Loch Ness Monster Insurance: Cruise Line Purchases $1.5 Million Policy
Loch Ness monster insurance was purchased by a Scottish cruise company looking to protect its passengers from any and all circumstances. Jacobite Cruises' $1.5 million policy coincides with the 80th anniversary of the mythical beast's first sighting.
The Loch Ness monster insurance was the idea of Jacobite Cruises owner Frieda Newton. The company, which operates out of Inverness, Scotland, owns only three vessels, but would receive a significant payout if any harm came to the boats because of the infamous sea creature. Newton herself calls the insurance a smart investment.
"I don't know what the odds of this actually happening might be, but this is Loch Ness," she told The Scottish Sun. "How silly would we look if it did and we weren't covered for it?"
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"I hope we never have to make a claim and if Nessie does make another appearance, she gives our boats a wide berth," Newton added.
The company covering the bizarre insurance for sea monster damage is Towergate Moray Firth. The "unusual" request ensures that Jacobite Cruises' 10,000 annual passengers are protected in case the legendary creature gets too close.
"This is probably the most unusual insurance request we have ever had, but we are delighted to provide cover," Bob Jack, director of the insurance company, told The Sun. "I'm sure everyone who sets sail on the loch would settle for a sighting of Nessie rather than a much closer encounter."
"We wish Jacobite, their passengers and crews many more happy voyages on the loch without any claims on this policy," he added.
The waters on which the cruises take place are home to the first sightings of the beast 80 years ago. Aldie Mackay, the manager of the Drumnadrochit Hotel in Inverness, first claimed she saw the beast March 14, 1933.
Since then, many have reported seeing the monster, although the first photo of Nessie, published in the Daily Mail in 1934, was admitted as a hoax decades later.
