Steve Alten

by Science Behind The Loch

  The Science Behind THE LOCH

  NEW EVIDENCE

  PROVING THE EXISTENCE

  AND

  SPECIES

  OF THE

  LOCH NESS MONSTER

  William Louis McDonald

  Sr. Forensics Investigator

  Foreword

  Although to date I have never met Mr. William McDonald in person, I have worked with him extensively since 1999 and consider him a friend. Bill first contacted me in 1997 after reading my debut novel, MEG, inviting me to look at his original drawings of Carcharodon megalodon posted on his website. I was duly impressed and upon investigating the man, I grew to appreciate his talents, eventually hiring him as both a researcher and contributing artist in my later novels:

  Domain, Goliath and Resurrection.

  When it came time to select a topic for my seventh novel, I offered my readers a poll to vote for the subject they would most like to see. The overwhelming choice turned out to be a novel about the Loch Ness Monster—a subject I was fascinated with but hesitant to commit to. In truth, I simply didn't believe in the monster's existence, lumping it in with Big Foot and the Yeti. Nor was I convinced there was enough real science out there to support such a book (I have always endeavored to weave my fictional thrillers around grounded research.) And so I called my friend Bill, who informed me that not only was the monster real, but that he had been researching it since 1993. Bill shared his own theories with me, which I found groundbreaking, and began my own research based on his new theories in the spring of 2003.

  Approximately eighteen months later I had finished the novel and was about to turn it into my new publisher, TSUNAMI BOOKS, when Bill called me, frantic. He had just heard from some of his "contacts" in Scotland, who were reporting a number of rare land sightings. Bill had to get back to Loch Ness immediately, but he was lacking the funds. And so a deal was struck: Tsunami Books would pay for his trip in exchange for an exclusive on his research. In addition, Bill would sign a non-disclosure that would prevent him from going public with his theories about the species (so as not to spoil the ending for my own fans reading The LOCH.) That was in late November of 2004.

  Bill returned from Scotland in late December with some startling evidence and details that forced me to complete yet another extensive edit, one that would delay the release of fifteen hundred Advanced Reading Copies to bookstores and the media—a delay that in fact would hurt the initial publicity and sales of my novel. While this was a difficult choice, I felt it was the right one. Even though The LOCH is a fictional thriller, it becomes a far better read when woven around real science, and in this case, breaking new evidence straight from Loch Ness's ancient shores.

  Where this story within a story would go would shock even me.

  But this is Bill's story and he deserves to tell it. Where it will eventually lead, no one knows at this point. The confiscated DNA evidence (a 4-inch barbed tooth) may turn up, or it may not. Then again, it may all be a hoax. But Bill McDonald's theories are grounded in real science, and I am grateful for him sharing them with me and those who read my seventh novel, The LOCH.

  -Steve Alten, Ed.D.

  (Author of THE LOCH)

  Author’s Preface

  The term "Nessie hunter" carries with it decades of skepticism, fake photos, fallacies, and fringe science. Let me be clear from the start, I am not a Nessie hunter. I am by nature and profession an investigator, specializing in forensics and a "gumshoe detective" mentality.

  After earning my BA Degree from Cal State Fullerton in Criminal Justice, I attended MCRD San Diego Boot Camp on 04 January 1984 and was honorably discharged on 12 January 1988. I further served in the California Army National Guard from August of 1988 and was Honorably Discharged on 23 October 1993.

  In the Marines, my Military Occupational Specialty was F/A-18 Hornet Fire Control Systems Technician. I achieved a secondary MOS job in Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Warfare Defense. In the Army, I was a 35 "Lima" cockpit avionics technician working on helicopter cockpit radios, wire bundles, batteries, switches, and gauges. I also attended U.S. Army Officer Candidate School OCS training via the California Military Academy (CMA) at Camp San Luis Obispo, in San Luis Obispo, California.

