Is Nessie "Missing?"

Nessie? Missing? What?

Some people think "she" is.

There haven't been any reported sightings of any of the Loch Ness Monsters since last year, Gary Campbell, who keeps a record of Nessie sightings, notes.

Gary Campbell
(Daily Mail)

The Daily Mail reports:

"The Loch Ness Monster has been 'declared missing' by its official recorder admitting he is 'worried' that there has been no sightings of her for eight months.

"Gary Campbell, keeper of the Official Loch Ness Monster Sightings Register, said concerns were raised following a spike in the number of reported appearances in 2016.

"It comes after the Home Office recently rejected a bid by a group of artists from Glasgow to grant the Loch Ness Monster permanent UK residency after Brexit.

"Mr Campbell said: 'We're quite worried that there has been an eight month gap since the last sighting.

"'Last year was a record year for the 21st Century with eight sightings and then she seems to have disappeared.

"'More unusually, the last sighting was of the same thing at almost exactly the same time by 12 miles apart.

"'It's been said that maybe the family Ness was having a domestic hence they haven't stuck their head above water since!

"'The last time this happened was four years ago but we're hoping that with more people around for Easter, maybe someone will see something.

"'There is a prize for the best sighting so maybe it'll encourage someone to come forward - a lady from Texas won £1,000 last year for taking a picture of something large and dark just under the surface.

"'Nessie is seen in the winter but she's much more common in the summer - this is why it's unusual that nothing was seen last year after August 21.

"'In that time of course someone tried to register her as an EU citizen so maybe has she headed off abroad. But seriously I am very concerned she seems to have gone missing.'

"Mr Campbell added: 'The reason for the summer sightings is twofold - there are more people around in the summer but more importantly, there are much longer daylight hours and the weather tends to be better.'

"Mr Campbell said 2016 was a 'fantastic' year for Nessie sightings - which he put down to the growth of smartphones and webcams.

"He said two of the sightings were by webcam, including one from an online watcher in America.

"'It means that there are more people than ever before are looking for Nessie - which would explain the rise in last year's sightings,' said Mr Campbell.

"'In fact, you have to go back to 2000 when there were 11 sightings, for more appearances of Nessie.'

"The last sighting was on August 21 when Ian Campbell, a government worker from Argyll, was cycling along the west side of the loch near Drumnadrochit with his son and a family friend when he pictured two creatures in the loch about 33 feet in length just out form the shore.

"On the same day a father visiting the area also saw something very similar and said that he and his son saw some dark or black shapes moving around in the water near to Urquhart castle. He estimated them to be about 800 yards away."

Is Nessie, or more likely, the Nessies, missing? I doubt it, as that part of the article seems a little exaggerated. "Missing," no. Not seen or not reported? Yes. Will there be some sightings this year? Probably. I really doubt that the monsters will just up and "disappear" this year.

SEE MORE ON THE LOCH NESS MONSTER ON TYLER'S CRYPTOZOO

Two 'somethings' photographed in the loch by Ian Campbell
in 2016