25:42,040 --> 00:25:46,040 eyewitnesses and had an interesting encounter of our own out on the water, 553 00:25:46,040 --> 00:25:50,040 I don't think we're any closer to solving this mystery. 554 00:25:50,040 --> 00:25:55,040 A big part of this for me is trying to figure out what is biologically possible. 555 00:25:55,040 --> 00:25:58,040 We have a big lake, so how could this thing feed? 556 00:25:58,040 --> 00:26:01,040 How could it have a sustainable population? 557 00:26:01,640 --> 00:26:04,640 How could it stay underwater for all this time and not be seen? 558 00:26:04,640 --> 00:26:06,640 There's just all these questions I have. 559 00:26:06,640 --> 00:26:09,640 What exists out there that this could be similar to? 560 00:26:11,640 --> 00:26:15,640 So we're headed to the Lehi Center, a science and nature museum near the lake 561 00:26:15,640 --> 00:26:18,640 for what I think this investigation desperately needs, 562 00:26:18,640 --> 00:26:21,640 a rational, scientific point of view. 563 00:26:21,640 --> 00:26:23,640 Welcome to the Lehi Center for Lake Champlain. 564 00:26:23,640 --> 00:26:27,640 I've arranged a meeting with director of programs Nina Ritibinio, 565 00:26:27,640 --> 00:26:30,640 an expert on the local ecosystem and the champ legend. 566 00:26:31,640 --> 00:26:34,640 I'm loving the champ stuff here. 567 00:26:34,640 --> 00:26:36,640 I know, aren't they cute all together? 568 00:26:36,640 --> 00:26:37,640 They're so cute. 569 00:26:37,640 --> 00:26:42,640 Well, and that's actually why we're here is we're actually kind of seeing if we can't find champ. 570 00:26:42,640 --> 00:26:43,640 An excellent quest. 571 00:26:43,640 --> 00:26:48,640 Do you have anything a little less adorable and more in the vein of like hard champ evidence here? 572 00:26:48,640 --> 00:26:49,640 We do actually. 573 00:26:49,640 --> 00:26:51,640 We host the famous man Z-Photo. 574 00:26:51,640 --> 00:26:52,640 Oh, that's cool. 575 00:26:52,640 --> 00:26:53,640 Like Z-Photo. 576 00:26:53,640 --> 00:26:54,640 Z-Photo. 577 00:26:54,640 --> 00:26:55,640 Can we see it? 578 00:26:55,640 --> 00:26:56,640 Yeah. 579 00:26:57,640 --> 00:27:02,640 The original man Z-Photo is so much more detailed than the low resolution replica we've seen before. 580 00:27:02,640 --> 00:27:05,640 You can see that the body is clearly defined. 581 00:27:05,640 --> 00:27:08,640 It doesn't look like an optical illusion caused by a shadow. 582 00:27:09,640 --> 00:27:11,640 Oh, wow. Check that out. 583 00:27:11,640 --> 00:27:14,640 What do you think is the most convincing evidence that exists? 584 00:27:14,640 --> 00:27:15,640 Do you think it's this? 585 00:27:15,640 --> 00:27:18,640 I think it really depends on what you consider, consider evidence. 586 00:27:18,640 --> 00:27:24,640 Until you have a live, live animal, it's really hard to confirm the existence of something. 587 00:27:24,640 --> 00:27:25,640 What do you see in it? 588 00:27:25,640 --> 00:27:34,640 All right, so I see two possibilities, either a hump in a neck or maybe an animal on its side with a flipper in the air. 589 00:27:34,640 --> 00:27:36,640 So you're convinced definitely animal. 590 00:27:36,640 --> 00:27:38,640 Yeah, I'm convinced animal. 591 00:27:38,640 --> 00:27:40,640 I mean, it looks a lot like an animal. 592 00:27:40,640 --> 00:27:46,640 I'm trying to tell if that's like a fish diving out and we're kind of catching a little arch of it. 593 00:27:46,640 --> 00:27:49,640 I mean, it looks a lot like a giant lake monster. 594 00:27:49,640 --> 00:27:51,640 Yeah, it does. It's convincing. 595 00:27:51,640 --> 00:27:52,640 So what do you think it is? 596 00:27:52,640 --> 00:27:59,640 It could be a wake of a boat or it could be different animals, large animals, collections of animals. 