  From 1986 to October 1993,1 served as an LAPD Crime Prevention Specialist Volunteer at the old Pacific/Venice Division under the command of LT. Ross Moen. I have been trained in undercover operations, sub-rosa, surveillance, pretext and interview techniques from the era before the internet and the personal computer revolutionized information and intelligence gathering. I've been steadily employed as a PI, working mostly undercover and "close-in" with the target; and because I always worked as an employee under the license of private attorneys and licensed private investigative agencies, I never had to procure a license of my own and never was in the position of direct civil liability which comes with having your own license and "shingle."

  This book is the culmination of a lifetime of study regarding the legend of the Loch Ness Monster and how the species relates to all other lake monsters around the world. Ever since my parents procured a copy of zoologist. Roy P. Mackal's book, "The Monsters of Loch Ness," in 1976, I nursed my own private obsession with the search for the real "Nessie." I have, over many years, developed a theory that identifies the legendary lake monsters in Canada, the Great Lakes region, northern Minnesota, Scandinavia, Australia and most importantly, Northern Scotland. I currently subscribe to the hypothesis that all Lake Monsters are in fact representative of a family of related species of giant prehistoric abysso-pelagic oceanic eels (some of which grow to maturity in fresh water), sustaining populations of which became trapped in their current glacially carved lakes between successive ice ages. Having raised several species of Anguilliforme (true catadromous) fresh water eels and Amazonian electric eels, I can confirm that the motions of eels swimming along a surface duplicate the multi- humped appearances of the "Lake monsters." The rolling, rotating motion as an eel glides into a surface turn while diving in fact so duplicated the humps and thrashing motions described by the dozens of lake residents I have interviewed over the years. Furthermore, thick bodied eels are amphibious and often leave the water to seek out better ponds, pools or rivers. They can feed upon small or dead animals and insects in leaves and soil on dry land. They thrive in cold water. They'll eat almost any kind of prey organism they can catch. They can also feed by gorging seasonally and go without food for over six months at a time. And their lifespans have been documented in excess of eighty years.

  My theory is that lake monsters including "Nessie" are in fact individuals representing an entire family of related species. A minimum population to maintain reproductive viability is not required to get lake monsters. The whole concept of a minimum number of individuals in order to sustain a viable breeding population might not be necessary or correct—at least most of the time—because lake monsters and sea serpents may, in fact, spontaneously generate from existing known species under certain conditions where the normal breeding cycle for the females of an existing, documented species is disrupted or interfered with. Additional growth or life phases may account for the majority of special individuals.

  In the spring of 2003 I presented these theories to author Steve Alten, who I knew was working on a new fictional thriller about the Loch Ness Monster. Steve is one of the few authors out there who "sweat" the details, and I knew whatever storyline he created would go far to bring my own theories to life. His novel, THE LOCH, is an excellent read and a true page-turner that in fact, takes my own research to a new level. His work is also the first that details accurately, what the monster is, the nature of how the species entered Loch Ness, and why it's been so hard to photograph or locate.

  This book details the fact
s behind the fiction, specifically two events that occurred after Steve Alten completed his manuscript. The first occurred in December of 2004 on my own research expedition, the second in March of 2005 when I was contacted by two American students that may have stumbled upon the find of a lifetime.

  This story is still playing itself out at the first printing of this book. That'd I'd have my detractors was fully expected. Some may feel I am simply trying to advance my own theories, others will no doubt accuse Steve Alten of promoting his own novel (he has never denied this claim.) But I stand by my working theories and what is in this book and am always available to face my jurors with hard-gotten facts.

  -William Louis McDonald.

  December 2004

  On Wednesday, 14 December 2004, I departed Phoenix, Arizona en route to Inverness, Scotland, my trip having been funded by TSUNAMI BOOKS, publisher of Steve Alten's new novel, "The Loch" set to be released in May of2005. Alten's new publisher is a brand-new boutique publisher that plans on publishing three to six new books a year, all of which have to be "high concept" books, i.e. books that show high potential for film, and appealed to a wide audience. THE LOCH certainly fits that description. Alten recently switched to Tsunami Books based upon their marketing support and the fact that they offer their authors far more control. That they are supporting my research tells me a lot about the company.

