It was the churning water, the splashing, and the spreading waves that drew my attention to an unreasonably long and sinuous animal with a whipping tail and fish-devouring jaws.
Yikes, it is an OGOPOGO !!! ( ← Note my hyperbolic use of explanation marks. )
The light was dim; it was raining; the monster was a long, long way offshore. But, it fit all the descriptions I have encountered of the ogopogo. It progressed rapidly along the West Arm from the Nine-mile Narrows as it headed towards Kokanee Creek Park. My camera clicked away happily. After capturing some fish, and before reaching the Park, the ogopogo turned around and undulated back down the Lake churning the water as it swam.
Then it spotted me; it promptly turned and headed straight at me—yikes, this chthonic monster was hydra-headed.
The folks in the Okanagan are noted for seeing such monsters (and taking unconvincing pictures of them). Yet, those of us on Kootenay Lake have had our own observations (an interesting summary by Tammy Hardwick). Now, I had a chance to take my own pictures (continued below).
This is an un-retouched telephoto image of the distant Kootenay Lake ogopogo.
As the ogopogo approached me, its sinuous body undulated in and out of the water;
Its tail whipped about;
And one of its multiple heads ploughed directly toward me.
Finally, some of this family of otters approached quite close.
Ok, I knew from my initial observation that this was actually a family of a half-dozen otters, but it was stunning how closely what was seen way out on the Lake fitted the reports of the ogopogo.
Excellent series Alistair. You have single-handedly wiped out the culture of the Okanagan tourism industry. Now they are left with nothing but wine to explain their interpretations of the myth. Ogopogo – the uncertain vision of fermenting imaginations. I guess they otter quit while they are ahead.
Rick
If you would have only submitted the first photo you would have had the world beating at your door.
I know it had me on the edge of my seat : > )
Len, chuckle, realizing this, I momentarily considered only posting the first one—maybe even blurring it a bit. I guess I just have no head for politics.
Ah ha…now I know the truth……& I ‘was’ a believer 😉
What great fun, Alistair, and excellent pictures.
That is fantastic!
Another Dandy post. Yep you should have milked this one a little longer. One picture a day.
Jokes on you! We saw the Ogopogo 35 years ago and got pictures. Diane (née Fletcher). Love the otters just the same…
Diane, and just what joke would that be?
The first photo had me actually believing that was Ogopogo. Then I looked at the other photos. I had to laugh. I really enjoyed first believing and then reality. Great photos. I would have loved to see what the media would have done with it.
Tammy, yes, it would have been fun, but also depressing, to see how the media would have used this to cater to the credulous. I wasn’t going to have any part in that.
Wonderful images. I always enjoy your photos, and now I enjoy your sense of humour, too!
If you had waited until Sunday it would have been the perfect April Fools. Maybe it can make the Express News next week.
Quite enjoyed this! Brilliant photography and seeing that first pic and then the second, made my hair stand up on end. Nice work!
Great photos! You had me going at first pic, otters… unreal! =)
Great article and photos!! Captured my attention for sure!
OMG! That solves the mystery. But don’t worry, fellow Okanaganites, I will keep it to myself.
I grew up on Okanagan Lake with neighbours who told Ogopogo stories. One man told how he and his friend chased Ogopogo in their row boat with a pitch fork in hand. I wonder if the reason we don’t seem to get reports of seeing Ogopogo any more is that we have wiped out all the otters?
Linda, he probably chased it from a considerable distance. And the otters are doing well on my side of the Monashees.
Started reading this with a bit of a roll of the eyes (I definitely don’t believe in the Ogopogo) and as I kept reading, I started to smile. This is such a cute story and I love the otters, they are adorable.
Alistair: Now we, from the Calgary Senoirs Ski Club, can say that we know a chap that just probably solved the Ogopogo mystery after all these years. Great photography Alistair!
Claire, I would love to take credit for this insight, but I cannot remember how many decades ago I learned that otters were almost certainly the things seen when people reported an ogopogo. Indeed, I just checked the book, Mammals of British Columbia (Eder & Pattie, 2001), and it mentions it. What I did was to take pictures that made compelling that which was already known.