597 00:27:59,640 --> 00:28:01,640 How big do you think this thing is? 598 00:28:01,640 --> 00:28:07,640 From a photo, it's impossible to tell, but we know people usually report champ to be between 10 and 40 feet. 599 00:28:07,640 --> 00:28:12,640 We have animals here that are approaching that 10 foot size, but 40 feet is pretty big. 600 00:28:12,640 --> 00:28:19,640 Lake Champlain is swarming with 90 known species of fish, but there's no way any of them could grow to 40 feet. 601 00:28:19,640 --> 00:28:27,640 But there is one kind of freshwater fish here that, well, let's just say if it was swimming by and you didn't know what it was, your heart might jump out of your chest. 602 00:28:27,640 --> 00:28:29,640 Oh my gosh. 603 00:28:29,640 --> 00:28:30,640 Look at these things. 604 00:28:30,640 --> 00:28:31,640 Aren't they amazing? 605 00:28:31,640 --> 00:28:32,640 So these are the sturgeon. 606 00:28:32,640 --> 00:28:36,640 This is the largest fish we have in Lake Champlain. They can get up to eight feet. 607 00:28:36,640 --> 00:28:37,640 How long do they live for? 608 00:28:37,640 --> 00:28:40,640 They're really long live fish. They can live 80 hundred years. 609 00:28:40,640 --> 00:28:45,640 To me, you see an eight foot one of those guys jumping out of the water, giant lake monster. 610 00:28:45,640 --> 00:28:48,640 So possibility, but not a total yes. 611 00:28:48,640 --> 00:28:57,640 Not only are these sturgeon huge, they're hardly seen because they're bottom feeders, except in the rare instance when they breach the surface, 612 00:28:57,640 --> 00:29:02,640 which could resemble the head of a lake monster to a casual observer. 613 00:29:02,640 --> 00:29:08,640 It explains why champsiding seldom occur and why they cause such a stir when they do. 614 00:29:08,640 --> 00:29:13,640 But just when I'm thinking this case is closed, Nina drops this nugget on us. 615 00:29:13,640 --> 00:29:15,640 This is the Charlotte whale. 616 00:29:15,640 --> 00:29:17,640 Oh, look at those teeth. 617 00:29:17,640 --> 00:29:19,640 That lived in Lake Champlain. 618 00:29:19,640 --> 00:29:22,640 Yeah, it's unusual because Vermont has no coast. 619 00:29:22,640 --> 00:29:23,640 Yeah. 620 00:29:23,640 --> 00:29:24,640 Yeah. So how did the whale get here? 621 00:29:24,640 --> 00:29:32,640 Lake Champlain's been here about 10,000 years, but right before that there was something called the Champlain Sea that was connected to the Atlantic Ocean. 622 00:29:32,640 --> 00:29:37,640 So at that time, we had whales able to move into the area. 623 00:29:37,640 --> 00:29:38,640 Wow. 624 00:29:38,640 --> 00:29:43,640 So that's an example of a pretty large animal, even whales larger than this that would have been in this area. 625 00:29:43,640 --> 00:29:54,640 Hearing that Lake Champlain was an inland salt sea strengthens my belief that there could still be a large aquatic creature living in these waters. 626 00:29:54,640 --> 00:30:00,640 We do have these examples of animals that have been able to move between salt water and freshwater, 627 00:30:00,640 --> 00:30:04,640 and there have been plesiosores that have been found in brackish waters, 628 00:30:04,640 --> 00:30:07,640 and brackish waters we start to see this mixing of salt water and freshwater. 629 00:30:07,640 --> 00:30:10,640 Interesting. So you're saying there's a chance. 630 00:30:10,640 --> 00:30:12,640 Evolution does some weird stuff. 631 00:30:12,640 --> 00:30:16,640 I mean, there's always a possibility, but the sturgeon is a 65-million-year-old species. 632 00:30:16,640 --> 00:30:19,640 There you go. It sounds like this is feasible. 633 00:30:19,640 --> 00:30:21,640 Something to be further investigated. 