  Background

  Loch Ness and the Great Glen are the geological result of two prehistoric land masses colliding over 300 million-years-ago to form a collision fault and fracture zone which was subsequently carved out of the rock by advancing and retreating glacial ice over a 400,000 year period. The Glen itself is a massive trench that runs from its headwaters in the southwest of Scotland to the northeast. Loch Ness is the largest in a series of lakes, running twenty-three miles long and in most places a mile wide, and it is also quite deep, anywhere from 600 to 800 feet deep. The current system of Loch Ness and its feeder lochs and rivers was established only 10,000 years ago when the last ice age glaciers retreated off the exposed landmass of the British Islands. The Caledonian Canal and the River Oich feed into Loch Ness from Loch Linnhe and its system to the southwest. The Caledonian Canal and the River Ness flow out of Loch Ness at its northeastern narrows towards the city of Inverness and the Firth of Morey leading into the North Sea. The earliest clans of Homo sapiens humans followed the retreat of the ice and began hunting the glen system within a few short decades of its current formation. Humans have been a constant presence ever since.

  Loch Ness is circumnavigated by a system of two main roads which are technically highways. The A-82 highway hugs the entire 23 mile length of the north-northwest Loch Ness shoreline, close to the water, with full views of the loch. General Wade's Military Road runs along the opposite shoreline southwest to northeast up through the mountainous highlands, away from the shores of the loch, passing many smaller lochs and the Rivers Tarff and Foyers.

  Loch Ness cannot be observed from most portions of this southern road which runs from Fort Augustus at the southernmost headwaters of Loch Ness, all the way back to Inverness by way of Foyers, Inverfarigaig and Dores.

  A View of Loch Ness.

  My interest in returning to Loch Ness had more to do with meeting with local contacts who were claiming knowledge of a number of recent land sightings during the 2004 winter season. Land sightings are rare but not unheard of at Loch Ness. One of the first reported land sightings dates back to January 1934. According to Mr. W. Arthur Grant, a veterinary student, "It was late, just after one in the morning. I was on my motorcycle, approaching the Abriachan turn out of Inverness when I noticed something large in the bushes up ahead. I was almost upon it when it abruptly turned, exposing a long, hefty body, maybe 4.5 to 6 meters (15-20 feet) long. It possessed a very powerful tail, rounded at the end, and two front flippers. The head was snake-like, flat on top, and my headlight reflected an oval eye. The animal made two great bounds across the road and down into the water, followed by a big splash. *

  Since then, several dozen land sightings have occurred. All have taken place at night and in the winter, and almost all by locals. This can be explained as follows:

  First, sightings increased in the 1930s as a result of the completion of the A-82 roadway, which runs along Loch Ness's western shoreline, close to the water. Second, fish migrate into Loch Ness on a seasonal basis, specifically in the Spring and Summer. By winter the stocks have dwindled and abandoned the loch, forcing any large predatory fish (the monster) to feed along the shorelines. Last, the amphibious species of fish that I suspect inhabits Loch Ness prefers deep water where almost no light penetrates. Loch Ness is in fact almost 800 feet deep, making it deeper than the North Sea to which it connects by way of the River Ness and the Moray Firth A deep water species would possess nocturnal eyes that are sensitive to ultra violet light.

  Translation: the creature only surfaces when hungry, in the winter, and then only at night. I arrived in the Scottish Highlands on Thursday, 16 December at approximately 11:35 AM at the Inverness airport. After securing a rental Fiat sedan from Avis and exchanging my currency, I proceeded to the Clansman Hotel in the village of Brachla, four miles northeast of the city of Drumnadrochit, on the shores of Loch Ness. After a brief rest, I attended the last exhibit run for the day of the Loch Ness 2000 Exposition in Drumnadrochit. The presentation identified all major migratory and permanent fish species occupying Loch Ness and provided a framework history for both legitimate sightings and the identified hoaxes that featured prominently in the Loch Ness area. I also left a message for exposition curator Adrian Shine, a well-known Nessie researcher, a man I hoped to interview.

