Iceland Loch Ness Monster: Is It Real or Fake? (VIDEO)
Iceland's alleged Loch Ness monster has been caught on video, and the slithering creature has caused a huge amount of speculation.
The monster, better known to locals as the Lagarfljot river monster, or Lagarfljotsormurinn, has been documented by various sources since 1345, according to reports.
Feb. 2, a farmer named Hjortur Kjerulf shot video of what could be the beast swimming slowly through Jokulsa i Fljotsdal river, which empties into Lake Lagarfljot. The tape was subsequently given to the Icelanddic National Broadcasting Service, who have yet to determine if the finding is real or fake.
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SEE VIDEO OF THE ICELAND WORM MONSTER
The infamous, coiling creature seen in numerous photos and now a video could be up to 18 miles (30 kilometers) long, with the rest of its girth slithering beneath the icy lake at times.
However, at least one expert finds the video false, and tried to expose it as such.
Loren Coleman, the director of the International Cryptozoology Museum in Portland, Maine, feels the creature is a hoax, made of human design.
"Frankly, this video shows something that looks like a constructed snake-like object, with rigid sections, being propelled through the water," wrote Coleman on his website, Cryptomundo.
Coleman, who wrote a book called "Field Guide to Lake Monsters and Sea Serpents," thinks he would know a sea monster when he saw one, and the alleged Lagarfljotsormurrin sighting was false.
"The sections do not gracefully flow, but are sectionally moving from side-to-side. Mammals move up and down," said Coleman. "It seems someone attempting this fakery, perhaps by using a robot with tarps, fish nets, or trash bags … has decided to take the phrase 'sea serpent' and/or 'worm' too literally."
Coleman speaks of the translation of "Lagarfljot wurm"— which describes a dragon-like creature in the legends— being mistaken for a literal worm, which would move in the manner captured in the video. Traditional sightings of the Icelandic monster have been more Loch Ness-like: a hump and long neck protruding from the water.
Although the original Loch Ness image from Scotland in 1933 was revealed as fake eventually, many still continue to believe that Nellie is real. In much the same way, Icelanders believe in the Lagarfljotsormunnin: the viral video, posted a week ago, has over a million views.