634 00:30:21,640 --> 00:30:22,640 Yeah. 635 00:30:22,640 --> 00:30:30,640 If Cham did exist the way that people are reporting their sightings, is there anywhere in Lake Champlain that would be a good habitat for it? 636 00:30:30,640 --> 00:30:33,640 Well, a lot of Champlain sightings happen in the deepest parts of the lake. 637 00:30:34,640 --> 00:30:42,640 I'm shocked to hear that Nina doesn't rule out that a giant unknown creature might actually be living in the darkest depths of the lake. 638 00:30:42,640 --> 00:30:46,640 While I'm keeping an open mind, I'm not sure where Jess and I go from here. 639 00:30:46,640 --> 00:30:49,640 So we're checking in with Josh for some guidance. 640 00:30:49,640 --> 00:30:51,640 Hey, Phil and Jess, how are you? 641 00:30:51,640 --> 00:30:52,640 Hey, good. 642 00:30:52,640 --> 00:30:54,640 So, you find a lake monster yet? 643 00:30:54,640 --> 00:30:56,640 Not quite yet. 644 00:30:56,640 --> 00:31:00,640 Listen, we've talked to some really compelling witnesses, but we've also talked to some experts here, 645 00:31:00,640 --> 00:31:06,640 and I'm really thinking that what people may be seeing out here could just be a sturgeon. 646 00:31:06,640 --> 00:31:13,640 They don't come to the surface very often, but when they do, you could imagine someone mistaking that for a giant lake monster. 647 00:31:13,640 --> 00:31:15,640 Lake Champlain is huge. 648 00:31:15,640 --> 00:31:18,640 I mean, they have found whale skeletons there. 649 00:31:18,640 --> 00:31:20,640 This thing used to be connected to the ocean. 650 00:31:20,640 --> 00:31:27,640 In my opinion, there is a really good chance that something like a pleasiosaur or some sort of other ancient creature got stuck in there 651 00:31:27,640 --> 00:31:32,640 and then now has evolved over time to be the thing that people are reporting as champ. 652 00:31:32,640 --> 00:31:36,640 So that's kind of similar to what you hear about Loch Ness, right? 653 00:31:36,640 --> 00:31:46,640 This other body of water connected to the ocean, and there's always been this idea among believers Nessie is somehow using underwater caves or tunnels as a kind of sanctuary. 654 00:31:46,640 --> 00:31:49,640 I wonder if that might be an interesting approach here. 655 00:31:49,640 --> 00:31:54,640 I mean, I think you should really dig into, no pun intended, the geology of the lake itself. 656 00:31:54,640 --> 00:32:02,640 Are there any geological features below the surface that could provide a kind of long term underwater habitat for this creature? 657 00:32:02,640 --> 00:32:03,640 Yeah, I think that makes sense. 658 00:32:03,640 --> 00:32:06,640 It wouldn't surprise me at all to find out that there's some caves down there. 659 00:32:06,640 --> 00:32:09,640 To that end, I'm going to be sending you an underwater ROV. 660 00:32:09,640 --> 00:32:12,640 We really want to get a look at the underside of this lake. 661 00:32:12,640 --> 00:32:14,640 We're going to need eyes to do it. 662 00:32:14,640 --> 00:32:17,640 So you'll have that at your disposal to help with the investigation. 663 00:32:17,640 --> 00:32:18,640 Perfect. I called dibs. 664 00:32:20,640 --> 00:32:22,640 I think we got to go diving and by we, I mean you. 665 00:32:23,640 --> 00:32:25,640 Don't get eaten by a lake monster. 666 00:32:25,640 --> 00:32:26,640 Yeah, good advice. 667 00:32:26,640 --> 00:32:27,640 Good luck. 668 00:32:27,640 --> 00:32:28,640 Thanks. 669 00:32:29,640 --> 00:32:41,640 According to a 2012 study, it's believed that large fish prefer to hang out in coral or rocky overhangs, possibly to protect themselves from ultraviolet sunlight or to lie and wait for prey. 670 00:32:41,640 --> 00:32:50,640 Assuming champ is no different, Jess and I poured over maritime maps of the lake, lining them up with hundreds of champ sightings and check this out. 671 00:32:50,640 --> 00:33:00,640 Here in the heart of the majority of sightings is a geological landmark called Ferris Rock, an infamous maritime hazard that is claimed more than its fair share of shipwrecks. 