Google Lets You Hunt for the Loch Ness Monster With Street View


GoogleLochNessStreetViewThis week marked the 81st anniversary of one of the most iconic and infamous pictures to ever spark a world phenomenon, the famous “Surgeon’s Photograph”. Taken in 1934, this photo is almost singlehandedly responsible for the worldwide interest in Nessie, Scotland’s oft-hunted Loch Ness Monster. Until yesterday, monster hunters would have to travel all the way to the Scottish Highlands to try and catch a glimpse of this magnificent cryptid. But now, thanks to the newest innovation from Google, you can actually use Street View to launch your own exploration into the great mystery of the Loch Ness.

GoogleLochNessStreetView1Is Nessie fact or fiction? For years people have scoured the murky depths of Loch Ness hoping to catch a glimpse or snap a photograph that would ultimately prove the existence of this mythical beast. Every few years new rumors circulate following the emergence of new footage that supposedly confirms its existence, but ultimately, even the “Surgeon’s Photograph” taken in 1934 could very well be a fake. So Google came up with the ingenious idea to use what is essentially an aquatic version of the Street View car and, teaming with Nessie expert Adrian Shine, captured all-new 360-degree imagery from the legendary lake. Never one to skimp when it comes to emerging visual technology, the team at Google Maps even went as far as to employ a team of divers from the Catlin Seaview Survey to capture underwater images of the legendary nearly 800-foot-deep loch. And just to up the cool factor, they’ve released a video detailing the entire experience and dedicated yesterday’s Google Doodle to the mystery-shrouded phenomenon.

GoogleLochNessStreetView2The waters of Loch Ness are notoriously murky, but isn’t that the setting for any great mystery? While it is neither the largest Scottish loch by surface area or by depth, it is the largest by volume, containing more freshwater than all the lakes of England and Wales combined. And when it comes to rabid human interest, Google says it sees more searches for Loch Ness than for Buckingham Palace. Adrian Shine alone, who assisted in the capture of the Street View imagery, has logged more than 1,000 sightings since 1973 as leader of the Loch Ness and Morar Project. So tonight when you sit down to veg out on your smartphone or tablet for the evening, take a moment to explore the loch. As Shrine says in the video “It’s the sort of place where, if there weren’t any dragons, there really ought to be”. I mean heck, if nothing else, Game of Thrones is only once a week – how are you going to get your dragon fix the other six days?

Topics: Technology News Inventions & Innovations Smartphones & Mobile Devices Tablets

Join the conversation!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.