  That first evening I interviewed several local residents. One acknowledged there had been talk of "Nessie land sightings" over the past winter, but others preferred not to discuss the happenings. It should be understood that tourism is the lifeblood of the Scottish Highland communities, and it goes from summer feast to winter famine. Nessie drives tourism, and the locals know better than to discuss going-on with an American researcher. There exists a clear line of distinction between "born residents" and all tourists and "outsiders." All Clansman hotel family members were excessively polite and appeared to be stating their honest knowledge of the community. The owner of the hotel's "Nessie Shop," stated "outsiders" were simply expected to "know their place." Fortunately, I've established some personal contacts over the years and built up a level of trust among my own "personal contacts."

  Over the next six days I interviewed seventeen locals, three of whom confirmed "knowledge" of recent land sightings of an animal stated to be anywhere from thirty feet to sixty feet long.

  One local claimed to be missing a house pet (a 14 month old Rottweiler). A female postal manager for the Royal Mail service office in Drumnadrochit and her female assistant stated that in the winter off-season, the primary tourist demographics to Loch Ness were the Japanese, the Chinese, the English and German nationals who all wanted a chance to hunt for and photograph "Nessie" via the Jacobite Cruises lake and Caledonian Canal boat tours that left docks in Inverness, the canal, Lochend, and Brachla, daily They also frequently stopped on the A-82 highway and in the pullouts in their zeal to get a sighting of "Nessie." These two women further stated that local artists and contract artists were all commissioned over the last fifty years to render and sculpt "those silly sea serpent and dinosaur cartoon art," and that other, more scientific fish versions of the monster were discouraged for the reason that the tourists expect dinosaur merchandise—not giant eels! In fact all six world-famous "life-sized" monster statues on display at locations around the loch (at the Clansman hotel, the Exposition 2000, the Jacobite boat docks, an Inverness gas station, the trailer park south of Invermoriston, and at Fort Augustus on the Caledonian Canal were commissioned as "water dinosaurs" (plesiosaurs or serpents) by the local business community, over the generations. Painted images of plesiosaurs decorated the windows of the major art gallery in Drumnadrochit. Neither woma
n I interviewed had ever had a "Nessie" sighting.

  As the average Loch Ness winter is only six hours of daylight due to high latitudes and it was frigid cold, my exploration of the 46-mile long shoreline was quite limited.

  And then I got my first real break:

  While drinking coffee in a windowed area of the hotel bar, compiling notes and eating a second breakfast, I observed the arrival of two male tourists who were not residents of the Great Glen. The two men were involved in an animated discussion bordering on an argument and both appeared frightened or upset by some unknown cause. Their discussion included subtle verbal references to what I interpreted as a large animal encounter, which immediately necessitated this agent interrupting them and "butting in." Extremely cautious at first, both males acquiesced to having me pay for their entire meal in exchange for information. The two male tourists said they were from London and stated (with much hesitance) that they had observed what they thought might be a Loch Ness Monster just the very night before.

  Witness #1 is a male Caucasian of Indian-Hindu decent, age 25, who resides in Central London, England. He is full-time employed by a major banking/financial institution, which is an extremely conservative and aristocratic corporate organization. He is a junior executive or assistant. He pursues art as a hobby, but is financially responsible for an entire household that includes his chronically ill mother, four sisters, and two younger brothers. He was adamant that his identity as a witness to the Loch Ness Monster never be exposed due to the fact that he believes his employment would be instantly terminated with catastrophic economic consequences to his family. He stated that employees of his institution sign a morality code-of-con- duct document that allows them to be "sacked" in the event that any scandalous behavior is disclosed or published. The witness stated that it is his life's practice and a matter of faith to never consume alcoholic beverages or any controlled substances without a doctor's prescription.