672 00:33:00,640 --> 00:33:06,640 It's a massive underwater mountain that easily could shelter the lake's largest animals. 673 00:33:06,640 --> 00:33:11,640 If champ is real, then Ferris Rock is just the kind of place we're going to find them. 674 00:33:13,640 --> 00:33:16,640 Okay, so we're anchored in at Ferris Rock. 675 00:33:16,640 --> 00:33:17,640 So are you ready to go? 676 00:33:17,640 --> 00:33:28,640 If there is some sort of lake monster around here, and that's a big if, my thought is it's probably something that's either at depths or in some of the natural places to hide out at in this lake. 677 00:33:28,640 --> 00:33:37,640 I'm going to be looking out for different crevices, different cracks that could lead to a bigger chamber down there, and you with this underwater ROV can basically be back up. 678 00:33:37,640 --> 00:33:41,640 Why don't you take the south side of the rock formation? 679 00:33:41,640 --> 00:33:48,640 I'll take the north side. That way if you scare anything out, I have a chance of capturing it on the ROV camera. 680 00:33:48,640 --> 00:33:51,640 All right. Well, I feel like this is a shot to find champ. 681 00:33:51,640 --> 00:33:53,640 Yeah, you excited? 682 00:33:53,640 --> 00:34:01,640 You know, you'll be up here safe on the boat. I'll be down there looking for a giant lake monster. 683 00:34:02,640 --> 00:34:13,640 As Phil gears up, I prep our remote operated underwater vehicle, a submersible robot with a high definition camera that can descend to a depth of 650 feet. 684 00:34:13,640 --> 00:34:20,640 If a large unidentified creature is hiding in these depths, we have the technology to document it. 685 00:34:20,640 --> 00:34:21,640 All right, you good? 686 00:34:21,640 --> 00:34:22,640 I think I'm all set. 687 00:34:22,640 --> 00:34:26,640 Okay, well, good luck. Be careful. 688 00:34:26,640 --> 00:34:27,640 You got it. 689 00:34:31,640 --> 00:34:34,640 You have it. 690 00:34:40,640 --> 00:34:51,640 We're ending the imaginary swampclipse. 691 00:34:51,640 --> 00:34:57,640 We have an establishing super Onunium m veramente. 692 00:34:57,640 --> 00:35:17,940 I 693 00:35:17,940 --> 00:35:23,100 witnesses have spotted champ over the centuries, but it is rare, which means it definitely 694 00:35:23,100 --> 00:35:28,520 has found a good hiding spot deep in the lake, and Ferris Rock is our best bet. 695 00:35:28,520 --> 00:35:33,700 Phil will explore the south side of the formation, looking for any crevices that may lead to 696 00:35:33,700 --> 00:35:39,100 a larger chamber, while I navigate the ROV on the north side. 697 00:35:39,100 --> 00:35:44,980 While Phil's gear and physiology can only safely handle a depth of about 150 feet, this 698 00:35:44,980 --> 00:35:51,980 remote operated vehicle can explore much deeper into the abyss. 699 00:36:14,980 --> 00:36:28,700 It's really tricky to maneuver this. 700 00:36:28,700 --> 00:36:31,500 All the spaces are pretty narrow. 701 00:36:31,500 --> 00:36:35,500 Where's the ROV at? 702 00:36:35,500 --> 00:36:42,500 ROV's at 60 feet, looking for schools of fish and any crevices large enough to fit the ROV. 703 00:36:42,500 --> 00:36:43,500 Go deeper. 704 00:36:43,500 --> 00:36:44,500 Copy that. 705 00:36:44,520 --> 00:36:45,520 Descending to 150 feet. 706 00:36:45,520 --> 00:36:48,020 We've gotten some huge fish, probably between 2 and 4 feet. 707 00:36:48,020 --> 00:36:50,380 There is something big down here. 708 00:36:50,380 --> 00:36:51,380 It's got plenty of food. 709 00:36:51,380 --> 00:36:52,380 I've seen any sturgeon yet, though. 710 00:36:52,380 --> 00:36:53,380 Woah. 711 00:36:53,380 --> 00:36:54,380 There's a huge drop off here. 712 00:36:54,380 --> 00:36:55,380 This drop off looks bottomless. 713 00:36:55,380 --> 00:36:56,380 I'll keep scaling down this rock face. 714 00:36:56,380 --> 00:36:57,380 It's a huge fish. 715 00:36:57,380 --> 00:37:04,380 I've seen any sturgeon yet, though. 716 00:37:04,380 --> 00:37:13,380 There's a huge drop off here. 717 00:37:13,380 --> 00:37:20,380 I'm scaling down this rock face until I hit my depth limit. 718 00:37:20,380 --> 00:37:27,380 Descending 200 feet. 719 00:37:27,380 --> 00:37:31,380 The deep red gull? 720 00:37:31,380 --> 00:37:33,380 The darker it is. 721 00:37:33,380 --> 00:37:36,380 Can you still hear me? 722 00:37:36,380 --> 00:37:39,380 I can hear you. 723 00:37:39,380 --> 00:37:46,380 Descending to 150 feet. 724 00:37:46,380 --> 00:37:52,380 Looks like some of these cracks need to be in a bigger chamber under this rock. 725 00:37:52,380 --> 00:37:53,380 Big enough to hold a champ? 726 00:37:53,380 --> 00:37:54,380 It's really hard to tell. 727 00:37:54,380 --> 00:37:59,380 I can't squeeze through the opening with my take on. 728 00:37:59,380 --> 00:38:02,380 I've just seen if there's another way in. 729 00:38:02,380 --> 00:38:06,380 I've got to find an entrance that's large enough to safely enter. 730 00:38:06,380 --> 00:38:11,380 If my equipment gets snagged on these rocks, this potential underwater haven could become 731 00:38:11,380 --> 00:38:13,380 extremely treacherous. 732 00:38:13,380 --> 00:38:15,380 It is working down here. 733 00:38:15,380 --> 00:38:17,380 Visibility is between 5 and 10 feet at some points. 734 00:38:17,380 --> 00:38:22,380 If you touch this sill, it just completely clouds the water around. 735 00:38:22,380 --> 00:38:27,380 I mean, visibility is so bad. 736 00:38:27,380 --> 00:38:35,380 Phil would have to be on top of anything that was living down there before he even noticed it. 737 00:38:35,380 --> 00:38:47,380 If Phil spots something, I hope he's at a safe distance. 738 00:38:47,380 --> 00:38:51,380 Oh my god, that's huge. 739 00:38:51,380 --> 00:38:55,380 We got something down here. 740 00:38:55,380 --> 00:38:57,380 What was that? 741 00:38:57,380 --> 00:38:59,380 Did you see that? 742 00:38:59,380 --> 00:39:01,380 What did you see? What did you see? 743 00:39:01,380 --> 00:39:04,380 It was something big. It was moving. I think it went to deeper water. 744 00:39:04,380 --> 00:39:07,380 That was a huge s***. 745 00:39:07,380 --> 00:39:10,380 Oh my god, where did it go? 746 00:39:10,380 --> 00:39:13,380 Bring the ROV over. Now. Hurry. 747 00:39:13,380 --> 00:39:15,380 Whatever that was, its descent was fast. 748 00:39:15,380 --> 00:39:26,380 If we have any chance of capturing it on video, we'll have to use the ROV since it can move much more quickly. 749 00:39:26,380 --> 00:39:36,380 My descent always needs to be slow and deliberate to avoid organ damage from increased water pressure. 750 00:39:36,380 --> 00:39:40,380 Whatever I just saw is speeding down to the deepest part of the lake. 751 00:39:40,380 --> 00:39:45,380 Still can't see the ROV. 752 00:39:45,380 --> 00:39:49,380 Yeah, I see you with the ROV. So just grab it and point it where you want it to go. 753 00:39:49,380 --> 00:39:52,380 Alright, a little closer. A little closer. 754 00:39:52,380 --> 00:39:53,380 Alright, got it. 755 00:39:53,380 --> 00:39:59,380 I'm turning you to face the edge of this ledge. It went straight and down into deeper waters. 756 00:39:59,380 --> 00:40:04,380 Alright, got it. Copy. 757 00:40:04,380 --> 00:40:08,380 I'm beyond a little rosy. I'm way beyond my depth limit. 758 00:40:08,380 --> 00:40:16,380 I'm pushing the limits of nitrogen narcosis at this depth, which can bring intoxicating effects and lead to a loss in consciousness. 759 00:40:16,380 --> 00:40:21,380 This happens when you breathe compressed gas at depths over 100 feet. 760 00:40:21,380 --> 00:40:30,380 That's why recreational divers are advised not to descend beyond 140 feet. 761 00:40:30,380 --> 00:40:39,380 I've got to ascend before I start feeling even more disoriented. 762 00:40:39,380 --> 00:40:41,380 Bill, are you okay? 763 00:40:41,380 --> 00:40:46,380 It just went too deep, too fast after whatever that thing was. 764 00:40:46,380 --> 00:40:54,380 The ROV is going to have to take it from here. 765 00:40:54,380 --> 00:40:59,380 As Phil takes off his scuba gear, I man the ROV for any sign of the animal. 766 00:40:59,380 --> 00:41:05,380 The depth gauge indicates we're already at 250 feet. 767 00:41:05,380 --> 00:41:08,380 Alright, what did you see? 768 00:41:08,380 --> 00:41:15,380 I don't know what it was, but we've swimmed basically along that ledge there underneath one of the overhangs. 769 00:41:15,380 --> 00:41:21,380 It's a huge cloud of soil. It just kicked up. Just something took off that was big. 770 00:41:21,380 --> 00:41:25,380 I kind of got a glimpse of it, but visibility, once something hits 10 feet, 15 feet, 771 00:41:25,380 --> 00:41:28,380 you just kind of make out a little bit of something. 772 00:41:28,380 --> 00:41:30,380 Bill, anything? 773 00:41:30,380 --> 00:41:33,380 Let's take this down 100 more feet. 774 00:41:33,380 --> 00:41:35,380 I've got different looks down there. 775 00:41:35,380 --> 00:41:38,380 It's so hard to see. 776 00:41:38,380 --> 00:41:44,380 I just keep seeing stuff on the left and right, but I don't think that's... 777 00:41:44,380 --> 00:41:46,380 What's this? 778 00:41:46,380 --> 00:41:47,380 Do you see that? 779 00:41:47,380 --> 00:41:49,380 It looks thick. 780 00:41:49,380 --> 00:41:52,380 What is that? 781 00:41:56,380 --> 00:42:02,380 Thirty years before the iconic Manzi photo was taken, another famous photograph was snapped across the pond. 782 00:42:02,380 --> 00:42:06,380 And unless you've been living under a lake, you've seen it. 783 00:42:06,380 --> 00:42:12,380 It came to be known as the Surgeon's photo, and it purportedly depicted champ Scottish doppelganger, the Loch Ness monster. 784 00:42:12,380 --> 00:42:13,940 the Loch Ness Monster. 785 00:42:13,940 --> 00:42:15,420 For decades, the photo was considered 786 00:42:15,420 --> 00:42:19,280 the high watermark of evidence of a bona fide lake monster. 787 00:42:19,280 --> 00:42:24,020 But in 1984, a tangled thread of lies started unraveling. 788 00:42:24,020 --> 00:42:26,660 A photo analysis was performed that determined 789 00:42:26,660 --> 00:42:29,860 the object was only two or three feet long. 790 00:42:29,860 --> 00:42:33,100 Then, in 1994, the nail in the coffin, 791 00:42:33,100 --> 00:42:35,860 a man named Christopher Spurling outed everyone 792 00:42:35,860 --> 00:42:38,240 involved on his deathbed, confessing 793 00:42:38,240 --> 00:42:40,940 that the creature in the photo was just a modeled sea 794 00:42:40,960 --> 00:42:44,500 serpent head attached to a small toy submarine. 795 00:42:44,500 --> 00:42:45,480 Whoops. 796 00:42:45,480 --> 00:42:48,240 By comparison, to this day, the manzee photo, 797 00:42:48,240 --> 00:42:52,540 depicting Champ, has held up to scientific scrutiny. 798 00:42:52,540 --> 00:42:53,280 Sorry, Nessie. 799 00:42:59,960 --> 00:43:00,860 What's this? 800 00:43:00,860 --> 00:43:01,900 Did you see that? 801 00:43:01,900 --> 00:43:03,160 What is that? 802 00:43:03,160 --> 00:43:04,360 That looks big. 803 00:43:04,360 --> 00:43:07,020 Phil and Jess are chasing a large creature that 804 00:43:07,020 --> 00:43:10,840 could be the elusive Champ using an ROV, piloted 805 00:43:10,860 --> 00:43:13,800 into the murky depths of Lake Champlain. 806 00:43:13,800 --> 00:43:15,000 We got something coming up. 807 00:43:15,000 --> 00:43:16,600 Absolutely. 808 00:43:16,600 --> 00:43:17,800 Whoa. 809 00:43:17,800 --> 00:43:19,640 Look at that. 810 00:43:19,640 --> 00:43:20,440 What is that? 811 00:43:20,440 --> 00:43:21,240 Get closer. 812 00:43:21,240 --> 00:43:22,780 Get closer. 813 00:43:22,780 --> 00:43:24,740 That's a shipwreck. 814 00:43:24,740 --> 00:43:25,740 Wow, that's a shipwreck. 815 00:43:25,740 --> 00:43:26,740 We found a shipwreck. 816 00:43:29,420 --> 00:43:30,560 That is huge. 817 00:43:30,560 --> 00:43:33,560 Check that out. 818 00:43:33,560 --> 00:43:35,800 This lake has got all sorts of things down below. 819 00:43:35,800 --> 00:43:36,800 Wow. 820 00:43:36,860 --> 00:43:41,800 OK, whatever I saw led us straight to the shipwreck. 821 00:43:41,800 --> 00:43:42,200 Yeah. 822 00:43:42,200 --> 00:43:43,760 I mean, maybe it's using it as shelter. 823 00:43:43,760 --> 00:43:44,160 Yeah. 824 00:43:44,160 --> 00:43:47,100 Let me see how close I can get. 825 00:43:47,100 --> 00:43:50,200 For more than 250 years, Lake Champlain 826 00:43:50,200 --> 00:43:51,740 has been a hub of commerce. 827 00:43:51,740 --> 00:43:53,600 And on this heavily trafficked lake, 828 00:43:53,600 --> 00:43:55,680 accidents were inevitable. 829 00:43:55,680 --> 00:43:58,880 To date, there's approximately 300 shipwrecks 830 00:43:58,880 --> 00:44:01,920 that provide shelter for creatures of the deep. 831 00:44:01,920 --> 00:44:05,420 I don't know how old this thing is, but it looks super old. 832 00:44:05,420 --> 00:44:06,220 Super old. 833 00:44:06,280 --> 00:44:07,640 Look how much it's caved. 834 00:44:07,640 --> 00:44:08,380 Mm-hmm. 835 00:44:08,380 --> 00:44:11,480 I know a lot of fish use shipwrecks as refuge. 836 00:44:11,480 --> 00:44:14,520 So easily whatever I saw could be in there right now. 837 00:44:14,520 --> 00:44:16,580 I mean, this would make a good hiding place or home 838 00:44:16,580 --> 00:44:18,220 or a champ. 839 00:44:18,220 --> 00:44:21,560 In 2020, scientists completed two research projects 840 00:44:21,560 --> 00:44:23,760 that revealed large aquatic predators 841 00:44:23,760 --> 00:44:26,460 may actually prefer artificial habitats, 842 00:44:26,460 --> 00:44:29,940 like sunken ships, over a natural environment. 843 00:44:29,940 --> 00:44:32,260 If the large unidentified creature people call 844 00:44:32,260 --> 00:44:35,180 champ is also a predator, it's very possible 845 00:44:35,180 --> 00:44:38,640 it would frequent this wreck as well. 846 00:44:38,640 --> 00:44:40,400 Maybe just settle it right here. 847 00:44:40,400 --> 00:44:41,840 I should see if anything happens. 848 00:44:41,840 --> 00:44:42,800 Yeah, leave it right here. 849 00:44:52,800 --> 00:44:53,800 Whoa, whoa, whoa. 850 00:44:53,800 --> 00:44:55,440 What do we got? 851 00:44:55,440 --> 00:44:57,320 It's like a hurricane down there. 852 00:44:57,320 --> 00:45:00,360 It's throwing an ROV around like a rag doll. 853 00:45:00,360 --> 00:45:03,520 Something just turned the lake floor into a washing machine 854 00:45:03,540 --> 00:45:06,940 and kicked up a 30-foot cloud of muck. 855 00:45:06,940 --> 00:45:08,540 There has to be something here. 856 00:45:09,980 --> 00:45:11,580 Where is this thing? 857 00:45:11,580 --> 00:45:13,860 Whatever it was, it has to be close. 858 00:45:15,340 --> 00:45:17,780 We pivot the ROV in every direction 859 00:45:17,780 --> 00:45:20,140 and continue to patrol the lake floor. 860 00:45:29,580 --> 00:45:30,420 I think it's gone. 861 00:45:30,420 --> 00:45:31,260 I think we lost it. 862 00:45:32,260 --> 00:45:35,240 And I'm not seeing anything. 863 00:45:37,640 --> 00:45:39,400 We continue to scan the lake bed 864 00:45:39,400 --> 00:45:43,160 using up every bit of charge on our ROV unit. 865 00:45:43,160 --> 00:45:46,560 Whatever we encountered earlier seems to have evaded us. 866 00:45:46,560 --> 00:45:48,840 With no way to further explore the depths, 867 00:45:48,840 --> 00:45:51,200 we have no choice but to call it a day. 868 00:46:01,840 --> 00:46:05,360 Water covers 71% of our planet's surface, 869 00:46:05,360 --> 00:46:09,160 but its mysterious depths remain a world of their own. 870 00:46:09,160 --> 00:46:11,680 Many scientists call this underwater realm 871 00:46:11,680 --> 00:46:14,320 the final frontier of our planet, 872 00:46:14,320 --> 00:46:16,840 but has Champ, a colossal creature, 873 00:46:16,840 --> 00:46:20,760 managed to elude our detection for thousands of years. 874 00:46:20,760 --> 00:46:22,760 After retrieving and reviewing the footage 875 00:46:22,760 --> 00:46:25,560 from the infrared cameras left rolling in the marsh, 876 00:46:25,560 --> 00:46:27,440 my team found no further evidence 877 00:46:27,440 --> 00:46:30,160 that a large creature made landfall. 878 00:46:30,180 --> 00:46:32,620 Though Phil did share the photos of the drag marks 879 00:46:32,620 --> 00:46:35,100 with his peers and no one could identify 880 00:46:35,100 --> 00:46:36,580 what could have made them. 881 00:46:36,580 --> 00:46:40,020 And after enhancing the footage caught on the ROV camera. 882 00:46:40,020 --> 00:46:41,820 Whoa, whoa, whoa, what do we got? 883 00:46:41,820 --> 00:46:44,700 The animal that kicked up a massive cloud of sediment 884 00:46:44,700 --> 00:46:46,740 could not be identified. 885 00:46:46,740 --> 00:46:50,380 We came out here looking for a champ experience 886 00:46:50,380 --> 00:46:51,460 and we got one. 887 00:46:51,460 --> 00:46:53,620 I just wish we would have gotten a better look at it. 888 00:46:53,620 --> 00:46:56,340 The champ experience is seeing something giant 889 00:46:56,340 --> 00:46:58,020 and unknown swimming in the water 890 00:46:58,020 --> 00:46:59,520 than absolutely. 891 00:46:59,520 --> 00:47:03,400 If I had to make a bet, I would say maybe 892 00:47:03,400 --> 00:47:06,280 it's a giant record breaking sturgeon 893 00:47:06,280 --> 00:47:09,160 that are taking people by surprise, myself included. 894 00:47:09,160 --> 00:47:11,400 A frightening looking fish in its own right, 895 00:47:11,400 --> 00:47:13,680 sturgeon sightings are nearly as elusive 896 00:47:13,680 --> 00:47:16,000 as the lake monster it's undoubtedly 897 00:47:16,000 --> 00:47:17,760 sometimes mistaken for. 898 00:47:18,800 --> 00:47:21,800 But for centuries, highly credible reports of champ 899 00:47:21,800 --> 00:47:23,120 have persisted. 900 00:47:23,120 --> 00:47:24,720 There's even that famous photo 901 00:47:24,720 --> 00:47:27,280 that scholars are unable to explain, 902 00:47:27,340 --> 00:47:30,500 alluring many to a more fantastic explanation. 903 00:47:30,500 --> 00:47:33,060 I think that it's an ancient creature of some sort 904 00:47:33,060 --> 00:47:37,500 that in my opinion has managed to adapt to the area, 905 00:47:37,500 --> 00:47:40,620 got stuck in there back when it was part of the sea 906 00:47:40,620 --> 00:47:42,860 that they haven't been able to identify 907 00:47:42,860 --> 00:47:45,300 that people refer to as champ. 908 00:47:45,300 --> 00:47:46,140 I don't know. 909 00:47:47,260 --> 00:47:49,220 With so much of the underwater world 910 00:47:49,220 --> 00:47:51,260 hidden from our curious watch, 911 00:47:51,260 --> 00:47:53,220 don't be surprised if one day 912 00:47:53,220 --> 00:47:56,660 the mystery of champ finally breaks the surface. 913 00:47:58,060 --> 00:48:01,420 For more information on Expedition X, 914 00:48:01,420 --> 00:48:04,860 head to discovery.com slash expedition X.